Nestlé in the United States
A Celebration of Good Food, Good Life
This was one of the most fun books to edit--and not just because the liaison to our publishing firm sent 60 pounds of candy to us over the duration of the project.
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No, it was particularly fun because I learned so much.
I was challenged by the number of divisions within Nestlé in the United States, each with their own idea of what material should go in their part of the book. The project also had a tight deadline. However, I worked with an awesome team who taught me how to organize and keep track of which division needed to provide us material and when it needed to arrive.
Ready for Sea
The History of the U.S. Navy Supply Corps
The work that went into this project was, hands-down, the most challenging in my tenure at Write Stuff Enterprises, LLC. It was my first book project as project editor. Two previous editors and more than two professional researchers had worked on this project before I. Former senior editor Elizabeth Fernandez’s deft edits enabled me to complete the process.
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Although I was more familiar with Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), the project required Associated Press (AP) style, while all the others in my responsibility were CMS. I found that confusing at times.
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In the end, the publishing of this particular book came down to tenacity and team effort via the backing of senior management, Despite the challenges, this is an interesting glimpse into a world with which few are familiar .
TAMKO
A Constancy of Purpose
Many of the companies profiled in books such of these are large, intricate businesses. This book was the first I edited that profiled a family-owned company.
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Originally, I thought, “This is a book about a roofing/home repair supply company. How interesting can that possibly be?”
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Then I realized that it doesn't matter so much what the company does. The interesting part lies in the people.
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In editing this book I learned about appendixes. This book has several appendixes and each was as detailed as any chapter. I had not planned my work to include as much time and energy as the appendixes required. I never made that mistake again.
Raise a Glass: A Toast to
Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.
Wow, I learned a lot while editing this book. This was the first book I learned just how complicated intellectual property rights could be.
Images and logos not owned by the subject of the book must be thoroughly researched and proper permission secured.
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In many ways, where the image was obtained is not as important as who owns the intellectual property--something with which many people are unfamiliar.
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I am much more careful about using images and logos as a result of this book. And the usual corollary applies--get it in writing!
The Miracle on Meadows Road
The History of Boca Raton Regional Hospital
It is uncommon to have a book subject so near the main publishing office, but this was one of the exceptions.
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The hospital had an interesting, if tragic, beginning. Boca Raton residents are justifiably proud of the hospital and quite a few residents show their pride by donating money and raising funds for expansions and features.
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When editing this book, I learned a lot about the delicate process of featuring donors equitably. Not everyone can be included, but Write Stuff staff researched carefully to be both accurate and fair.
Orlando Health
Inspiring a New Century
My memories of editing this book are steeped in the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub, which took place during the publishing process. You see, Orland Health Hospital is just blocks away from the nightclub, and many patients arrived at the emergency department minutes after being shot. Some patients were brought by friends, as it was quicker than waiting for an ambulance.
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Understandably, the book production process was delayed while the hospital medical teams and staff dealt with the event.
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The editorial challenge required that the hospital’s history not be overshadowed by the more recent story.
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Fortunately, the century long history contained plenty of interesting stories. The Pulse nightclub incident became another story of the hospital’s determination, caring, and grit.
College Reimagined
The History of Lynn University
This book is a profile of another South Florida institution. Again, the residents of Boca Raton are understandably proud.
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Lynn University had a rich source of historical documents and images, plus many staff who have been on campus for decades. Former senior editor Nathalie Gouillou expertly edited the early manuscript, enabling me to keep the project moving forward.
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Although the university faced many challenges, the school is a respected place where many students succeed. The campus exudes optimism.
Kaiser Aluminum
Best in Class
Kaiser Aluminum: Best in Class stands out for me because I knew very little about aluminum at the production level.
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Despite the plethora of high-resolution images, many times the researcher, art department staff, and I were left with no idea of what the images depicted.
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Knowledge of history comes from all sources, some of them unexpected. For instance, I learned that Henry Kaiser was a singularly impressive person who created many groundbreaking ideas that are considered commonplace today.
King of the Road
The History of Thor Industries
King of the Road was enjoyable in part because it was interesting to see all the different kinds of recreational vehicles and forms that they could take. It was tempting to imagine myself traveling to beautiful places with any of their products.
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Former editor Bonny Johnson did top-notch editing before I worked on the book.
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From this project I learned about how international acquisitions can change the scope of a book, even at the end of a project.
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However, the overseas company personnel were happy to help provide us with information, images, and interviews and told us how much they looked forward to reading the book.
Leading From the Outside
The WEST Engineering Services Story of Disruptive Innovation
In addition to having one of the longest titles in the publisher’s catalog, this book also required additional effort by the entire team at Write Stuff Enterprises.
The subject matter could be highly technical and referenced some resources that were written as science and engineering briefs.
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I took a deep dive into the oil rig industry to edit this book. The subject matter challenged me to continue pushing forward even as time, changes, and moving deadlines wore me down.
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Again, though, the story centers around the people.
A Culture of Service
The Story of BlueCross BlueShield
of Tennessee
This book also afforded me the opportunity to learn something entirely unexpected and new. In this modern time, it is easy to forget that health insurance—no matter what your feelings about it—was not always the norm.
Not so very long ago, any healthcare needed had to be paid for at the time of service. Occasionally payment plans were allowed, but not on a wide basis. As healthcare, particularly preventative healthcare, became more sophisticated, so did the need for a way to pay for it.
This book gives an overview of a lot of the beginning of health insurance, nationwide and in Tennessee. The chapters give the reader a glimpse of how this necessary industry grew less than a century ago.
Flight
Preserving America's Aviation Heritage
This book was unlike any other I edited in my tenure at Write Stuff Enterprises. I was delighted to once again work with my colleague Christian Ramirez. Editing the information on the rare aircraft at the New England Air Museum was a real treat. The folks at the Museum could not have been easier with whom to work and they took great pains to provide us what we needed for the book.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun as the first stages of this book unfolded. That made some of the logistics for the project challenging. For instance, although the Museum was closed to the public, staffers went in to provide us historical information and photographs.
This book is another example of the lavish illustrations in the books I have edited. As an editor, the challenge was to prepare text to make these aircraft exciting and historically significant. I believe the resulting book is an enjoyable read.
