You start with a basic text; it might be a report, a webpage, a brochure or a book. You edit it so that it has a strong structure and reads well. Then you proofread it to remove errors and ensure consistency. If you can master this simple process, you’ll have the skills to communicate clearly and produce documents of professional quality. In this course you will be introduced to the essential skills of editors and learn techniques and strategies for proofreading and editing common types of professional communications.

Course content

This introductory editing and proofreading course covers the following topics:

Overview

• What are editing and proofreading?
• How do they fit within the writing process?
• The politics of editing

Structure (part of editing)

• Text types (book, brochure, etc.)
• Overall document structure
• Use of paragraphs

Expression (part of editing)

• Matching text to the target audience
• Tone (catchy, elegant, etc.)
• Sentence construction and use of lists
• Using commas and other punctuation for better sense

Consistency (part of proofreading)

• How language is always changing
• Style guides and personal preference
• Headings, capitals and other elements of consistency

Accuracy (part of proofreading)

• Why proofreading accurately is no easy task
• Spelling (and the limits of electronic spell checking)
• Apostrophes, hyphens, dashes and other punctuation
• Italics and bolding, spacing and layout
• 10 common proofreading errors

Course delivery

This training course is delivered as interactive training, which includes hands-on activities designed to reinforce the theoretical component.

Course outcomes

Upon completion of this introductory editing and proofreading course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the difference between writing, editing and proofreading
• Explain the role of the editor and proofreader in the writing process
• Explain the four basic elements: structure, expression, consistency and accuracy
• Apply your understanding of these four elements to written examples during the workshop, with a view to applying them in your daily work
• Use standard mark-up symbols when proofreading printed texts
• Compare and contrast various texts to see how well they communicate their message
• Appreciate the “grey areas” of editing and proofing, such as house style, personal preference, and changes in spelling

Suitable for

This training course will suit people who write, edit and/or proofread texts in their daily work, or who supervise and assess other people’s written work. If you are an aspiring professional editor or proofreader you will gain valuable knowledge and skills by attending this course. Participants in past courses have included lawyers, managers, businesspeople, executive assistant, editors, project managers and website content managers.

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