Cookbook editing: 10 tasty tips

Blog, On editing

6361432673_a44e394fb7_z.jpg

When I was first asked to edit a cookbook, I jumped at the chance, despite never having done this type of editing work before. I figured it would add another string to my editor’s bow, and besides, with a family of four to feed – I’m always in need of culinary inspiration.

Through the process, not only did I learn that editing recipes is hungry work (and that working from home with unlimited access to my fridge wasn’t the best idea), but I also got an on-the-job lesson in how to make sure a recipe is clear, accurate and easy to follow.

Here are the top tips I learned along the way:

  1. The title of the recipe needs to be consistent wherever it’s used in the book – on the recipe page, in the index, in any cross references from other recipes. (The search function is your friend!)
  2. The little blurb about the recipe is called the headnote and can be used, among other things to explain unusual ingredients.
  3. A recipe’s ingredients should always be listed in the order they are used in the method – this helps readers to plan and work systematically.
  4. If the recipe calls for several items to be added simultaneously, they must be listed in volume order (greatest to least).
  5. Every item listed in the ingredients list should be accounted for in the recipe. As we all know – there’s nothing worse than reading a recipe that asks you to add an ingredient which wasn’t listed… how will you know how much of it you must add?
  6. Make sure the recipe is very clear about things like white or brown sugar, dried or fresh herbs, full cream or low-fat milk.
  7. Always say what heat to use – low heat, medium heat or high.
  8. Indicate what size and type of bowl, pan, pot, etc., the reader will need, especially if it matters to the preparation.
  9. Check the images supplied with the recipe to make sure there is no garnish in the picture that wasn’t mentioned in the recipe. The reader wants to be able to make the dish exactly as shown in the picture.
  10. And finally, use a style guide to ensure consistency across all your recipes – either one that has been provided by the publisher or create one as you go along.

 

Written by Melissa Fagan, freelance non-fiction editor

I help non-fiction publishers deliver award-winning content using a creative and flawless approach to editing. Internationally qualified non-fiction editor with 11 years’ publishing experience.

Email me: melissa.fagan@mfedit.com

If you liked this post (or even if you didn’t) and you’re passionate about publishing, let me treat you to a coffee so we can discuss the industry. Contact me at melissa.fagan@mfedit.com or 082 5002612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 7 rules of laundry and lists

Blog, On productivity

Screen Shot 2017-08-23 at 1.13.29 PM.png

Nothing makes my life feel more unmanageable than the sight of our family’s overflowing laundry basket. I just want to drop everything I’m doing to fix the problem.

The same is true of my to-do-list. On a daily basis, it’s bursting at the seams and left unattended, it also has the power to overwhelm. But like my laundry basket, I know that I can’t possibly crack the whole thing in one day.

And so I got to thinking about what I could learn from the way I manage my laundry basket when it comes to keeping my to-do-list in check.

Here are my seven rules:

1. Items must be in one place to be part of the cycle

If dirty clothes are to have a hope of getting washed and returned to their rightful place in the wardrobe, they must be in the laundry basket. This is where the cycle starts. Not on the floor next to the bed, or at the bottom of the kids’ school bags. Dirty clothes all need to be in one place.

To-do-lists are much the same. There’s no point having a hundred lists all over the place, or a multitude of colourful sticky notes on the wall that seem to drift away and find shelter behind bookshelves and in bins. They have to live in one safe place. This is why I like Trello. I get to have all my task boards neatly confined to a tab on my computer screen, accessible from my phone and other devices when I’m not at my desk.

2. Items must be grouped for clarity

Clothes need to be sorted before they get washed. Dark and light colours shouldn’t be washed together; some clothes must be washed at lower temperatures; others need the delicate cycle. The same is true of to-do-lists and tasks. Work tasks are not the same as the things I need to do at home.

Being a work-from-home mom, I’m often guilty of blurring the lines between home and work, but if I categorise my lists accordingly, it goes some way to keeping the boundaries intact. I’m either working on a work to-do-list or my at-home one, never both at the same time – it’s confusing. And when it comes to laundry, I wouldn’t want the colours to run…

3. There must be a clear meaning of ‘done’ for each item

From laundry basket to wardrobe, there is a clear cycle of events. Clothes get sorted, washed, hung out to dry, folded or ironed and packed away. When I stick something onto my to-do-list, I need to think about its life cycle too. It’s a way for me to consider what it will take to complete that task. If I don’t get clear about what ‘done’ means for this task, it could lurk on my list forever, cluttering the space, threatening overflow and that inevitable feeling of overwhelm that accompanies it.

4. Part of the sorting process requires prioritisation

Usually, if there are so many darks in the basket that they won’t all fit in the washing machine at once, I have to choose what will go in first. So I must think about what needs to be washed as a priority. Can these jeans wait another day or will I need to wear them again this week? And also, do my son’s worn-once pyjamas really need to be washed again?

