BESTSELLER

Virtual Classroom

Introduction to Editorial Skills

This entry-level course offers a thorough introduction to the key publishing skills of copy-editing and proofreading.
DATES
  • 12.10, 13.10 & 14.10.2026
  • 9.11, 11.11 & 13.11.2026
TIME

9.30am–2.00pm

FORMAT

Virtual classroom via Zoom

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 3 training sessions
  • Completion certificate
  • CIEP upgrade points

PRICE

£720 + VAT
£620 + 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?

Introduction to Editorial Skills offers new editors the chance to learn proofreading and copy-editing skills. 
You will be given expert editorial advice and the opportunity to practise the key skills of the proofreader and copy-editor across a range of different types of content, for both print and digital output. 

The course content is regularly revised and updated, to ensure that it stays on top of current trends and systems in publishing. The three tutors are all well-respected editors in the industry with a wealth of experience. Once you have taken this course, you will have the foundations on which to build a successful editorial career.
Benefits

Control how you learn and progress

Who is it for?

Individuals working in book or journal publishing, in-house or freelance, wishing to develop copy-editing and proofreading skills; anyone who has to proofread or copy-edit as part of their job; and students keen to start a publishing career and gain formal skills. 

These include:
  • assistant editors
  • copy-editors
  • desk editors
  • editorial assistants
  • production editors

Learning outcomes

On completing this course you will:
  • have a clear sense of what you are trying to achieve when editing or proofreading a document
  • understand your editorial responsibilities see how your role fits in with others involved in the publication process
  • comprehend the substance of, and differences between, copy-editing and proofreading.

Programme

The course promotes active learning through a blended approach of self-study and three online group sessions. You will learn through a range of short and longer exercises, on-screen and offline completed independently or in small-groups, supported by group discussion and expert guidance and feedback from our highly experienced Institute of Publishing tutors.

Copy-Editing

You will learn to identify and fix:

  • Poor structure
  • Ambiguity
  • Repetition and redundancy
  • Poor grammar and punctuation
  • Inappropriate or non-inclusive language.


Proofreading

You will learn how to proofread effectively:

  • Layering
  • Slow reading
  • Judging how much to change
  • Marking proofs clearly and efficiently with BSI and PDF mark-up
  • Distinguishing editorial corrections, layout and queries 
  • Where to turn for further advice on BSI and PDF mark-up.


General editorial skills

You will also learn:

  • Why consistency is important
  • What editorial conventions, house style and job-specific style are, and why they matter
  • How to make and record their own style decisions
  • How to approach copy-editing methodically and strategically
  • How to follow a brief
  • Where to to turn for further help and guidance.
Details

What you need to know

Delivery

The course consists of 6 x 2¼-hour sessions including breaks, each a mixture of delivery and interaction using Zoom breakout rooms and other online tools. There will be a 45-minute exercise set to complete between the sessions, and a 45-minute break. The course will run on from 9.30am to 2.00pm on each day. 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.

Software requirements

You will need access to a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone and with Microsoft Word and either Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (free version) or Adobe Acrobat Professional installed. 

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. 

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.

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

I have immediately gained a very good understanding of the copy-editing and proofing process and how they relate to each other. I definitely enjoyed the course. The tutor was clearly very dedicated to this subject, had a wealth of experience, and made sure we all engaged fully with the course.

Communications and Publications Manager, The Police Foundation

Caroline Knight was the most brilliant instructor. The course was delivered in an engaging and easy-to-follow way, with the opportunity to ask questions throughout. The tasks and the open discussion that followed were incredibly helpful. I am much more confident in copy-editing and proofreading copy myself now and have a solid grounding in the technical processes and language of both. The course was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone working in editorial.

Delegate, Elliott & Thompson

What our students say

I loved the course. I've gained so many immediate benefits from this course. I now have more confidence in my approach to copy-editing in every single way. Caroline Knight was a brilliant tutor. So engaging and so experienced! There was a great array of activities to practise skills and I loved Caroline’s questioning technique, making sure everybody contributed and understood. It also kept me alert!

Delegate, Chartered College of Teaching

Caroline Knight is brilliant! She was engaging, fun and supportive at every stage. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and it was a privilege to be taught by someone who shared it so generously. This course was an excellent introduction to copy-editing and proofreading. It was super helpful to learn how texts are edited and typeset before they reach the production stage, and how complex the book publishing process can be. I’ve gained knowledge and skills to apply immediately in my current role.

Production Assistant, Bloomsbury Publishing

What our students say

The course was well-organised, useful and lively. The teacher was extremely competent and clear, and addressed all the questions. I gained a great overview on the main tasks of copy-editors, an understanding of consistency rules and editorial conventions, and many useful aspects of Word formatting and PDF mark-up.

Delegate, Federation of European Biochemical Societies

The course was informative and I learned a lot. Caroline Drake explained the concepts clearly, providing helpful examples when necessary. The exercises were useful and I especially liked that we learned both practical editorial skills and the more subtle skills, such as how to best phrase author queries.

Editorial Assistant, Walker Books

One tutor will deliver all three sessions of a course

About the trainers

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 (formerly the Publishing Training Centre).
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Caroline Drake

Trainer
ABOUT CAROLINE DRAKE
Caroline was trained at Blackwell and Cambridge University Press, where 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 has created and taught courses for a variety of clients, including publishers, educational organisations and the Parliamentary Research Service at the House of Commons.
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Sarah Sodhi

Trainer
ABOUT SARAH SODHI
For over 25 years, Sarah Sodhi has proofed, tagged, bound, corrected, edited, managed, commissioned, subbed, scheduled, estimated and produced a great deal of content – from interactive, multi-media resources to marketing leaflets, from monthly magazines to 900-page medical tomes.

In her first role, Sarah produced medical textbooks, journals and a bi-monthly magazine. She worked for an adult education charity and the education sector, editing and managing digital and print resources for primary, secondary and adult education publishers.