Train to work effectively as a professional copy-editor, preparing documents for publication. This computer-based course covers the entire copy-editing process and trains you to work as a professional copy-editor. Gain the fundamental skills, theoretical knowledge and in-depth experience to tackle more challenging editorial tasks.

Who is this course for?

• Editorial staff, working in publishing houses, who want to build or refresh their skills, or learn from the beginning
• Freelance proofreaders who are interested in editing
• Those who copy-edit as part of their job and lack formal training

No specific qualifications are required, but you should have experience of proofreading principles and symbols, and ideally an understanding of the publishing process. You will also need:

• An eye for detail and the ability to concentrate: prior experience of proofreading is recommended
• A good command of UK English grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Good general knowledge and an enquiring mind

What will you achieve?

On completing this course you’ll be able to:

• Use fundamental copy-editing skills to work on fiction and non-fiction, and on many styles of text and websites
• Use the particular aspects of copy-editing that are relevant mainly to books and journals, giving you the tools needed to work in either field
• Work on-screen and on paper
• Manage more complex non-fiction projects
• Deal efficiently with detailed tables, technical drawings, figures and endmatter
• Brief an illustrator and editor
• Cover the requirements of the wider business world as well as publishing

Course Description

Gain the fundamental skills and theoretical knowledge, as well as in-depth experience to tackle more challenging editorial tasks. Previous experience of proofreading is recommended.

The copy-editor’s role is to make the author’s message clear and accessible to readers and to mark up the manuscript for the typesetter. It’s a complex job, which requires an understanding of language and grammar, as well as familiarity with production processes, typography and design conventions. Gain confidence with knowledge about structure and various writing styles, as well as legal issues such as copyright and libel.

• Deal efficiently with detailed tables, technical drawings, figures and endmatter
• Create briefs for an illustrator and editor
• Cover the requirements of the wider business world as well as publishing
• 36 self-check exercises to help you learn and practise