Seriously, these are the kinds of questions I ask about my laundry – I need to have the same dogged focus with my tasks. Some tasks shouldn’t even be there – they’re not important today, maybe ever. Do I really need to go grocery shopping today since I have a  work deadline? Actually, that brings me to my next rule, often harder to achieve than any of the others …

5. It’s okay to delegate

With two children, a husband, a home and a steady stream of publishing clients, I have a lot to do. So here’s the thing: I have help. I have a cleaner who comes twice a week to clean my house AND help with the laundry. It’s a necessary part of my work-from-home lifestyle, otherwise I would spend most of my precious time while the kids are at school distracted by the housework, and then have to claw back the hours late at night when the kids are in bed. It’s a very bleak alternative.

Very slowly, I’m learning to apply the same rule to other tasks on my to-do-list and asking for help more often. It’s hard to let go of the controls and accept that I can’t do it all, but over the years I’ve come to realise that I’m only one person and there are only so many balls I can juggle without dropping a few.

6. Don’t ignore it. Just keep going

Because I have help with the laundry, it doesn’t mean I don’t have to worry about it on the five days that our cleaner isn’t here. As the days go by and clothes get worn and towels get wet, the laundry pile gets higher. If just one day goes by and a laundry load hasn’t been done, things can get horribly out of hand. Laundry waits for no one. And this is true of my to-do-list too. Every day I have to tackle some of my tasks. With one done, I can move on to the next. I have to just keep going, one task at a time.

7. Have a limit

Though I have an outdoor washline and a clothes horse for hanging laundry indoors, I have only so much space to hang washing. There is also only so much time I can devote to laundry on any given day. That’s why I’ve set a daily laundry limit for myself, especially when it’s just me on the job. One load. That’s my limit. With my to-do-list, a limit means that I allocate no more than three major tasks and three minor ones for the day and once I’ve completed those, I stop, I do a little something for me, spend time with my family and just connect with my life, the real reason why I do all this stuff in the first place.

So tomorrow when I sort the laundry, I’ll give a thought to my day’s to-do-list. I’ll remind myself that just as I might only ever get a fleeting glimpse of the bottom of our laundry basket, my work as a mom will never be done; there will always be something on the to-do list still to do. And that if a job hasn’t been earmarked for today’s load… well, there’s always tomorrow’s.

 

Written by Melissa Fagan, freelance non-fiction editor

I help non-fiction publishers deliver award-winning content using a creative and flawless approach to editing. Internationally qualified non-fiction editor with 11 years’ publishing experience.

Email me: melissa.fagan@mfedit.com

 

If you liked this post (or even if you didn’t) and you’re passionate about publishing, let me treat you to a coffee so we can discuss the industry. Contact me at melissa.fagan@mfedit.com or 082 5002612

Editing: the difference between blah and brilliant

Blog, On editing

Screen Shot 2017-08-15 at 2.29.33 PM

The other day I was approached by someone who’s written a book and wants it published. ‘My book is finished,’ she said. ‘What should I do next?’ My advice? Get an editor. Everyone needs one. Even writers with a great command of grammar. Even those who have spent years doing research for their book. Even writers with a master’s in English or those who are also editors. Even me. Everyone.  

Writers –  this is not a judgement of your skill or a punt for my business. It’s a sincere suggestion.

And here’s why:

1. An editor will be the first critical reader of your text.

You need someone who will be honest about the merit of your manuscript. Someone who will help you polish those rough edges. Nobody’s perfect, and neither is your text.

2. An editor will check your text for consistency and accuracy.

No reader will take you seriously if your book is filled with errors and inconsistencies.  Consistency, accuracy and flawless grammar are the cornerstones of a polished (and possibly award-winning) final product. Edit, or regret it.

3. An editor will help maintain the flow of your work. 

Editing is not just about fixing mistakes. It’s about maintaining the flow of your text. Flow is what keeps your reader turning the pages. And for this, you need someone to collaborate with you, to help you tell your story; not to change its original style, but to change what’s not working and to help you find clarity in the telling. A pause here, a full stop there – all these things will improve flow.

4. An editor will bring out the best in your writing.

Having an editor doesn’t make you a bad writer. In fact, the very best authors in the world all have editors. An editor’s job is to polish what’s already there, to highlight the best bits, to make it shine, to make it sing.

5. An editor will bring out the best in you.

Think of your editor as your coach – your faithful cornerman who will work hard to bring out your best work. They will ask challenging questions and will listen to understand so that your writing has meaning, integrity and clarity. Your success is their success. They truly want what’s best for you and will do whatever it takes to get you there.