Reflection 7

This past week has been mainly more of the same. I have plenty of work to do on the book I'm editing and I'm still enjoying working on it. I've also been able to help out a little on other tasks that need done. On Friday I proofed the winter catalog of books that the press is selling for the holiday season. I liked doing that because it provided a break from my everyday routine. The catalogue basically consists of the books we have for sale divided up by category with a brief description and price. When reading the description for a book that (I think. I haven't read it.) is on the history of the Potomac Canal, I noticed that the description didn't seem very appealing to me. It started with something on the perspective the book took on the canal's history and then ended with a very factual statement about when the canal opened. It didn't seem to flow to me, but I worried that this was the standard description for the book and wasn't able to be changed. However, I spoke up and my boss agreed that it was awkward and let me pick out what to replace the text with. I got a copy of the book and chose a more appealing sentence from the book jacket on why the book was useful. It was just a small contribution and I found other little mistakes throughout the catalog, but it's neat to think that I might make people more interested in that book than they would have been with the old description. I also got a little more insight into the marketing side of the Press and see how my editing and proofing skills don't have to be only used on manuscripts. Marketing and advertising requires a good eye for detail as well and big focus on the audience for the document.

Another cool experience I had was at Barnes and Noble last night. I know that a lot of the Press's books get sold there, but I don't get up there that often to see them. When I went last night, copies of The Historical Atlas of West Virginia were displayed in the windows. I didn't work on that book to the extent I have done with others, but I proofed the book a few times throughout it's publication and found many corrections that had to be made. It was just great to see it in a bookstore; it made the whole experience of editing seem so real, if that makes sense. Sometimes when I'm editing I forget that these manuscripts become real books and it's nice to see the finished product, especially in my favorite bookstore. Now I'm very excited to see the books I've had more of an influence on get finished and printed. This experience kind of reaffirmed why I want to get into editing; I love to see the finished product. That's why I like it. It can be long and tedious, but things get done, changes get made, and I can see the results. It doesn't necessarily have to be books. Just seeing my editing applied to any document is a good experience.