The Insider’s Guide to Expert Editing by April Michelle Davis (book review)

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Many word lovers desire to edit the words of others, but how do you gain the knowledge to improve prose like a pro?

While there are many ways to work with words, no one person knows how to do it all. This second edition of April Michelle Davis’s The Insider’s Guide to Expert Editing is chock-full of insights from experts in the field, with a focus on five manuscript service categories that every editor should consider for their arsenal:

  • Ghostwriting

  • Manuscript critiquing

  • Developmental editing

  • Copyediting

  • Proofreading

A detailed analysis of each service type is followed by an expert’s key insights from their real-world experiences of working with their clients. In the Insider’s Guide, April Michelle offers practical answers to editorial questions that she has received throughout her career—giving you a seat at the editor’s desk, while revealing the essence of the job and the key strategies to help you succeed.


This is an interesting little book that I picked up for two reasons:

1. I always like to read books about editing/writing.

2. I know the author's reputation and wanted to see what she had to say.

There's a lot of good info here for anyone wanting to start a freelance editing career, though I will say that my experiences haven't been exactly the same as April's. Please don't expect that your path will look EXACTLY like hers, as that will unlikely happen. However, if you're good at punctuation and grammar and have considered starting an editing career, this book will give you a quick peek at what it really means to work as a freelance editor.


As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For more editing books, check out:

Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin
How to Edit Your Novel by Karin Beery

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