Essential Copy-Editing: Editorial Skills Two

+ Delegate feedback

“My objectives for enrolling on the course were very well met – to improve my abilities to edit a range of different materials and to gain the necessary qualification to support my work experience. Previously, I was doing work that was outside my role and I now have a better sense of what a copy-editor is required to do.” Emma, Perth, Australia

“I wanted to progress my career and obtain copy-editing work in the publishing industry. The chapter on grammar was excellent for consolidating existing knowledge, and immediately useful in ongoing proofreading work. My overall understanding of the steps towards publication is greatly improved and I now have the confidence to apply to work with publishers.” Juliet, North Shields, UK

“I enrolled on this course to learn how to copy-edit, and to expand from proofreading to copy editing. This is exactly what I achieved!” Ian Spackman, Exeter, UK

+ What's included?

Personal tutor

Each student is assigned their own tutor, an experienced copy-editor who provides support throughout the course and for up to three months after completion.

Course materials and access to online learning platform

There are seven units, each containing self-check exercises plus a longer assignment. Units one to three equip you with the necessary fundamental skills and theoretical knowledge. Units five to seven build on these skills to give you the experience to tackle more complex material and challenging editorial tasks. Each assignment tests the knowledge gained and skills you have developed in the unit that you have just completed, and reinforces what you learned in preceding units. The final assignment is thus also a consolidation exercise, testing the skills you have acquired throughout the course.

Only the assignments will count towards your final grade, but, where appropriate, your tutor will also give you feedback on the self-check exercises, ensuring that you have fully understood the learning points from each unit and can apply what you’ve learned.

Your exercises and assignments will be completed on-screen in Microsoft Word and submitted by email. Marked assignments and tutor feedback will be emailed back to you.

You’ll have full access to the PTC's online learning platform, through which all course materials are accessed. Downloadable materials mean you can practise your new skills as many times as you need, to feel confident that you have mastered them.

Please note, you will need Microsoft Word (2007 or later; or 2008 or later for Mac) in order to complete the coursework.

Certificate of completion

On completing your course, you will receive a certificate from PQB showing whether you have achieved a pass, merit or distinction in your work.

Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) points

Passing this course is worth 10–20 points towards upgrading your CIEP membership.

+ How to enrol and pay

Payment options

Essential Copy-Editing costs £495. You can pay for the course in three instalments:

The first instalment of £215 is payable on enrolment; the second and third instalments of £140 each will be automatically collected between the 10th and 15th of the following two months.

To enrol, you need to click on the ‘Add to Cart’ button on this page. You will be asked to register (if you have not already done so) and, at that point, will be able to pay immediately by credit/debit card. 

Money-back guarantee

If, within 30 days of receiving your course materials (and before any assignments have been sent to your tutor for marking), you decide that the course is not for you, simply let us know and we will issue a full refund. Note that access to the learning platform will cease once your refund is confirmed.

Course completion

You must complete the course within 18 months of enrolment or, if you wish to continue the course beyond this period, you can study for a further 18 months following payment of a £75 re-registration fee. Any further extensions are at the discretion of The Publishing Training Centre.

+ The Publications Qualification Board (PQB)

The PQB is responsible for the development, delivery and assessment of these self-study tutor-guided courses. Detailed and carefully moderated performance evaluation and reporting ensures that trainees and employers can accurately assess levels of knowledge and skill. Qualifications are awarded at pass, merit or distinction.

+ About the author

Barbara Horn's career in publishing spans more than forty years. Beginning as a copy-editor in educational publishing, she later worked in trade publishing and packaging, eventually leaving her job as Editorial Director of an illustrated books division to work freelance as an editor, project manager and consultant.

She began her work as a trainer at the London School of Publishing (LSP), which she co-founded in 1983. After selling LSP in 1986, Barbara created and tutored courses at The Publishing Training Centre, the Scottish Publishers Association (now Publishing Scotland), Clé (now Publishing Ireland), and companies and institutions throughout the UK and in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore and Spain. She has also been a guest lecturer at West Herts College, Oxford Brookes, and the Centre for Publishing at Stirling University, and has run workshops at the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) conferences.

Nominated by the CIEP to the Graphic Technology Committee at the British Standards Institution, Barbara managed the revision of the British Standard of Marks for Copy Preparation and Proof Correction, BS 5261: 2005. As part of the British delegation to the ISO Technical Committee for Graphic Technology, Barbara was the convenor of the working group on terminology and initiated the revision of the International Standard for Proof Correction Marks, ISO 5776.

Barbara was made an Honorary Member of the CIEP (previously the SfEP) in 2010.