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Effective Onscreen Editing: new tools for an old profession (4th ed.)

The 4th edition is now available! If you're still using a version of Microsoft Word older than the 2016 version, older versions of the book are still available. Please contact me to learn how to obtain a copy.

If you purchased the eBook version of the 3rd edition in September 2018 or later: Please contact me directly (with the date of purchase) and I'll send you a copy of the 4th edition. If you purchased the printed version, I can't offer a free upgrade, but I can send you a copy of the eBook of the 4th edition at no cost or offer a large discount on the new printed edition. Contact me (include your receipt) to request details.

This page contains the following information: What's new in the 4th edition? Why do I need this book? How to use this book Read the reviews Buy the PDF and print versions of the book Detailed table of contents for the book (and a sample chapter) Errata and additions to the 4th edition of the book

What's new in the 4th edition?

Bibliographic information: Hart, G. 2019. Effective onscreen editing: new tools for an old profession. 4th ed. Diaskeuasis Publishing, Pointe-Claire, Quebec.

• Printed version: 474 pages + index. ISBN 978-1-927972-07-6
• PDF version (suitable for most tablet computers): 760 page + index. ISBN 978-1-927972-08-3
• EPUB version: (unpaginated) ISBN 978-1-927972-09-0

The main difference from the 3rd edition is that the book now covers Word 2016 for both the Mac and Windows. In addition to a thorough review of the text, the 4th edition includes the following updates and improvements:

• All errata and additions from the 3rd edition have been integrated in the text. Many errors, inconsistencies, and poor choices of wording have been corrected.
• The PDF version is formatted to be suitable for use on most tablet computers and all desktop and laptop computers. A non-optimized EPUB version is included at no additional cost; it's not elegant, and the hyperlinks don't work, but it will let you read the book on your cell phone or modify the text size and other display characteristics to make reading easier. Both versions have no usage restrictions (i.e., no DRM), so you can move them to a new computer with no hassle. (Please don't abuse this gift by giving free copies to your friends.)
• Separate Web pages are provided that contain Web links and screenshots for each chapter and for each version of Microsoft Word. You can now display instructions and annotated screenshots beside your word processor and consult them as you follow a procedure. This information is also available as downloadable .zip files for Mac and Windows so you can use the Web pages even when you don’t have Internet access.
• The overall goal is still to teach editing strategies, not specific software. Nonetheless, I've updated the descriptions to cover Word 2016 for Windows and the Mac. I'll add Web pages for more recent versions as time permits, at no additional cost to you. This may take a year or two, as I have way too many other things calling for my time.
• Deletions: I have removed the original Chapter 2 (about the advantages of onscreen editing), since most people already understand this and don't need to be convinced. However, if you do need to convince someone, "Why edit on the screen?" is available online at no cost. I have also deleted Chapters 17 and 18 from the original book (about how to implement onscreen editing) because they were of interest to a limited audience. For those who do need them, an expanded and updated version of these chapters will be available as a new book, Implementing Onscreen Editing (hopefully by late April 2019).
• Chapter 3: The chapter now describes the revised personalization/customization settings for Word 2016 running under Macintosh OS X 10.13.6 (High Sierra) and Windows 10, both up to date as of March 2019, plus additional details of keyboard shortcuts.
• Chapter 12: Additional details of editing graphics, video, and multimedia files, including a summary of how to achieve this in Acrobat or equivalent PDF-editing software.
• Chapter 15: I slightly expanded the description of editing PDF files.
• Appendix 1: I've enhanced my description of where key Word files are stored so you can include them more easily in your backups, including the files that contain your Word customizations (keyboard shortcuts, automatic text, macros, and dictionaries).

Why do I need this book?

Most editors must now edit manuscripts on the screen ("onscreen editing") using a word processor. Though the editing skills remain the same, transferring them into a word processor can be challenging. Effective Onscreen Editing eases the transition from on-paper editing by teaching how to apply general editing strategies suitable for all word processors, supplemented by proven tips and tricks that will maximize your productivity and effectiveness. For editors who are already editing on the screen, the book will teach you the skills you need to greatly increase your editing speed and accuarcy based on my more than 30 years of experience as an editor and as a mentor for other editors, improved by incorporating feedback from students who have taken my courses on onscreen editing.

To make the editing strategies concrete, I use Microsoft Word 2016 for both Windows and the Macintosh to show how to implement these principles in the real world. (Because these examples illustrate the principles, you'll benefit from the book even if you don't use Word. However, you'll have to learn how your word processor implements the techniques.) The information is provided in small chunks, designed for easy reading and browsing. You can dip into the book to solve a specific problem, or read it a chapter at a time to increase your mastery of the art of onscreen editing.

