Proofreading for Business


A one-day course in London £385+VAT


12 March & 17 September 2012


An essential one-day introduction to proofreading publications in a business context.


Your organisation is constantly creating many different types of documents. Whether it is newsletters, leaflets, reports, letters, briefing papers, brochures, mailshots or other material, they all need to be error-free. This fast-paced course will help you develop vital skills for proofreading all kinds of written material.


You will be shown how to: • understand the role and importance of the proofreader • develop basic techniques and avoid common pitfalls • save time and money • prevent mistakes.


The day is firmly grounded in the needs of corporations of all kinds, such as large corporations, SMEs, government bodies, charities and academic institutions, and uses relevant practical examples.


Programme


Programme • Why proofread?


– The impact on time, cost and reputation • Who else is in the team?


– The key differences between editing and proofreading – Where has the document come from and where is it going next?


• Basic techniques


– Working conditions and methods (space, time, distractions) – Proofreading blind or against copy


• A systematic approach – Checklists


– Big things and little things (page numbers, headings, etc) – Layout considerations


– Dealing with tables, pictures and graphs – Check your facts – how important is it that this is correct?


• Some common problems – Punctuation


– Some grammatical tips – Tracking changes on screen – The danger of spellcheckers – Where to find further information


• Final checks – Dealing with authors


– The problems of multiple sign-offs – Introducing new errors.


Who wilWho will benefit from this course?l benefit from this course?


Staff with an editorial or publications role in companies, SMEs, government departments, charities and other organisations, including people with little or no formal training and whose main job may not necessarily be reading proofs.


Your tutor


Your tutor Melanie McRae works as a freelance editorial consultant in publishing. She has experience in working on both printed matter and electronic information. She works closely with in-company editorial teams, briefing writers, designers and researchers, and other freelance editors and proofreaders. Melanie is also a qualified secondary school teacher and has experience in marketing. She has worked successfully with both English speakers and delegates who do not use English as a first language. She is an experienced writer and trainer and develops, writes and delivers training packages to a number of UK and international clients. Melanie runs her own limited company, EDT (Editorial, Design and Training services, Ltd).


Editing for Business


A two-day course in London £755+VAT


11–12 October 2011 8–9 May & 25–26 October 2012


Most organisations produce a wide range of documents, reports, web pages, brochures and many others. It is vital for your reputation that these documents meet the needs of your readership, say what you want them to say, are produced on time and budget, and are free from error.


This fast-paced two-day course will help you develop the skills necessary to edit and manage the production of various document types.


By the end of the course, you will: • understand the editing and publishing processes • be able to apply basic editing techniques • have the skills to produce documents that are fit for purpose • know how to identify and avoid common editing pitfalls • save time and money and avoid mistakes.


The course is firmly grounded in the needs of businesses of all kinds – large corporations, SMEs, government organisations, charities and academic institutions and the content. The content and practical examples are taken from this environment.


Programme Programme


Day One • The publishing process


– Common aims, common principles – Who does what, when, and why


– Planning the publication: allocating pages, establishing extent – Briefing and commissioning writers


• Editing in the publishing process


– Why texts need editing and what an editor does – Two main types of editing: structure and copy – Factors influencing the editor’s decisions – The need for accuracy, consistency, standardisation – House styles, for and against


Day Two • More intensive editorial intervention – The main problems posed by poorly written texts – Thinking visually: how the reader navigates text – Changing level: adapting material for different readerships – How to cut text


• Design in the publishing process • The design function


– What a designer needs to know • Proofreading in the publishing process


– The proofing process: different types and stages, escalating costs – The proofreading function: different techniques and things to look out for – The final stages


• Briefing and signing off – Briefing external writers – Briefing the internal team


– The handover process and signing off. Who wilWho will benefit from this course?l benefit from this course?


Staff with an editorial or publications role in SMEs, government departments, charities and any other organisation that produces publications. Staff who work in book and journal publishing may find Copy-Editing Skills to be of more benefit.


Your tutor Your tutor


After a spell in teaching and education research, Andrew Steeds worked as a publisher in three of the major UK educational publishing companies before going freelance in 1992. He now runs Simply Put, a company that offers writing, project management and consultancy to organisations that want to communicate more effectively with the full range of their readers.


www.train4publishing.co.uk • bookings@bookhouse.co.uk • 020 8874 2718 37


EDITORIAL COURSES: General Editorial & Writing Skills


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