‘To write is to know, to edit is divine’ – Stephen King.

Writing, to me, has always been a medium of being. I have been writing, scribbling, editing, and sending huge chunks of it to be safe in the trash bins.

People are inquisitive, no? But, no one reads papers abandoned in a bin.

Well, 5 years down the line, writing was just that. A medium of expression, a side hustle for some, a dream to be, and a way of letting it all out. It was done once and revised only to re-live. To go down the path of nostalgia.

Now, writing has a new name. ‘Content’.
And, when I came across the book ‘Discover the Editor in You’, I was curious to know what this book has to offer while writing continues to take the form of content, yet words don’t cease to be.

I have been late, extremely late to post about this book.

This book is like taking directions from an elderly about a place he has been born, brought up, and lived in all his life.

He knows the shop that used to be there on that corner is closed. He acknowledges change yet remembers the history. He is willing to take you along on a walk, given you have time.

And, sometimes, this book feels like a gathering of sorts where one talks about technique, the other about possibilities. And, many others about the craft and so much more.

This book is a truckload of resources about the importance of copyediting and why and how to craft your name in this potential field. It doesn’t leave you hanging after praising copyediting but holds your hand and tells you what it takes. No shortcuts, of course.

From being called an ‘observer’, to an ‘ideal reader’, this book visits the essence of copyediting in infinite ways.

‘Read, re-read, re-re-read’ – this is what I highlighted with a red marker because sometimes we read, and re-read.

I have a lot to say about this book, but here are some takeaways for now:

• Reading maketh a full copyeditor.
• Proficiency in grammar, eye for detail, and inquisitiveness make a great copyeditor
•  The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
• Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.
• Massive exposure to good writing is one of the most effective ways to improve one’s writing’

Thanks to Vivek Kumar  Sir for sending this book and allowing me time to read it at my own pace.

If copy editing seems interesting to you, this may be the book you should start with. Quite helpful for beginners and those finding their way.

(Will share a part 2 soon)

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