Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55997 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 219 pages

Synopsis
The complete guide to self-editing, illustrating the most common problems with hundreds of before-and-after examples.

Customer Reviews

An essential resource for making every word count
I am midway through an Open University degree course and have found 'Line by Line' to be an absolutely indespensible resource. Whenever an academic essay is required I find remaining within strict word limits to be one of the most taxing requirements. Using the simple, but effective, techniques in the book I am able to literally cut an essay word length in half without losing valuable content. Trust me, if you are about to embark - or are already engaged in - any type of scholarship, this is the book for you!

Drug fuelled world of copyediting.
The book is good, really good, in a groovy school-teacher sort of way. It's for those who've read Elements of Style and want a bit more. Skip the introduction, it could be better.

There are five major chapters:

1. Loose baggy sentences.
2. Faulty connections.
3. Ill-matched partners.
4. Managing numbers and references.
5. Problems with punctuation.

These chapters made me see writing in a new way - for starters I know gramatically this review's terrible and should be tightened and straighted out.

Overall I'd recommend the book for those who've finished writing the first draft of their novel, want to find a publisher, and can't afford a line editor.

Reading this book will improve your game to another level, even if it is a bit hard going at times.

This book changed my life!
In 1985 I was a consultant and had to write a report on my findings for a client. I knew that my writing was not all that good, and since I was being paid a considerable sum to write the report I felt it should be written well.

Just at that time an ad in the New Yorker magazine caught my eye. It showed two columns side by side, one, the length of the page, the other, a quarter of the page. I read the ad and sure enough the first column was just like my writing, the second was crisp, to the point, and much more interesting to read. The headline said something to the effect of "how to take the first and turn it into the second".

I ordered the book and read it immediately. The first three chapters excited me so, I could hardly contain myself. It explained so clearly how I had to think about what I was writing, I felt I saw the light.

From that day on I took a whole different view of writing. It turned a task that I usually dreaded into something that I no! w love. Not that I am a great writer, but I feel confident that I can express myself well in my business and personal life. I feel that what I write is clear and easy to read. This has been very valuable to me as a businessman. I have written marketing material, technical manuals, company communications, and customer letters. Without this skill I know I would not have been nearly as successful and would have missed out on a great pleasure in life.

Well, I gave the book to my daughter when she went to college and I lost touch with it. A few years ago I wanted to locate it again but didn't know the title or author. The other day I suddenly got the idea that Amazon.com might help me find it. All I remembered was the year I saw the ad for the book and that a woman wrote it.

So I started to search and in less than 3 minutes I thought I had found it. I ordered it and sure enough it was Line by Line. When I got it in the mail I was so excited, I felt I had met up with a long los! t friend. I just ordered several more copies that I will sh! are with my staff because writing is one of the most important skills needed in today's business environment.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make writing a part of his or her everyday life. It is wonderful!

By the way, I was proud of the report I wrote and the customer loved it too.

And thanks Amazon.com, you found a long lost friend of mine.