|
Economics and Business
|
|
|
|
Educated in the UK and Germany, this editor has over 25
years of experience working for publishers, universities and
as a freelancer. A member of the Society for Editors and
Proofreaders, he has worked as a technical author for
numerous international journals.
|
|
| |
|
You've had some exciting times recently, haven't you?
Could you tell us something about that?
|
| |
I am working with a doctor at the University of Manchester.
He is a scientist and is single-handedly developing software
for corporate use. My role is to improve his English and to
help researchers all over the world better understand his
work. His research is quite ground-breaking and is supported
by the UK government. I am lucky to be working with such a
brilliant doctor from one of the top universities in the UK.
|
| |
|
|
|
The doctor is a native English speaker, isn't he? Do you
think it necessary to edit his papers?
|
| |
Yes, I do. Let me explain how I usually edit. During the
first reading, I edit from a grammarian's perspective. For
example, I check whether the position of conjunctions is
correct, and whether the style of English is consistent. In
the next reading, I make sure that the meaning is expressed
accurately. It is important to make sure that the document
as a whole is consistent; I check punctuation and resolve
minor formatting issues, and make sure that the document is
presentable. Finally, I read from the beginning and
ascertain if the target readership can decipher the message
of the document in a single reading.
|
| |
|
|
|
Do you edit manuscripts written by non-native English
speakers?
|
| |
Of course; I have edited several. The most common mistake
non-native authors make concerns the use of "z" in American
English, which they almost always forget to use. I've found
this to be true in most cases. However, I usually do not
make changes to an author's style of writing. One way of
explaining my style of editing is to say that I admire the
work of writers, and help them present their results more
effectively, although there are some papers in which I
cannot make head or tail of what the authors are trying to
say!
|
| |
|
|
|
Have you ever edited manuscripts from outside your area
of expertise?
|
| |
Of course I have. Clients have requested me to
edit manuscripts
from varied fields. However, I do not edit everything I am
asked to. I have come across several cases that have taught
me to check the content before starting an edit.
Understanding the subject is of great importance to me.
|
| |
|
|
|
Could you give us an example of an assignment that
challenged your skills as an editor?
|
| |
Hmm.an example! Once, a long time ago, a client wanted me to
edit a recipe book. Once I had started, I found that it was
quite difficult because there were so many instructions, and
ingredient names that I was unfamiliar with. In fact, I had
to refer to a couple of books and several websites to make
sense of them. I finally discovered that they were recipes
for African dishes!
|
| |
|
|
|
It's difficult to make sense of recipes if you don't know
what the final dish is going to be!
|
| |
Exactly! I've never even seen any African food, and I didn't
find much usable information about it on the Internet. I
usually get feedback from clients, and fortunately, the lady
liked my work at the time; but I would rather avoid such
manuscripts that lie beyond my subject area, because I
cannot do them full justice. In my opinion, editors need to
understand the subject thoroughly, without which it is
difficult to accomplish any kind of editing.
|
| |
|
|
|
Most editing firms are very careful in their choice of
editors, and rely on subject area expertise. In your
opinion, when can an editor call himself or herself a
'professional' or an 'expert'?
|
| |
I have been involved in editing for 25 years, and I think
that it is a continuous learning process. The English
language is vast, and there is so much to learn. From my own
experiences, I can say that a willingness to learn and the
right attitude are important if one wants to become a
professional editor. I'm a member of an Editors'
Association, and they've sent me many complex documents to
edit. Also, recently, I've been receiving papers from Oxford
University. Thus, I have been growing continually. Editors
have a lifelong learning curve.
|
|
| |
Note that the views expressed on this page are of the person
interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views of Enago as
a company. Please contact
feedback@enago.com if
you have any questions regarding the content of this interview.
|
Çeviri
Yayın Destek Hizmetleri
