Class Details
A Course in Editing and Proofreading
Course summary
This editing and proofreading course will help you sharpen your written communications and improve your ability to sell, lead or inform. Those who write, or oversee the writing of others, need to ensure that the final product is polished, targeted and error-free.
This course teaches the structural editing, copy editing and proofreading techniques needed to turn early drafts into perfect finished products. You will learn to start with the big picture, move down to sentence level and finally use proofreading to ensure the slipperiest of errors are eliminated. This editing and proofreading course also gives you the tools to avoid common grammar pitfalls and punctuate with flair and subtlety.
Aims
This course aims to give you a thorough grounding in the three-part editing process. It will equip you with the skills you need to turn rough copy into powerful and effective writing.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- use structural editing to maximise the effect of any document
- employ the principles of copy editing to produce clear and compelling sentences
- set the right tone for your audience
- use headings and sub-headings to guide the reader through the structure
- correct common grammar, punctuation and spelling errors
- check that appropriate wording has been used at all times
- cut out deadwood, removing unnecessary verbiage
- edit for style, cutting out pompous language and cliches
- edit for consistency, using house styles and style guides
- use proofreading techniques to finalise copy for publication.
Content
Structural or substantive editing
- Focussing on the big picture and your key messages
- Avoiding waffle and getting to the point
- Assessing the content to make sure it flows logically
- Cutting out irrelevant material and filling content gaps
- Ensuring the tone is right for your audience
- Using transitional words and phrases to link paragraphs
- Using headings and sub-heads for maximum effect
Copy editing
- Making sure all sentences have maximum readability and impact
- Correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Picking the right words to do the job
- Cutting out clichés and pompous, overly formal wording
- Getting rid of redundant words and phrases
- Avoiding business buzzwords
Proofreading
- Eradicating stubborn errors and inconsistencies
- Mastering proofreading techniques
- Adapting your reading style for effective proofreading
- Checking all wording against a relevant style guide
Who this course is for
Suitable for anyone who wants to edit or proofread their own work or that of others. It is suitable for all who edit content, online or in print.
Prerequisites
None
Delivery modes
- Face-to-face, presenter-taught workshop
- Online workshop via the platform Zoom
Delivery style
Delivered as a one-day, interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group and individual activities. This training approach allows you to work through concepts introduced by the instructor in an application-focussed teaching environment.
Materials
Course workbooks are distributed electronically using Dropbox. Please print the course workbooks and bring them to class. You will not be able to actively participate throughout the day without a printed version of them.
Sessions
Location
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Sydney)
Public transport
As bus and train timetables regularly change, we suggest you visit the Transport for NSW trip planner before you set out.
The nearest train stations are Newtown Station and Macdonaldtown Station. Macdonaldtown Station is closer by distance than Newtown Station, however trains do not stop as frequently as at Newtown Station.
Other information
Parking
Nearby parking is available at Wilson Parking - RPA Medical Centre Car Park (entry via Elizabeth Street off Carillon Avenue).
A Flexi Saver Rate is available but must be booked in advance online and includes the booking fee. Bookings can be made via the Wilson website or by downloading the Wilson Parking App. Otherwise, hourly parking rates will apply, as advertised on the Wilson Parking website.
Meet the facilitators
Tony Spencer-Smith
Tony Spencer-Smith loves words. He has worked with them all his life – ever since he published his own magazine while still in primary school. He moved on to become a prominent journalist, an award-winning novelist and a corporate writer and editor. In his training, he inspires others to share his enthusiasm for the power of language.
Tony is one of Australia’s top corporate writing and editing trainers. In over a decade he has helped thousands of people from blue chip companies, government and not-for-profit organisations to upgrade their communication skills.
The broad experience he brings to his training includes being Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest magazine in both Australia and South Africa; a senior newspaper journalist; and a corporate editorial expert who has written speeches, brochures, reports, websites and internal communications for top clients.
His children’s novel The Man Who Snarled at Flowers won the biggest literary prize in South Africa, while his book The Essentials of Great Writing was published in Australia in 2009.
Trainees leave Tony’s classes with a comprehensive set of writing and editing skills to raise their writing to the next level.
Tony has a Bachelor of Social Science degree and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. In his training, he strives to inspire others to share his enthusiasm for the power of language.
