Footnote Book Editor

Footnote Book Editor

I previously blogged on the use of endnotes, and am following up with a post as a footnote book editor as well. There is definitely a distinction between footnotes and endnotes, explained below.

What is a Footnote?

A footnote (in a nonfiction book) appears “in real time” at the end of a page, or even parenthetically. I say “in real time” because a reader doesn’t have to finish the book and then read the “Notes” section in the back matter to explore a citation, reference or comment. As he or she reads along, there may be footnotes on every page that provide this information and the author’s comments. This allows readers to learn, discover, verify, and even argue while they are reading your book — sort of an immediate gratification.

Some authors, however, choose endnotes over footnotes because they don’t want to distract readers or clutter a page. The choice is personal and based on the subject matter and scope. A footnote book editor can help authors make a “footnote or endnote” decision.

How Footnote Book Editors Navigate a Word Document

Footnotes, like endnotes, require a small superscript number that correlates a passage or quote to the footnote itself on the same page. Some quick tips include the following:

  • Footnote numbers should follow punctuation (always after a period, comma, or quote mark).
  • Superscripts should appear at the end of a sentence (or section) where someone’s material is referenced.

Not all authors know how to use the footnote function in a Word document to achieve this important correlation. We all have to start somewhere, and the YouTube video below (with more than 448,000 views) can help.

Footnote Book Editor

Need Help With Your Manuscript?

Contact me today and let’s get started. I’m delighted to assist authors with nonfiction and fiction manuscripts, and help prepare books for publications.

melaniesaxton@icloud.com