Editing Made Easy

September 15, 2012

In this U.S. edition of his Australian book of the same title, longtime newspaper editor Kaplan offers no-frills advice to self-editors. He stresses the value of writers who know how to edit their own work. His approach is similar to Bruce Ross-Larson's Edit Yourself. In 37 short chapters, Kaplan covers most thorny writing difficulties, such as split infinitives, tautologies, and misplaced modifiers. This is a book with lots of lists and white space: it would seem just as well suited to use in a digital format as in the traditional print version. The book's portability and its low price make it especially useful for college students and bloggers. VERDICT This affordable, bare-bones guide will appeal to writers (and others who have to write)--especially those who like referring to a handy list of do's and don'ts.--Stacey Rae Brownlie, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA

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