“Strategic Copy Editing offers a bridge between the world of stylebooks and reporting texts and the wider, unscripted world of professional copy editing. The emphasis on decision making, coaching, and critical thinking is particularly valuable to editors-in-training moving from classroom exercises to real stories written on real deadlines by real colleagues. Discussions of headlines and story form show a solid, nuanced awareness of how the rules got there, when and why they might need to be refined or reshaped, and how editors can do so in a day-to-day, practical context.”

—Fred Vultee, University of Missouri School of Journalism


“Russial has poured his impressive professional background into a richly comprehensive guide to editing. Beginning editing students will come away with a full understanding of what it means to be a copy editor. Advanced students will discover not only familiar topics mined with greater depth, but also topics seldom covered in typical textbooks; for example, how to work with the reporter as well as the story. The tips and strategies given at the end of most chapters offer advice that even professional copy editors would find useful. Strategic Copy Editing should be on the desk of anyone interested in the transformation of words and art into a coherent and compelling message.”

—Deborah Gump, Knight Ohio Program for Editing and Editing Education, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University


“John Russial's strategic approach to copy editing is what sets this book apart from others in the field. He looks at editing from the inside out, and from the outside in, and how the ‘people factor' affects it all. The book is philosophical, yet practical. It's a tool that anyone teaching editing will find rich and rewarding. Russial affords the copy editor—whether novice or advanced—the opportunity to understand not only what to do, but also why to do it.”

—Malcolm Gibson, William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, The University of Kansas


“In addition to explaining the what and how of copy editing, John Russial explains the why thoroughly and persuasively. A great strength of his book lies in the dignity and force with which he lays out the importance of our obscure but essential craft.”

—John E. McIntyre, Assistant Managing Editor/Copy Desk, The Baltimore Sun