Overview

The Publishing Training Centre’s flagship course, Copy-Editing Skills, was the first course ever offered, then called Editorial 1, 30 years ago! More delegates go through this editors’ rite of passage annually, than any other PTC course.



It’s had many upgrades and revisions since then, but the simple essence of its success – thorough learning through a series of paper-based exercises with an experienced practitioner – has remained the same. Of course, many of the copy-editor’s decisions will today be effected fully or partly on screen, but we ensure that editors are confident in ‘what’ needs to be done and ‘why’ first. The ‘how’ follows on from that. Many delegates go on to take Editing in Word once they have acquired a good copy-editor’s mindset and are more confident editors.



Copy-Editing Skills focuses on 20 key activities including:

* marking-up copy with thorough practice in using the BSi standard marks for copy preparation
* italics
* quotation marks
* editing notes and bibliographies
* editing and keying in figures.



The majority of exercises focus on one particular skill, but incorporate other incidental errors, mimicking real life. The final day’s consolidation exercises bring together all the learning and show delegates how far they’ve come in a short time and how much their confidence has increased.



There is a pool of seven very experienced editors who teach this course. Crucially, each is currently working as a copy-editor, either for a major publisher or as a freelancer. They bring a wealth of experience to the course, and are up to date on the latest trends and issues in the industry.

Who is it for?

Editorial Assistants, Copy-editors, Assistant Editors, Desk Editors and Production Editors.

What will I learn?

Programme

* Proofreading
o Ensure difference between proofreading and copy-editing is fully understood
* Marking up copy for keyboarder/ designer
o Using BSi international symbols correctly
o Mark up headings and code different types of material
* Checking contents
o Focus on consistency
o Other matter that might be expected in a particular book
* Editing prelims
* Editing tables
* Changing text to another format
o Changing text to a list, table or other alternatives
o Formatting and consistency
* Editing and keying in figures
o Importance of checking visual as well as verbal material for accuracy, consistency and clarity
* Using quotation marks
* Italics
o Different uses of italics: taxonomic classification; citation of legal cases; foreign words
o Importance of house style
* Numbers and numerals
o Conventions and house style
* Editing specialist texts
o Issues about editing poetry, drama, technical instructions and specialist areas
* Copyfitting
o Wider issues when cutting text: even workings; numbering prelims in Roman numerals; stages of production; balancing columns; overall appearance; positioning and size of illustrations, and costs and effects of different types of alteration.
* Editing notes, references and bibliographies
* Editing indexes

How will I be assessed?

You will not be assessed, but will recieve a certificate of attendence.

Address

The Publishing Training Centre
Book House
45 East Hill
London
SW18 2QZ

Travel Information

Please visit our website.

Additional Notes

Please visit our website for a range of discounts available for our short courses.