Butcher's Copy-Editing The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-Editors and Proofreaders

About this book

Since its first publication in 1975, Judith Butcher's Copy-editing has become firmly established as a classic reference guide. This fourth edition has been comprehensively revised to provide an up-to-date and clearly presented source of information for all those involved in preparing typescripts and illustrations for publication. From the basics of how to prepare text and illustrations for the designer and typesetter, through the ground rules of house style, to how to read and correct proofs, Copy-editing covers all aspects of the editorial process.

New and revised features:
- up-to-date advice on indexes, inclusive language, reference systems and preliminary pages
- a chapter devoted to on-screen copy-editing
- guidance on digital coding and publishing in other media such as e-books
- updated to take account of modern typesetting and printing technology
- an expanded section on law books
- an essential tool for new and experienced copy-editors, working freelance or in-house

Contents

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Preliminary copy-editing, design and specimen pages
3. Preparing the typescript for the typesetter
4. Illustrations
5. Proofs
6. House style
7. Preliminary pages
8. Indexes
9. Other parts of a book
10. Bibliographical references
11. Literary material
12. Multi-author and multi-volume works
13. Science and mathematics books
14. Other special subjects
15. Reprints and new editions
16. On-screen editing Anne Waddingham

Appendixes:
1. Checklist of copy-editing
2. Book sizes
3. Abbreviations for states in the USA
4. Phonetic symbols
5. The Russian alphabet
6. Old English and Middle English letters
7. French and German bibliographical terms and abbreviations
8. Mathematical symbols
9. Hebrew
10. Arabic
11. Islamic and other calendars
12. Countries of the former USSR, Baltic States and former Yugoslavia
13. Proof correction symbols
14. How to check that an ISBN is correct

Customer Reviews

Biography

Judith Butcher has a wealth of editorial experience, gained first at Penguin Books, then at Cambridge University Press, where she was head of the copy-editing department. She is Honorary President of the SfEP.

Caroline Drake worked for publishers in London, Berlin and Oxford before joining Cambridge University Press in 1989. In 2005 she began to edit, write and train copy-editors on a freelance basis.

Maureen Leach worked at Cambridge University Press from 1973 until 2001, running the humanities and social sciences copy-editorial department from 1985. She now works as a freelance editor, copy-editor and proofreader.