About the Book
About the Book
The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction was born from a collection of blog posts and my extensive speaker notes from conference presentations and webinars I gave on the topic. In one session I noted that there weren’t any books specifically about how to copyedit fiction, and someone said that I should write one. So (long story short) I did! Although it is intended primarily for copyeditors, fiction authors and students of editing will also find it useful.
This book is the first of its kind. It is intended not as a specific style manual, laying out rules to be followed across all manuscripts, but rather as a fiction-oriented companion to The Chicago Manual of Style (or your chosen style manual) to help copyeditors make each manuscript shine in its own unique light.
The book opens with an overview of the mindset needed to copyedit fiction: primarily that the manuscript is its own reference source and style guide, and the copyeditor’s job is to gently shape it to house style as well as its own, while preserving the author’s and characters’ voices. Copyediting fiction is often about knowing when to break the rules—or invent new ones.
After a discussion of the workflow involved, including setting up the style sheet and preparing for multiple passes through the manuscript, the book delves into the sections of a fiction style sheet and how to populate them: general style, characters, locations, and timeline. A well-built, detailed style sheet helps the copyeditor ensure continuity across these elements.
The final chapters discuss some topics specific to fiction: flexibility in grammar and usage, conscious language, treatment of dialogue, and fact checking for both real and fictional aspects of a story. Appendixes cover creating a style sheet template, file management, and multiple monitors. I’ve also included a fiction-specific list of resources and a brief glossary.
240 pages | 27 halftones | 6 x 9 | University of Chicago Press | © 2023
Reviews
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Copyeditors have long wished for a comprehensive and authoritative guide to working with fiction, and The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction fills that void admirably. Amy Schneider takes you by the hand and provides valuable guidance on approach and fiction-specific style considerations based on her vast experience. New and seasoned fiction copyeditors both will find it useful in their day-to-day work. Authors, too, can benefit from the wealth of knowledge in this book, especially the sections on characters and timelines. This book is a must-read for every copyeditor who works with fiction.
—Lori Paximadis, founder of Pax Studio
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A thoroughly helpful resource that I wish had been around when I first began my editing career. Now, years later, after meeting and interacting with writers and editors of all levels, I can say with confidence that Schneider's guidance is sorely needed for those who don't realize that the world of make-believe is just as specialized and nuanced as any other field.
—Crystal Watanabe, owner and lead editor of Pikko’s House
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A roadmap that should be on the must-read list of any professional editor who's serious about the art of copyediting fiction.
—Louise Harnby, advanced professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
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Schneider has transformed decades of experience into an invaluable and engaging resource that will guide wordsmiths for years to come.
—Sarah Grey, development editor at O’Reilly Media