Become a Copy Editor & Proofreader: Complete Course

An introduction to this section and a brief discussion on Microsoft Word as the default text editing program.

A demonstration of how to edit in Word using the Track Changes and Comments features.

An onscreen demonstration of how to review the author's responses to your margin comments.

A demonstration of how to review and accept or reject any remaining edits.

How to complete your edit by running Word's spelling and grammar checker and the Grammarly AI writing assistant.

The different stages of the editing process can result in several versions of the document being generated - leading to confusion and the possibility of working on the wrong version. This lecture outlines a document naming convention that will help you keep track of the document through these stages.

An exercise in which you will edit a Word document and then compare your edit against a model answer.

An outline of how editing PDFs differs from editing in Word.

A screen tutorial on how to mark up changes on a PDF document using Adobe's free PDF reader. (You will probably already have Adobe reader on your computer. If not, just do an online search for it and install it.)

A quick update on the new layout of the Adobe PDF Reader editing options.

Watch as I review a document and identify some of the typical places errors lurk. This demonstration will show you how to broaden your vision so you are not just looking at the text but also at graphics, formatting and layout. The marked-up PDF used in the demonstration is attached to this lecture as a resource.

A practical exercise in which you will mark up a PDF with proofreading changes.

An outline of what is involved in editing spelling and how to approach this part of the course.

An introduction to style guides (or style manuals) and their importance as a reference for editors. Includes an overview of the major international guides as well as the specific guides editors need to keep for larger editing jobs.

Do you know when to write 'every day' and 'everyday'? This lecture explores the different types of compound words and the common errors you will deal with while editing.

An overview of common US vs UK spelling issues and common errors.

A short note on how to approach the practice quizzes after selected lectures in this course.

Some practical advice on how to handle this section where we dig into common problem areas in grammar.

Do you know the difference between phrases, clauses and sentences? This lecture gives a quick overview of these structural elements and equips you with key concepts that you will use throughout the rest of the course.

Identify nouns, their role in a sentence, and typical issues to look out for when editing.

Identify adjectives, understand their role in a sentence, and correct typical adjective-related problems.

Identify pronouns and know what pronoun issues to look out for when editing.

Identify verbs and typical verb-related issues to look out for. The ability to identify the lesser-known verbs comes in handy later in the course when we look at commas and other punctuation. 

Identify adverbs and typical adverb errors that writers make.

Understand prepositions and fix typical preposition errors.

Understand the different kinds of conjunctions and their errors. This knowledge prepares you for later lessons on punctuation.

A brief introduction to this section on Punctuation.

Recognise common errors with full stops, a.k.a. periods.

Find out how to use ellipses (...) to indicate omitted text, a pause or a sentence trailing off.

Colons are marks of expectation. Learn about their three main uses and the typical errors associated with them.

Learn about the correct use of semicolons and common semicolon errors you will encounter while editing.

Learn about the correct use of the hyphen and the two types of dashes - en dashes and em dashes.

Learn how to use quotation marks for quotes and direct speech, plus common errors and regional differences.

Commas are one of the most tricky punctuation marks for editors. Don't miss this lecture as it gives you the inside story on the main comma issues you're likely to face. 

Covering the key principles of bullet lists and the main formatting and punctuation issues you'll deal with.

An outline of the general rules for numbers, including when to write them out and when to use numerals.

An introduction to this section on setting up your editing business.

How to price your editing and proofreading work. Includes how to work out your hourly rate and guidance on market-related pricing ranges. Practical examples show how to work out the cost of different editing jobs.

One of the best ways to market your editing services is by creating a website. This lecture walks you through the process of defining a value proposition so you grab the attention of website visitors the moment they land on your home page (this is a copywriting secret most of your competitors don't know about!). I also offer a simple website structure that will give you a framework for filling in your content. 

A quick overview of website builders such as WordPress, Wix, Weebly and Squarespace, with pointers on how to choose between them.

An overview of some high-quality editing directories you can join to get immediate exposure for your services plus recommendations for further study and qualifications.