Editing Practice

Study writing, media studies or journalism, to be a professional editor with this alternative education writing school; courses learning online or by correspondence how to write in a home business.

Course Code: BWR305
Fee Code: S3
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
Get started!

Learn to apply your editing skills under personal direction from qualified and experienced editors.

Dreaming of a career in editing or publishing?
 
The most important thing you can do is get published!

This course will give you the know-how to get started, by involving you in the production of an online publication. You will learn from experience what is required, and how to go about it. You will develop your ability to edit both text and illustrations for articles, and prepare layout for articles.


Course Content

This course takes you through the processes of editing for a specific publication, submitting work for publication, and meeting the requirements of an editor and publisher.

Under the guidance of a mentor (a writing/editing tutor), you will learn to edit according to specific criteria, deal with a publisher, and communicate effectively with others involved in the publishing process.

Nominal duration: 100 hours

Prerequisites

  • Publishing I and Editing I, or equivalent
  • Medium level computer skills

Lesson Structure

There are 4 lessons in this course:

  1. Working to Specifications
  2. Editing Articles for Online Publications
  3. Submitting Articles for Online Publications
  4. Preparing and submitting Layout for publication

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.


How Familiar are you with Editors Terminology?


Agony Column 
A regular feature containing items related to personal problems; such as readers’ letters and editorial advice.

Alignment
The ranging of type along its base line and the horizontal and vertical ranging of columns.

Angle
The specific perspective from which an item is written.

Arm
The horizontal stroke or line of a capital letter (eg. P or F).

Artwork
Any type of illustration including a photograph, drawing, or computer generated graphic.

Ascender
The stroke of a lower case letter that extends higher than the height of an “x” (eg. the top half of the letter “b”).

Author’s corrections
Alterations made to text by the author, after the main editing has been finished, but before final printing.

Back bench
Senior editorial executives of a publication (usually refers to senior staff in a large newspaper).

Back margin (or Back)
The inside margin of a page (ie. where the two pages join together).

Banner
A major headline that extends across the top of a page.

Barcode
A printed barcode for the ISBN number of a publication.

Blanket
A rubbery sheet that is clamped around a cylinder, that contains an image used in offset printing to transfer that image to paper as it moves through the machine.

Bleed
An illustration is placed on the edge of a printed area, so that when the paper is trimmed, the illustration extends to the edge without any margin.

Block
This is commonly an engraved image on a flat metal plate, which is used to transfer an image when printing using a “letterpress” technique.

Blow up
An enlargement of a photograph or other type of illustration.

Blueprint 
Same as dyeline.

Blurb
A description of a book, and perhaps an author profile, printed on the cover or inside sleeve and any publicity material for a book.

Book block
The bound pages of a book, before attaching to the cover.

Box
A section of text or an illustration (or both) ruled off on four sides to create a square or rectangular section within text. Tables, line drawings and “emphasised” statements, such as quotations, are often set in boxes.

Break Out
A second (or further) item on the same page as the main story (eg. you may have several items that are unrelated on the same page, though the page is dominated by one main item).

Breaker
Anything used to break up text in a page, such as a quote or crosshead.

Brevier
An old name used to refer to 8 point type.

Bromide
A print of a photograph, illustration or typeset material made on standard light-sensitive photographic paper; from which an image is taken for printing.

Bullet point
A black mark (eg. A dot, triangle, dash) in front of text to create an effect or highlight – often used on tabulated lists, sometimes on headings.
 

Who can benefit from taking this course?

Writers looking to break into freelance markets such as magazines and newspapers.

Freelance writers seeking to access new markets or improve their knowledge of relevant frameworks and writing concepts.

Fiction writers seeking to break into a new market.

At the end of this course you will:

  • Understand how to edit an article for structure and use or develop a stylesheet
  • Understand how to write a compelling headline
  • Understand how to keep the writer's voice and perspective consistent while revising
  • Understand the importance of layout, and how it works with the editorial process
  • Edit work for an online publication

Want something more in depth? Learn about our certificates and higher qualifications in writing and journalism here.


 
 
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).

If students require a reproduction of their certificate, an electronic copy can be provided at a cost of AUD$35 incl GST. Printed copies are not available.




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Tracey Jones

Widely published author, Psychologist, Manager and Lecturer. Over 10 years working with ACS and 25 years of industry experience.
Qualifications include: B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), Dip. SW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies).

John Mason

Writer, Manager, Teacher and Businessman with over 40 years interenational experience covering Education, Publishing, Leisure Management, Education, and Horticulture. He has extensive experience both as a public servant, and as a small business owner.
John is a well respected member of many professional associations, and author of over seventy books and of over two thousand magazine articles.

Kate Gibson

Kate has 12 years experience as a marketing advisor and experience as a project manager. Kate has traveled and worked in a variety of locations including London, New Zealand and Australia. Kate has a B.Soc.Sc, Post-Grad. Dip. Org Behaviour (HR).

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