If there is only one thing I can tell others in my shoes, it would be to get yourself a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style. No matter what you're writing or what you're editing, this book is the Bible of the publishing industry. It has everything you could possibly need to know, from what to call the fronts and backs of pages to layout and design. This book has nearly every single rule on what to do and how to do it when it comes to writing.
I'm going to be honest, here, though. It's an instruction manual for writers. If you've ever read an instruction manual for anything, you'll know that manuals aren't exactly the height of literary wonder. Much like reading an encyclopedia, it's full of fascinating facts and curious writing trivia, but organized to be informative and factual. It is exactly what it proclaims to be: a manual of style.
That doesn't make it easy to read.
Despite that, it's worth the price tag, weight, and time it takes to peruse simply as a reference. Any question you could ever have about formatting, literary rules, or even punctuation and grammar are in it. An example: page 61 of the book displays a chart that is a sample design and production schedule for a book. It outlines everything from the moment the author first submits it to the publisher to the moment copies are warehoused, ready to ship. The entire process takes nearly a year in this sample, showcasing just how many days each step roughly will take and that is just a rough sample! Most people know a book takes a while to write, but very few realize that once an author is done there is still nearly a year of work in making it ready to publish.
The manual is divided into three main parts: publishing process, style and usage, and source citations and indexes. Of the three sections, the largest is the section on style and usage. This is where rules on grammar and spelling, syntax and sentence structure, dialogue, abbreviations, and all the other pesky minutia of writing people ignore can be found. It covers everything you could possibly think of, from capitalization rules to dialogue punctuation to naming conventions. There is an assumption of basic understanding of English here that is necessary; those coming in with English as a second language might not have as easy a time wrapping their brains around all the complex conundrums laid out within. Then again, I've met numerous individuals during my life that were native English speakers and probably wouldn't understand them either.
It all comes down to knowledge.
The Chicago Manual of Style is knowledge. Without it, being a writer, editor or publisher would be like trying to find a matching puzzle piece when someone has taken a dozen 1000-piece puzzles and dumped the pieces out everywhere and then destroyed all the boxes. There's no guarantee the piece you're looking for is even in the pile, and without a picture as a reference there's no way to know if any of them are even from the same puzzle in the first place. This book is the most important resource anyone in any facet of the publication industry will ever own. If you don't already own a copy, get one.
And if you decide the world of publishing isn't for you, it can make a fantastic sleep aid.
Comments