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Baraka_Guru · 02-19-2009, 08:29 AM

We have a diverse group of people here, working in all kinds of positions and industries. Let's share some practical information about what each of us do.

What are the tools of your trade?

List the essentials you need to do your job. Feel free to list the not-so-essential things as well. I'm sure we have those things that make our job easier.

Okay, here I go:

Book Editor:

Red pen — This is the main weapon of most editors I know. Highly visible, and sometimes used heavily. (Note: colour can be a source of debate between editors; other preferences include blue, black, green, etc., and some use pencils.)
Paper — This should be self-explanatory.
Style guide — A popular guide of choice is the Chicago Manual of Style. This helps us standardize many things, including punctuation and other typesetting concerns.
Dictionary — In my circle, we use the Oxford Canadian Dictionary, and we hold it in high esteem.
The Internet — This has largely replaced the need for libraries and research assistants in regard to fact-checking.
A selected non-fiction library — This can be an indispensable source of research within arm's reach. Used where the Internet fails.
Computer — The industry is heavily computerized now. Proofs of both interiors and covers are now delivered via PDF or QuarkXpress in most cases.
Eyeglasses/contact lenses — A book editor who isn't wearing eyeglasses and says they don't need them is either a) wearing contact lenses, b) has had laser eye surgery, or c) is new to the trade.
Music — The job is highly mental, and music helps keeps the synapses firing, especially classical. Vocal/talk radio can be distracting.
Coffee/tea — Being mentally engaged as hardcore as editors can get, caffeine and water are important materials for the brain.
Acetamenophen and/or acetylsalicylic acid — If you need to ask, then you have no idea, nor will you ever.
Cardigans, pullovers, etc. — Editors don't generate a lot of body heat outside their heads, as they don't move very much in their work (if at all). Keeping body temperature at a comfortable level is therefore a concern.
Cat(s) — Not always available at in-house locations, cats are the companion animal (familiar?) of many an editor, usually for freelancers at home. Editors are often solitary creatures, and so being able to talk to another being who won't interrupt work by talking back is important. Cats are not a remedy or preventative measure for editor insanity, and they can often be an accelerant. (Note: dogs are commonly mistaken as candidates for editor companion animals. This erroneous belief is quickly cleared up when one attempts to imagine an editor going outside—into the sun—to walk said animal.)
Alcohol — In ample amounts, this is a remedy and/or preventative measure for editor insanity.

02-19-2009, 08:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	What Are the Tools of Your Trade? We have a diverse group of people here, working in all kinds of positions and industries. Let's share some practical information about what each of us do. What are the tools of your trade? List the essentials you need to do your job. Feel free to list the not-so-essential things as well. I'm sure we have those things that make our job easier. Okay, here I go: Book Editor: Red pen — This is the main weapon of most editors I know. Highly visible, and sometimes used heavily. (Note: colour can be a source of debate between editors; other preferences include blue, black, green, etc., and some use pencils.) Paper — This should be self-explanatory. Style guide — A popular guide of choice is the Chicago Manual of Style. This helps us standardize many things, including punctuation and other typesetting concerns. Dictionary — In my circle, we use the Oxford Canadian Dictionary, and we hold it in high esteem. The Internet — This has largely replaced the need for libraries and research assistants in regard to fact-checking. A selected non-fiction library — This can be an indispensable source of research within arm's reach. Used where the Internet fails. Computer — The industry is heavily computerized now. Proofs of both interiors and covers are now delivered via PDF or QuarkXpress in most cases. Eyeglasses/contact lenses — A book editor who isn't wearing eyeglasses and says they don't need them is either a) wearing contact lenses, b) has had laser eye surgery, or c) is new to the trade. Music — The job is highly mental, and music helps keeps the synapses firing, especially classical. Vocal/talk radio can be distracting. Coffee/tea — Being mentally engaged as hardcore as editors can get, caffeine and water are important materials for the brain. Acetamenophen and/or acetylsalicylic acid — If you need to ask, then you have no idea, nor will you ever. Cardigans, pullovers, etc. — Editors don't generate a lot of body heat outside their heads, as they don't move very much in their work (if at all). Keeping body temperature at a comfortable level is therefore a concern. Cat(s) — Not always available at in-house locations, cats are the companion animal (familiar?) of many an editor, usually for freelancers at home. Editors are often solitary creatures, and so being able to talk to another being who won't interrupt work by talking back is important. Cats are not a remedy or preventative measure for editor insanity, and they can often be an accelerant. (Note: dogs are commonly mistaken as candidates for editor companion animals. This erroneous belief is quickly cleared up when one attempts to imagine an editor going outside—into the sun—to walk said animal.) Alcohol — In ample amounts, this is a remedy and/or preventative measure for editor insanity. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 02-19-2009 at 08:47 AM..