Virtual Classroom

Editorial Skills for All

This practical course introduces the role of editing and proofreading content in any business.
DATES

17.11 & 19.11.2026

TIME

1.30pm–5.00pm

FORMAT

Virtual classroom via Zoom

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 2 training sessions
  • Completion certificate
  • CIEP upgrade points

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 interactive course provides a practical introduction to the role of editing and proofreading digital or print content in any business.
We all rely on the written word to communicate with clients, stakeholders, and the public. The text that we produce is our shopfront to the rest of the world. How can we ensure that the copy for our company reports, websites or marketing material is clear and well structured, or that we won’t be let down by spelling and grammar errors in our letters and emails?

Specially created for those who generate or prepare copy for presentation or publication, but have little or no editorial background, this course guides you through what needs to be done – and why. Using an active learning approach, combining individual study with group activities and discussion, it explores how best practice from the publishing industry can be adapted to your own working environment.

By the end of the course you will have gained skills and strategies that will help you to ensure that the text you produce is in the best possible shape for its intended readers. You will be more confident in your editorial judgement, more accurate in your proofreading, and more efficient in the way you work.
Benefits

Control how you learn and progress

Who is it for?

Anyone who works with words, creating or producing text for presentation or publication, including:
  • administrators who brief editorial freelancers or who are involved in quality control
  • editorial staff at charities, membership organisations or any business with some publishing function
  • people responsible for, or who work on, corporate communications.

Learning outcomes

On completing this course you will be able to:
  • spot errors, ambiguity and poor structure, and know how to fix them
  • feel more confident in your use of the English language
  • understand how editorial best practice can be applied to your own work
  • use skills and strategies to edit and proofread more efficiently as well as more accurately
  • communicate effectively and knowledgeably with clients, writers, designers, programmers, freelancers and other stakeholders.

Programme

Day 1

Session 1: What do we mean by editing and proofreading?

  • Overview of editing, proofreading and editing for the web
  • How is proofreading different from editing?
  • Where do we start? Strategy and approach
  • How do we do it? Basic methods.

Session 2: Getting the message across and fixing the words 

  • Organisation and structure
  • Clarity and tone
  • Grammar gremlins, punctuation pitfalls and sloppy syntax
  • Misused words and other common problems.

Day 2

Session 3: Consistency, style and communication

  • The power of consistency
  • Developing and using a house style
  • Style sheets and Find and Replace
  • Communicating with writers and freelancers.

Session 4: Ways of working efficiently

  • Taking a methodical approach
  • Digital workhorse and human brain: effective use of Word and Adobe
  • Layout issues and other proof-stage problems
  • Concluding discussion and top tips.
Details

What you need to know

Delivery

The course consists of 4 sessions using Zoom breakout rooms and other online tools. There will be 15-minute breaks between sessions with the opportunity to do exercises and take a break. The course will run on the same day across 2 weeks, split into 2 x ½-day sessions in the morning from 9.00am to 12.30pm or in the afternoon from 1.30pm to 5.00pm. Any information to be completed beforehand will be sent via email.

Zoom

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.

CIEP points

Completing this course is worth 3 points towards upgrading your CIEP membership.

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.

What our students say

The course was collaborative but not overly intensive. I’ve refreshed my basic grammar skills, know what errors to look out for that I have missed in the past, and have learnt to slow down!

Delegate, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

There was a good mix of teaching styles, group work and break out rooms. I've gained a clear understanding of the editorial process, stages and main tasks.

Delegate, Church Urban Fund

What our students say

Caro was an engaging tutor. Immediate gains include proofreading/editing strategies and grammar advice.

Content and Learning Specialist

The course was well run and I enjoyed Caro’s teaching style. I will have better processes going forwards with lots of new tips.

Co-founder and Project Lead, Good Beans

What our students say

I thoroughly enjoyed the course. The tasks were great and the breakout rooms really helpful to discuss our thoughts. I'm more confident doing the QA work in my role and more aware of the areas that I'm less confident about.

 Content and Learning Specialist

I loved the course! It was fun and informative. I’ve gained confidence in my proof-editing skills and good direction for further improvements.

Marketing Manager, McNeela Music

About the trainer

Caroline Drake

Trainer
ABOUT CAROLINE DRAKE
In an in-house career that took her to Berlin, London, Oxford and Cambridge, Caroline Drake worked on a wide range of academic books, journals and illustrated titles. She was trained at Blackwell and Cambridge University Press, where, as senior subeditor then copy-editorial manager, she in turn trained copy-editors and proofreaders for 15 years. She updated Butcher's Copy-Editing, with a colleague, for the 4th edition.

Now freelance, Caroline enjoys helping authors to get things right, first time. She has created and taught courses for a variety of clients, including publishers, educational organisations, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, the reporters of the Scottish Parliament and the Parliamentary Research Service at the House of Commons.