Editorial Domination: Book 1

The month of October will see my name in commercial print for the very first time. Here's a quick peek at the Queensland Food & Wine Touring Atlas, the product that I got to cut my editorial teeth on. Check it out:

And, just because I'm a nerd like that:

I came to Hema when this book was being laid up by design, so much of my contribution was that of a proofreading/fact checking nature. I learned a lot of editorial lessons while doing this.

1. Consistency is key: knowledge of house style is pretty crucial in creating a readable product that jumps out at a reader in the right way. So my strong feelings concerning issues such as 'and vs &' and whether or not long numbers should have commas in them have all FINALLY been validated.

2. Never leave multiple book proofs lying scattered willy nilly on your desk: you will get SUPER confused about what changes have been made and which haven't. And a confused editor is not a happy editor.

3. Chocolate is truly the best work incentive.

4. Editing a book with lots of little pictures and maps is a great way to develop chronic neck cramps, but it's all worth it when you have the final product sitting on top of your desk.