How to use this book

Given the book’s length, you won’t want to read it cover to cover unless you have a serious insomnia problem. The most practical (and least intimidating) option is to use the book as a problem-solving resource. First, identify a specific onscreen editing task that is slowing you down or causing you trouble. Next, dip into the book and learn how to solve that problem.

As you solve each new problem, you’ll find that it frees up time you can use to learn more efficient ways to perform other editorial tasks. Use the time you save to solve another problem. Over time, you’ll be amazed at how much time you’re saving. Use that time to increase your effective hourly rate if you charge a fixed price per page, or to give yourself more time to work on difficult edits under tight deadlines.

Tips on using ebooks that are provided in PDF format

Read the reviews

Here's what readers have been saying about the 3rd edition of Effective Onscreen Editing:

• The European Medical Writers Association noted that "This might just be the most useful book I have ever reviewed. Anyone who does any kind of editing work or who wishes to use Word more efficiently should strongly consider buying it."
• Editors Victoria noted that "Geoff deals with his material in a nicely straightforward manner."
• The Canberra Editor noted that "Effective Onscreen Editing... is absolutely huge... It's not the type of book to read from cover to cover, but would make an excellent and comprehensive addition to any editor's reference library."
• Copyediting.com noted that "Hart's tips wow me fairly regularly, and I have been teaching onscreen editing for seven years."
• The Southern Communicator noted: "This is the second of Geoff Hart's books I've reviewed, and I wish I'd had it when I started editing."
• Corrigo noted "Whether Word has ever tempted you to smash your computer or you just want to do some word processing task more quickly, you need this book."
• The Editorium noted "I still keep [Effective Onscreen Editing] close at hand on my bookshelf. Why? Because it's one of the best books ever written about how to edit on a computer, packed with real-world information you'll find nowhere else."
• The Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators, noted "Hart's guide is your answer."

Here's what readers said about the 2nd edition of Effective Onscreen Editing:

• Reviewed by the Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators (1 June 2012)
• One of "three books that should be in every professional editor’s library, and regularly consulted" (Rich Adin's An American Editor blog, November 2011)
• Reviewed by STC's Technical Editing SIG (April 2011)
• Reviewed by the Editorial Freelancers Association (March/April 2011)
• Reviewed by the Australian Society for Technical Communication (NSW) (February 2011).

Here's what readers said about the 1st edition of Effective Onscreen Editing:

• Reviewed by Novelspot (April 2009).
• Reviewed by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators. (March 2009)
• Reviewed in Offpress, the newsletter of the Society of Editors (Queensland) Inc. (April 2008)
• Reviewed by the Editorial Freelancers Association. (March/April 2008)
• Read Thomas Sura's review in the IEEE–PCS newsletter (January 2008)
• Reviewed by the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. (undated, but appeared in 2008)
• Gordon Graham provided a favorable mention of the book in the SoftwareCEO newsletter (at the end of the 8 January 2008 article "Tips on jotting, online directories, and fixing your software", Copyright © 2008, Computing Technology Industry Association, Inc.)
• The European Medical Writers Association reviewed the book in their The Write Stuff newsletter (December 2007, republished here with permission)
• The Society for Technical Communication reviewed the book in the Technical Editing SIG online newsletter (12 November 2007)
• Jack Lyon's review in Editorium Update (22 June 2007)
• Reviewed by the Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators (1 June 2007)

Buy the PDF and print versions of the book!

If you're using Word 2013 or earlier, the 3rd edition of the book is still available; contact me for details.

To purchase the 4th (2019) edition:

Teachers	Want to add the book to your course reading list? Please contact me to obtain a free evaluation copy of the eBook, or a reduced price on the printed edition.
Students and members of professional societies	I offer discounts of US$7 for both versions (25% for the eBook, 21% for the print version) to students and members of professional societies. Students should contact me from their .edu e-mail address to obtain a link to the reduced price. (If you don't have a university e-mail address, please ask your teacher to contact me on your behalf.) If you're a member of a professional society, please ask your membership coordinator to contact me for details.
Everyone else:	PDF version (eBook) Purchase and download a copy using your PayPal account or most major credit cards. Although you can print the PDF file, it's not optimized for printing.
	Printed version If you purchased the PDF version before the printed version was available, please contact me; I can offer a $5 discount off the cover price. Visit Lulu.com to purchase the printed version. Shipping is pricey, so consider placing a group order with friends or colleagues to reduce the per-book cost.
Buy in bulk	Interested in buying many copies for your group or your professional association? Please contact me so we can negotiate a bulk discount.

Detailed table of contents for the book (and a sample chapter)

To avoid cluttering this page, I've provided a link to a detailed version of the book's table of contents. Here, you can also download a free copy of Chapter 2 to confirm whether you like the style and content. I've provided a PDF file containing tips on how to use this eBook to help you get the most out of using this book. The tips will also work for many other eBooks and PDF files.

©2004–2024 Geoffrey Hart. All rights reserved.