Editing I BWR106

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Editing I BWR106

Academy for Distance Learning
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Description

Learn the basics of editing Editors work for publications both in house, and outside, as contractors. A good editor is always in demand; and with the internet, today's editors can often work from virtually anywhere in the world. Alone, this course does not make you into a professional editor, but it can lead to valuable career opportunities when combined with other courses that develop your knowledge and skills in journalism.

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 i…

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Didn't find what you were looking for? See also: Copy-editing, Web Accessibility, Digital Publishing & Editing, Web Analytics, and Publishing.

Learn the basics of editing Editors work for publications both in house, and outside, as contractors. A good editor is always in demand; and with the internet, today's editors can often work from virtually anywhere in the world. Alone, this course does not make you into a professional editor, but it can lead to valuable career opportunities when combined with other courses that develop your knowledge and skills in journalism.

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. Learning to edit requires not only skills in language and writing, but also technique.

COURSE STRUCTURE

  1. Introduction to Editing - the role and scope of editing; tools for editing; editing skills; the production process: an overview; who does what in publishing
  2. The Mechanics of Clear Writing - spelling, punctuation, grammar, language; style; tense
  3. Assessing Manuscripts - readability; word length; structure; consistencies and inaccuracies; the reader\'s report; substantive editing; the author\'s responsibilities; the author/editor relationship
  4. Copy Editing I - what the copy editor does; the procedure; house style; style sheets
  5. Copy Editing II - marking up; parts of a publication; editing non-text material; illustrations
  6. Preparing Copy for Printing - type design and page layout; proof stages
  7. Proof Reading
  8. 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.

The Editing Profession

Editing has always required specific skills. Highly developed written and verbal communication skills an eye for detail, a logical and enquiring mindù, an ability to meet deadlinesù, a comprehensive knowledge of publication processes¢‚¨ù are just some of the skills required in the editing profession.

Today\'s editors still need those important foundation skills but, with the advent of computer technology and in the face of increasingly competitive markets, editors must be prepared to diversify, and to acquire a new range of skills. Although today\'s editors are still expected to review manuscripts, mark up copy, check proofs, and liaise with writers, printers and publishers, they may also be expected to be highly proficient in a whole range of areas that didn\'t exist a decade or two ago.

The minimum skill required by all editors is computer proficiency, mainly in the use of Microsoft Word, email programs and Internet searches, but possibly also in desktop publishing software such as QuarkXpress, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Editors involved in marketing and sales may also use accounting and spreadsheet software.

Text and graphics, previously supplied as hard copys, are now submitted as electronic manuscripts, making the job of editing both easier and more complex. Easier because text does not need to be marked up on a hard copy and rekeyed by a typesetter; harder because the editor and designer have taken over the task of typesetting.

In most cases editors are not directly involved in pre-press design, and would not be expected to be proficient in the use of complex DTP software in quality publishing this is still the domain of trained graphic artists, but for effective liaison and supervision of the production process, all editors must be familiar with the capabilities and general operation of the commonly used programs.

Other facets of publishing, such as distribution, stock control, and accounting and finance, also use new, more efficient technologies and, as part of the production team, editors should be aware of how the new systems operate.

The most recent, and certainly the most complex, development is the introduction of multi-media publishing. Still in its infancy, this technology brings together text, video, audio and graphics, stored on CD-ROM or accessed through the Internet. Almost all commercial publishers have a website, but few have successfully ventured into online publishing, although this will almost certainly change in the near future.

Other areas, old and new, that involve the skills of editors include:

  • Commissioning
  • Reviewing
  • Setting budgets and schedules
  • Costing
  • Copy editing
  • Proofing
  • Overseeing the production process
  • Legals including contracts, copyright clearance and permissions for use of quotations and reproduction of pictures

Traditional Editing

Editing Today

Almost always done on paper (hard copy)

May be done electronically, or on hard copy, or both

Edited manuscript is given to a person in the publishing industry who understands their notations (eg. a layout artist who prepares the manuscript for printing)

Edited document may be given to an IT professional who doesn\'t necessarily understand standard notations used by editors

Editor marks the manuscript using established and well-recognised notations

Editor may need to use instructions that are able to be understood by anyoneù, not just publishing professionals

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 mediaù, are still very much part of the work covered by editors, but today the scope is far wider.

Print media is generally commercialù 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

Balance: pragmatic versus pedantic

Some editors are excessively pedantic. Others are overly pragmatic. In reality, the extent to which a document is edited should be specified by the publisher, clearly, and the good editor will be able to adjust the way they edit according to those specifications.

In today\'s world, where economics is a major force, the luxury of perfection is often neither required nor expected by a publisher. A certain amount of error may often be more tolerable than not meeting a deadline or over blowing the budget.

The effective editor needs to take a pragmatic approach and be comfortable with the fact that perfection is not always possible.

This course develops your understanding of the purposes and aims of editing, and also of what editors and proof readers do.

You will learn the importance of clear, effective writing throughout all stages of the publishing process and how editors assess manuscripts and prepare them for publication.

This is a substantial training program and alone covers as much as some colleges cover in entire certificates or diplomas. Even if you go no further, it may be sufficient to embark on a career as a proof reader, freelance editor, copy editor or publishing assistant in a small office or home based business. For those with a passion to learn, you can use this as credit, continuing study toward a certificate, diploma or degree and increasing your skill and career prospects as you go.

The course covers: the nature and scope of editing, the role and responsibility of the editor in publishing, working with authors and publishers, the editing process and skills required, copyright and other legal concerns, indexing and referencing, varying the approach according to the kind of book, etc.

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