Editing I

• Learn to edit any type of writing -books, articles, newsletters, magazines, etc
• A course for Editors, Writers, Proof Readers, anyone wanting to work in publishing, etc
• Start a business, find a job, or just get better at the job you already have

What is 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:

1. Reviewing the manuscript
2. Structural (substantive) editing
3. Copy editing
4. Proof reading
5. Checking proofs

Scope of editing

When someone writes or illustrates something, they are attempting to communicate with their readers. We naturally think of editing as relating to books, magazines and newspapers, which are the traditional media with which an editor would work. These areas, commonly referred to as “print media”, are still very much part of the work covered by editors, but today the scope is far wider.

Print media is generally “commercial” work; that is, publications that are created for selling. Writing and illustrations are also created for other situations though, beyond the traditional print media, including:

• Marketing material, such as advertisements, brochures, posters, signs, labels and packaging
• Newsletters (printed or electronic). Newsletters may be commercial (eg. for promotional purposes, or subscriptions) or non-commercial (eg. a school or club newsletter, or a family Christmas letter)
• Business letters
• Contractual documents
• Web sites
• Calendars
• Educational material (course notes)
• Scripts (plays, videos, radio shows, etc)

Writing and/or illustrations used in any of the above situations can fail in their attempt at communication to a lesser or greater degree, for many reasons, including:

• Typographical errors
• Unclear communication
• Ambiguity
• Incorrect punctuation
• Poor grammar
• Poor spelling
• Inappropriate use of language.
• Not writing for the correct “audience”

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Editing
   • The role and scope of editing;
   • what does an editor do,
   • tools for editing;
   • editing skills;
   • what makes a good editor,
   • danger signs (mistakes to avoid),
   • the publishing team (the publisher, business manager, production manager, designer, marketing staff),
   • the production process,
   • the production schedule.
2. The Mechanics of Clear Writing
   • Spelling,
   • punctuation,
   • grammar,
   • language,
   • style,
   • tense,
   • language level,
   • common mistakes,
   • style errors,
   • improving clarity and conciseness.
3. Assessing Manuscripts
   • The readers report,
   • reviewing a manuscript (structure, punctuation, accuracy, illustration, other improvements),
   • authors responsibilities,
   • nature of a manuscript,
   • libel, slander, deformation,
   • what an editor should look for.
4. Copy Editing I
   • What the copy editor does;
   • basics of copy editing,
   • the procedure (check manuscript, read, edit text, edit other components);
   • style sheets,
   • house style,
   • introduction to mark up,
   • marking up copy.
5. Copy Editing II
   • Marking up;
   • parts of a publication (preliminary pages, text, end matter);
   • editing non-text material;
   • illustrations
6. Preparing Copy for Printing
   • Type design and page layout;
   • type size,
   • type face,
   • line spacing,
   • line length,
   • justification,
   • indentation,
   • windows and orphans,
   • running heads and feet,
   • folios,
   • headings;
   • proof stages:
   • galley proofs,
   • page proofs
7. Proof Reading
   • Proof readers role,
   • procedure for checking galley proofs,
   • proof reading tips,
   • revised galley proofs,
8. The Final Stages
   • Indexes,
   • preparing an index;
   • blurbs;
   • checking final proofs,
   • bromides,
   • dyelines, etc.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• To gain an understanding of the role and scope of editing.
• Explain 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.

Example of an Assignment you might encounter in this course

1. Submit the three lists of style characteristics you compiled in the first set task (practical). Briefly discuss any significant differences in style between these three different publishers.

2. Submit your style sheet from the second set task.

3. In your own words, define the following terms (as they relate to writing and publishing):

•  em rule
•  en rule
•  font
•  ellipsis
•  full out
•  justify
•  leading
•  typo
•  orphan
•  running head
•  running foot
•  run on
•  upper case

4. Edit the article supplied.

a) If you intend to post your assignment to your education provider, print the article before you start editing otherwise copy the article and email as an attachment.

b) Prepare a style sheet and submit it with the assignment.

c) Mark up your changes.