COURSE STRUCTURE
- Introduction to Editing – the role and scope of editing; tools for editing; editing skills; the production process: an overview; who does what in publishing
- The Mechanics of Clear Writing – spelling, punctuation, grammar, language; style; tense
- Assessing Manuscripts – readability; word length; structure; consistencies and inaccuracies; the reader’s report; substantive editing; the author’s responsibilities; the author/editor relationship
- Copy Editing I – what the copy editor does; the procedure; house style; style sheets
- Copy Editing II – marking up; parts of a publication; editing non-text material; illustrations
- Preparing Copy for Printing – type design and page layout; proof stages
- Proof Reading
- The Final Stages – indexes; blurbs; checking final proofs
AIMS
- To gain an understanding of the role and scope of editing.
- Understand the importance of clear, effective writing throughout all stages of the publishing process.
- Describe the procedure of manuscript assessment.
- Describe the procedures used by copy editors.
- Explain procedures used to prepare copy for printing.
- Describe the checks and procedures used in the final stages of preparing and printing publications.
COURSE INTRODUCTION
The role and Scope of Editing
Very few people can immediately write a lucid and well-expressed piece of work. In most cases, the final draft is smoothed and polished so that others can readily understand the writer’s message.
It is the editor’s role to improve the quality of the writing, whether it is their own or someone else’s work.
The scope of editing ranges from self editing, where the writer examines their writing and improves it as best they can, to professional editing, where an expert is employed by a publishing company to improve the quality of a piece of writing prior to publication.
There are many other facets of commercial publishing that require the skills of professional editors. These include commissioning publications; reviewing manuscripts; overseeing manuscripts through the production process; liaising with writers, publishers, printers and agents; writing blurbs, captions and press releases; and researching and organising pictures. In smaller organisations the editor may also be responsible for the design and publication of documents, newsletters, reports, magazines and books using desktop publishing software and equipment.
Editing involves several stages, all of which will be examined in detail during this course. In summary, they are:
- Reviewing the manuscript
- Structural (substantive) editing
- Copy editing
- Proof reading
- Checking proofs
