An editor's guide to editorial style
Editorial style controls all aspects of consistency in the presentation of words, numbers and punctuation. Most copy-editors realise that consistency is important, but they may not always understand why.
This module focuses on the core areas of editorial style, including spelling and hyphenation, punctuation and capitalisation, numbers, abbreviations and the use of italic and quotation marks. When you have mastered those, you will be equipped to think through more complicated aspects of styling for yourself.
Course content
- What is editorial style?
- The core areas of editorial style
- Making editorial style decisions
- The editorial style sheet
- Using the editorial style sheet
e-Learning modules are optimised for desktop and laptop devices and not tablets and smartphones.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module you will:
- define "editorial style" and "house style", and distinguish these from other uses of the word "style" in publishing terminology
- identify items in a script for which an editorial style decision is needed
- make appropriate editorial style decisions, based on the readership for, and content of, the publication
- set up an editorial style sheet and record decisions clearly, to promote consistent treatment of the text during copy-editing and beyond
How does the course work?
An editor's guide to editorial style has five units. Across the five units there are 12 exercises each having a model answer and commentary for self-assessment.
About the author
Rosemary Roberts has worked in publishing since 1975, first as an editor on Grove’s Dictionaries of Music, and thereafter in academic and reference publishing. After four years as a lecturer on the Publishing course at Oxford Brookes University, she was appointed chief copy-editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; in 2005 she was awarded the MBE for services to scholarship for her work on the dictionary. She became managing editor at Thames & Hudson in 2007, where she gained experience of trade publishing – a late and very interesting diversion from the academic field.
Alongside her in-house appointments, Rosemary has taught editorial skills for PTC, CIEP, and corporate clients. She has now returned to her editorial roots and works as a freelancer for Oxford University Press and other scholarly publishers, while continuing to teach.
This e-Learning Module was developed with the support of the Unwin Charitable Trust.
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Five to seven hours with eight months access to the module.
PTC e-Learning Modules are concentrated, online courses that focus on specialist topics relevant to publishing working life. They are designed to build on a foundation of existing skills and experience.