Title: Editing– 10 Steps
Author: Bonny Franke
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing, LLC
ASIN: B07HPFXPFN
Pages: 135
Genre: Nonfiction: Education and Teaching
Reviewed by: Thomas Macolino
Pacific Book Review
The competition to become a successfully published author has never been fiercer. Publishing houses and literary agencies can receive hundreds of proposals in a single day. With that competition, the standard for first-time writers has risen. Editing- 10 Steps is one of the books written as a response to this growing niche: a reference book and guide for editors and authors. As an emerging author myself, this book was of particular interest to me, as I found myself examining the pages – not just as a reader, but as a student.
Before I give a general summary of Editing- 10 Steps, I must be honest with you; Bonny Franke’s title is misleading. The concept of “10 Steps” implies progression, a journey beginning at step one and resolving neatly at step ten. This is inaccurate, and if you’ll stay with me for a moment, I will soon explain. Editing- 10 Steps is broken down, as the chapter suggests, into ten different sections; for example, grammar, scenes and settings, and plot. Each of these sections includes a general overview of the section, why it is important, and information on how to improve it through editing. Each section is important, informative, and distinct. Rather than a step, each section guides the editor in the construction of a novel in the same way a guide on actual construction might teach a person how to repair a house. 10 Steps is a reference guide, meant to read and reread; kept ready on a shelf until the editor needs to refresh themselves on one obscure paragraph before they dive back into editing their manuscript.
As a reference guide, Editing- 10 Steps is a great beginner’s text. It covers a vast array of topics and common issues. More than once I found myself nodding along to advice I’d learned in my own college writing courses or information I’d had to extract from the depths of the Internet like some Google gold miner. If you are a new writer just starting on your path to publication or an editor faced with the daunting task of fixing a 70,000+ word document for the first time, this is an excellent resource for you. However, any reference guide has its drawbacks; as Editing- 10 Steps is a general guide, it lacks the specificity of a more focused book and may leave more detailed questions unanswered.
Now, to the most important part of the review: should you buy this book? My answer is a conditional yes. If you are 1) new to the writing world, 2) have a lot of questions about how to improve, and 3) want a book that will inform, not necessarily entertain, then yes, buy this. It’s a great resource and helpful foundation to get you started in the world of editing.
