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By Carolyn Howard-Johnson Red Engine Press – 2007 – $18.95 www.publisher@RedEnginePress.com ISBN: 978-0-9785158-7-4 Reviewed by Claudia Pemberton Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s “The Frugal Editor” is an eye-opening journey into the often tedious realm of editing. Carolyn’s book is both informative and entertaining in the way she presents the technical subject matter as she interjects bits of wit and humor throughout an otherwise dry topic. Her explanations for solving common writing problems were informative and detailed. In one illustration, she not only demonstrates how the limitation of adverbs can strengthen one’s writing, she also follows through with clear and concise instructions as to how to locate and eradicate these often redundant verb crutches, in addition to solutions to other writing problems. This 167 page, information-packed book runs the gamut of valuable tips from attracting renowned literary agents, to the proper use of apostrophes. In the appendixes the reader finds sample query letters, valuable reference materials, literary agent recommendations, and other insightful tidbits that a writer needs in order to succeed. Even readers with a professional knowledge of Microsoft’s Word program will discover great editing tools designed to assist authors in their quest for a perfected end product. For example, one of every writer’s nightmare pitfalls is the excessive use of passive tense. Carolyn explains how to use the Readability Statistics tool in Microsoft Word to gauge the writer’s successfulness at avoiding this nod-inducing tendency toward passive tense writing. This book will add a whole new dimension to the neophyte writer’s use of the basic Grammar and Spell Check feature of Microsoft Word. As Carolyn states, publishers of today want a ninety-nine percent finished product when receiving a proposed manuscript. It’s a matter of cost-cutting for the publisher, so a full edit prior to submission is paramount for success. Should the reader choose to hire a professional editor, the book even provides a chapter devoted to finding the perfect author/editor match up, and how to better work with her or him. In the confines of this brief book review, I found myself editing my text using tips, tricks, and techniques that I acquired from reading “The Frugal Editor.” I highly recommend it to anyone in the business of writing, whether it be novels, non-fiction, short stories, news articles, or business letters. Carolyn’s expertise in the art of editing will make whatever you write more effective, understandable, reader friendly, and most importantly, editorially correct by way of not only grammar and punctuation, but context as well. As an author, I found “The Frugal Editor” an enlightening read and a valuable reference book, and one that should be used by everyone looking to perfect their writing skills.
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