It’s been years since I edited anything more complex than a typed website column, but this article in Slate about documentary editors–meaning the folks who prepare original hand written manuscripts for the press rather than film makers–made for fascinating reading. Definitely worth a look if you have time today (or any day).
And if the subject of original manuscripts editing for historical projects really interests you and you have some time regularly on your hands, the Distributed Proofreaders project is definitely worth checking. Call it a wiki devoted to deciphering freshly scanned material from elderly tomes. That’s not a great description, since by strict definition, it’s not a wiki–there’s a strict hierarchy of who can contribute what–but it’s still worth a look.
Enjoy!