NEW!

Virtual Classroom

Editing Fiction

Develop your fiction editing skills and learn how to approach the particular challenges of editing fiction with confidence and professional judgement.
DATES

  • 27.10 & 28.10.2026
  • 13.04 & 20.04.2027
  • 13.10 & 20.10.2027

TIME

9.00am–12.30pm

FORMAT

Virtual classroom via Zoom

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 2 training sessions
  • Completion certificate
  • CIEP membership upgrade

PRICE

£375 + VAT

See available discounts
Looking for training for your team?
This course is also offered as Team Training for organisations.

Why should I take this course?

This new course builds on Introduction to Editorial Skills and focuses on the specialised skills needed for editing fiction. 
Editing Fiction explores copy-editing and structural issues unique to fiction and introduces practical tools for editors. 

The course is taught in modules with short polls, quizzes and longer consolidation exercises. Participants will workshop their edits together to learn from each other, guided by the tutor.
Benefits

Control how you learn and progress

Who is it for?

Editors who are moving into or taking on a fiction list, or have recently started working with fiction and would like to learn how it differs from other disciplines. Freelancers who want to offer fiction editing and need more formal training. This includes:
  • commissioning editors
  • copy-editors
  • assistant editors, desk editors, editorial assistants, editors 
  • freelance copy-editors, editors and proofreaders
  • in-house proofreaders.

Learning outcomes

On completing this course you'll be able to:
  • understand how fiction differs from non-fiction and other types of publishing
  • know how to approach a fiction text with confidence
  • edit fiction with attention to narrative structure, plot, characterisation, pacing, dialogue and voice
  • work effectively with authors to provide constructive editorial feedback.

Programme

Day 1 

Plot
  • Beginning: creating a striking start and setting the scene
  • Middle: maintaining momentum and avoiding sag
  • End: ensuring resolution and coherence
  • Detail: tenses and continuity
  • Toolbox 1: Timeline

Characters
  • Identifying and tracking characters
  • Ensuring consistency in personality and description
  • Toolbox 2: Character organogram for relationships

Place
  • Exploring geography and setting contributions
  • Balancing real and imagined worlds
  • Toolbox 3: Maps and diagrams

Day 2 

Voice and Style
  • Exploring points of view: first person, third person limited, omniscient
  • Examining narrative and dialogue style, punctuation and layout
  • Applying 'Show, don’t tell' principles
  • Toolbox 4: Using a style sheet


Putting It All Together
  • Framing author queries effectively
  • Balancing structural and detailed feedback
  • Understanding author-editor collaboration roles
  • Workshop: final exercise and reflection on learning
Details

What you need to know

Pre-course reading

Delegates ought to read the novels Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe before the course starts.
Pride and Prejudice is available as a free download from Project Gutenburg. Things Fall Apart is available from most libraries and all good bookshops.

Delivery

The course consists of 2 sessions, each lasting 3½ hours including a 30-minute break. 
The course will be delivered via Zoom Pro with attendant security levels. 

Zoom

To join the course, you will need access to a computer, tablet or laptop with a camera and microphone. You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes 2 minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes.

Certificate

Upon completing the course you will receive a certificate from the Institute of Publishing.

Accessibility

Please contact us with any accessibility or special requirements, for example having in-session captions or the learning materials sent to you in advance.

Team Training

This course is available for in-house training, delivered either virtually or at your offices. The content can be tailored to meet your organisation's requirements.

Chartered Institute of Editing & Proofreading (CIEP) membership upgrade

Completing this course counts towards the continuing professional development (CPD) requirement of a CIEP membership upgrade. For more information about upgrade criteria, visit the CIEP Membership Upgrade Hub.

What our students say

The course content and delivery were exemplary. My objectives for this course were fully achieved. I benefitted from learning about commissioning authors, holding sessions on feedback, designing style sheets, watching out for inconsistencies in text, and more.

Senior Editor, eKitabu (Team Training)

I loved every bit of the course. Caroline is more than a great tutor. Immediate benefits include understanding the editorial process and learning what makes a great story!

Publishing Manager, eKitabu (Team Training)

What our students say

I enjoyed the course. Caroline is an excellent teacher. I've learned lots of specific tools and ideas – particularly the timeline and character spreadsheets as well as mapping locations.

Delegate, eKitabu (Team Training)

About the trainer

Caroline Knight

Trainer
ABOUT CAROLINE KNIGHT
Caroline Knight has spent her career in publishing, working both in-house and freelance. She held senior editorial roles at Penguin Books, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Illustrated, William Heinemann (an imprint of Random House) and Atlantic Books.

Since 2010, she has been a freelance structural and copy-editor alongside tutoring for the Institute of Publishing.