Butcher’s Copy-editing. The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-editors and Proofreaders was recommended to me on the proofreading course I attended last month. It is, I am told, the ‘bible’ for copy-editors and proofreaders. Having now acquired my own copy, I can see why.
The handbook has some good introductory sections that outline the role of the copy-editor and discuss how to read proofs. Particularly useful for translators is the section on house style, which contains good advice on how to follow a client or author’s house style and how to create your own style sheet if there is no house style guide or, alternatively, to supplement the one that you are given. No house style guide will ever cover all the tricky spellings, hyphenation issues or capitalisation problems that might crop up in the texts that you work with so be sure to make a note of such items as you work through the texts to help maintain consistency. As I see it, this not only applies to translators who are copy-editing other people’s work; it can also be used to help ensure that they are consistent in their own translations.
Butcher’s Copy-editing also covers topics such as indexes, headings, tables, footnotes, quotations and bibliographical references. There are also sections on scientific and mathematical nomenclature, units and symbols and basic style information relating to legal and medical texts. Those who prefer to copy-edit on screen rather than on paper would be well-advised to read Chapter 16, which explores on-screen editing and includes a checklist specifically for this type of work.
One of the most useful features of this handbook for me are the appendices, which include a copy-editing checklist and lists of abbreviations and symbols. There is also a handy table of proof correction symbols - perfect for both copy-editing and proofreading tasks, plus a comprehensive glossary of proofreading, editing and copy-editing terms.
Butcher, J., Drake, C. and Leach, M. Butcher’s Copy-editing. The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-editors and Proofreaders. 4th edn, Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-521-84713-1 (hardback).
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