instead of posting my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses today (which is coming along!) i decided that i couldn’t really call this a lit major’s bookshelf without talking about some lit major things.
this past month i enrolled in UC Berkeley’s Professional Sequence in Editing certificate program and i am very anxious to begin in september. i already ordered all the books i would need for the four courses, even though i’m only taking the first two this semester and then the last two in the spring. i figured what better way to showcase what being a literature major is all about than to show you the course materials i need to get my certificate in editing.
for the courses i need only four books, but i figured there was no fun in taking pictures of only four books, so instead i gathered all of my editing-related books and did this shoot. here are the books i’ve included, starting with the first four that i need for school:
- Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition)– Merriam-Webster
- The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition)– The University of Chicago Press
- Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers – Scott Norton
- Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace (Fifth Edition)– Joseph M. Williams & Joseph Bizup
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition) – Modern Language Association
- Grammar Girl’s 101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again – Mignon Fogarty
- The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago – Carol Fisher Saller
- Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing – Mignon Fogarty
- The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications – Amy Einsohn
now to the passerby, these are certainly not as interesting as say my haul of young adult books or my reviews and that is partly true. these books come with the boding sense of impending school ahead–a feeling i both love and hate. school to me is a sanctuary, a separate space for the intense learning that i crave on a daily basis. however, school is also a lot of work, as most of us know, and knowing that i need such large and in charge books for a simple certificate program is scary. however, some of these books, like The Subversive Copy Editor or the Grammar Girl’s collection are quite silly and entertaining to read. they are each written in a style that is easy to understand and follow and that slightly excites the reader to read on.
now of course there is a copy of the dictionary and the chicago manual of style which are not as fun to read–i am deathly afraid of the CMS and am not looking forward to having to learn in.
but these books are for my career–they are not supposed to be here for my enjoyment. it helps, though, that i am interested in the topic and am excited to begin classes. one day, hopefully soon, i’ll be a recognized editor who still does my own novel writing and book reviewing. this certificate is just the next stepping stone.
if you have any questions regarding editing program (i’ve basically looked at them all) or what it’s like to be a starving copyeditor, then please don’t refrain from asking. i only know as much as i tell people i know–which isn’t a lot, but i still like to chat about editing to anyone who’s interested!
