Mastery of Business Publication Editing
Is Focus of ASBPE Book

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (February 4, 2004) — The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), a professional society for editors of trade and business-to-business publications in the United States, today applauded the release of Best Practices of the Business Press (170 pp., Kendall Hunt Publishing, $35 (0-7575-0862-6).

The book is a resource for mastering business, trade, and association publication editing based on the practices of veteran editors in the field.

"With its focus on practical, how-to help, the book aims to fulfill a need for professional and aspiring business publication editors seeking ideas from editors who are working in the field today," says Robert Freedman, ASBPE president and editor of the book. "Professional trade publication editors and college-level journalism instructors made it clear there's a need for more information on what the business press is all about and how publication editing in this field differs from practices in the consumer press."

The book's hallmark is its nuts-and-bolts approach. Each chapter, written by a veteran editor, covers a key element of business publication editing, from publication launch and redesign to business reporting to trade show coverage to technical editing.

The editors outline the main principles they follow in their own work, then share examples of how those principles are fleshed out on the pages of publications, both theirs and others. Several chapters include exercises to help readers apply what they learn. All contributors are either ASBPE members, winners of national ASBPE editorial excellence awards, or college instructors with roots in the business press.
Chapters and examples of what you learn:

Chapter 1, Business Reporting
Among the lessons learned: How to keep reader usefulness uppermost in your mind by walking in the readers shoes.

Chapter 2, Publication Launch
Among the lessons learned: Determining whether to take a "formal" or "guerrilla" approach to a start-up, based on the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Chapter 3, Publication Redesign
Among the lessons learned: How to develop a plan, set up a timetable, and then implement the redesign.

Chapter 4, Trade Show Coverage
Among the lessons learned: How to balance pre-written stories with on-site news coverage.

Chapter 5, Special Supplements
Among the lessons learned: Which of eight popular formats for showcasing themed coverage is right for your needs.

Chapter 6, Technical Editing I
Among the lessons learned: How to define your expectations early for contribution by a subject-matter expert.

Chapter 7, Technical Editing II
Among the lessons learned: How to approach a paragraph-by-paragraph rewrite of an expert-written contribution.

Chapter 8, How-To Articles
Among the lessons learned: Maximizing reader benefit through strategic uses of break-out information.

Chapter 9, Visual Design I
Among the lessons learned: Making the most use of free art, modest-quality photos.

Chapter 10, Visual Design II
Among the lessons learned: Building a strong editor-designer relationship.

Chapter 11, Feature Planning
Among the lessons learned: Identifying the right mix of primary and secondary features based on the subject-matter.

Chapter 12, Government Coverage
Among the lessons learned: Organizing your beat around behind-the-scene sources.

Chapter 13, Web Publications
Among the lessons learned: Identifying unique online content that maximizes reader benefit.

Chapter 14, Freelancers
Among the lessons learned: Avoiding conflict-of-interest snags with writers specializing in narrow fields.

Chapter 15, Editorial Advisory Boards
Among the lessons learned: How an advisory board gave direction to a magazine suffering from editorial drift.

Chapter 16, Editorial Ethics
Among the lessons learned: Formulating arguments in support of editorial quality over short-term financial interest.

What editors have to say about
Best Practices of the Business Press:

"Editors who don't learn from the best practices of their peers can quickly fall behind in an increasingly competitive publishing world. This book is a gold mine of proven ideas from successful magazines and Web sites. I can't imagine reading it and not coming away re-energized about the possibilities of business journalism. I certainly did." —Harry McCracken, editor, PC World

"The authors present a high-level yet practical picture of how to serve a specialized group of readers with editorial integrity and journalistic excellence. These are the lessons a journalist learns over the course of a career; it's great to have them brought together in one work, informed by such a depth of experience." —Abbie Lundberg, editor-in-chief, CIO Magazine

"Best Practices of the Business Press is a must-read for both rookie and experienced business-to-business editors. It's a collection of how-to articles written by trade publication editors designed to educate their colleagues on all aspects of their profession. It is an excellent resource." —Dana Chase, Jr., editorial director, Appliance Magazine, and chairman, Dana Chase Publications, Inc.

How to Order

To order Best Practices of the Business Press from ASBPE, click here and order online. Or download and print a PDF order form to order via fax. For phone orders, call (630) 510-4588.

About the Publisher

The publisher, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, Iowa, publishes materials for primary, secondary, college, and professional continuing education. Information about the publisher is available at www.kendallhunt.com.

About ASBPE

Founded in 1964, ASBPE is the professional association for full-time and freelance editors and writers employed in the business, trade, and specialty press. The society is known for its annual Awards of Excellence competition, which recognizes the best in editorial, design, and online achievement. The society also sponsors the annual ASBPE National Editorial Conference, maintains a Code of Preferred Editorial Ethics, and hosts regular educational seminars through its 18 local chapters.

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