What Editors Do
Have you ever wondered just what editors do with writers' manuscripts? In this first lesson, you will find out. You will learn about the different types of editors—copy editors, acquisition editors, developmental editors, production editors, and more—and exactly what their jobs entail.
The Mechanics of Copyediting
If you've ever seen a document that an editor has marked up, you probably wondered what all those symbols meant. This lesson focuses on traditional copy editors' marks and how to use them. By the end of the lesson, you will have a solid foundation for editing both on a paper manuscript and on-screen.
Tools to Increase Accuracy
Editors must focus on many details to produce a final manuscript that's as error-free as possible. This lesson covers the tools used to catch inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, and more. By the end of the lesson, you will have a clear understanding of what tools you need to edit effectively and efficiently.
Grammar and Punctuation
This lesson will offer a refresher on the basics of grammar and punctuation as well as reveal some of the more common related problems that arise in writing. You will come away with a solid understanding of the basic grammar principles as they apply to copyediting.
Spelling, Capitalization, and Numbers
This lesson takes you into the world of spelling, capitalization, and numbers. Many people are surprised to learn that there are actually rules governing how words are spelled and capitalized, and whether numbers should be spelled out or in digit form.
Syntax and Style
This lesson explores all the writing pitfalls that can leave readers in a state of confusion. You will learn to recognize and fix garbled syntax, mixed metaphors, nominals, redundancies, and much more. You will also learn how to untangle overly wordy sentences and create parallel structure.
Abbreviations and Hyphens, Bibliographies and Copyright Law
When is it appropriate to use an abbreviation? When should you hyphenate words? Most people have a general knowledge of abbreviations and hyphens, but when it comes time to actually use them, they can be mystifying. This lesson examines the rules that guide their use.
Photos and Tables, Front and Back Matter
In this lesson, you will learn how to edit such peripheral material as tables, charts, photos, and captions. If you've ever seen a caption that didn't fit the photo it was describing, you will understand the need for this extra scrutiny. You will learn the function of the foreword, table of contents, index, and many more.
Fiction Editing
Every novel is different, and a good fiction editor will help guide the author to take the story where it wants to go. This lesson defines narrative summary, exposition, point of view, and character arcs. By the end of the lesson, you should have the necessary tools to tackle fiction editing.
The Editor-Author-Publisher Relationship
This lesson examines how to keep life harmonious within the author-editor-publisher relationship. Writers will be able to see things from the editor's perspective, and editors will learn how it feels to be in the author's shoes. Both of you will gain insight as well as a good brush-up of your people skills.
Word Usage
After 10 lessons of absorbing the technical elements of editing, it's time to have some fun. This lesson explores the intricacies, inconsistencies, and irregularities in the English language. You will learn about oddball words and phrases, the dos and don'ts of usage, and why language is like a puzzle.
Finding Work as an Editor
This might be the most important lesson of all. In this lesson, you will learn how to find work as an editor. Whether you want to begin a freelance career or are interested in a staff position, all the help and advice you will need to achieve your goals is in this lesson.
