1. How to edit and proofread like a pro Charity Writing and Publications Training Day 24 October 2013

2. What well cover 1. The difference between editing and proofreading 2. A step-by-step guide to editing 3. How to do an effective proofread 3. Editing vs proofreading Proofreading: happens at the end of the publicationprocess, when youre totally happy with all copy and design. Its a final check for basic errors. Happens in PDF/on web page. Editing: all other tweaking of copy, in Word. 4. Editing: a step-by-step guide Step 1: What should the final product look like? Who is your audience? What do you want them to do when theyveread the piece youre editing? 5. Editing: a step-by-step guide Get a brief Who is the audience for the piece? What do you want the audience to do when theyve read it? What is the call to action? What are your key messages? What tone do you want the piece to strike? How deeply do you think the piece needs to be edited? Do you think the structure of the piece needs to change? 6. Editing: a step-by-step guide Step 2: Get missing information Who, what, when, where, why? Build into timetable Check the facts 7. Editing: a step-by-step guide Step 3: Order and introduction Your introduction is the most important part: makesure its attention-grabbing What is your key message? Start with it! Put the most exciting information first, then the rest in order of importance/logic 8. Twenty years ago this month, we had our public launch, on 24 October 1993, the first World Child Poverty Day. Next month, we will hold our AGM on 21 October, during the 20th World Child Poverty Day. Our AGM will be held at the King James Building, where our office is based, and will start at 11am. This year we will be changing the format of our AGM and offering a number of facilitated workshops for attendees. As well as providing an opportunity to meet other members socially, we hope our AGM will inform, empower and inspire our members to get more involved with The Child Poverty Society. For more information or to let us know you are attending, please contact the office or email info@childpoverty.org. 9. Would you like to find out more about the Child Poverty Societys work and meet other members? Come along to our annual general meeting (AGM) on 21 October. Its free, and you can go to interesting talks from experts on everything from the future of Somalias orphanages to how to set up your own campaign group. The AGM, which marks our 20th anniversary, starts at 11am at the King James Building, where our office is. For more information or to let us know youre coming, email info@childpoverty.org 10. Editing: a step-by-step guide Step 4: Make your sentences, paragraphs and whole text flow well Sentences Use sentence length and structure Repeat sentence structure Vary sentence length Use but, and and dashes for drama 11. Dementia is devastating. Right now, its robbing 820,000 people in the UK of their capacity to think, reason and remember. Its leaving families caring for loved ones who dont know who they are. And its costing this country a staggering 23 billion a year, more than heart disease and cancer combined. With a rapidly ageing population, that is only going to increase unless we take action now.Research is the answer. If we can understand dementias causes, improve diagnosis, find new treatments and learn how to prevent it, we can improve and save lives, and money. We can stop dementia affecting your family in the future. There is hope. Dementia is treatable. But we must invest now to find solutions to stop dementia becoming an epidemic. 12. Editing: a step-by-step guide Dont repeat the same words in consecutive sentencesYouth clubs make a massive difference to young people. From giving young people skills that are immensely valuable for school and beyond to building their confidence and improving their job prospects, going to a youth club can change young peoples lives. Youth clubs make a massive difference to teenagers. From giving them skills that are immensely valuable for school and beyond to building their confidence and improving their job prospects, going to a youth club can change young peoples lives. 13. Editing: a step-by-step guide Paragraphs Use transition words and phrasesTransitions signal relationships between ideas, such as Another example coming upstay alert! or Heres an exception to my previous statement or Although this idea appears to be true, heres the real story. Transitions give your reader directions to piece your ideas into a logically coherent argument. 14. Editing: a step-by-step guide Effects/results: so, as a result, due to Addition: also, in addition, too, and Emphasis: indeed, obviously, undoubtedly, clearly Elaboration/qualification: frequently, occasionally, in particular Concede a point: of course, no doubt, its true that Build towards climax: most importantly, above all Comparison: likewise, similarly Contrast: however, nonetheless, although, yet, but 15. Editing: a step-by-step guide Dont start consecutive paragraphs in the same wayIndonesia and Malaysia produce 92% of all palm oil. Their fields as far as the eye can see are covered in oil palm trees. Indonesia and Malaysia depend heavily on palm oil for jobs 16. Editing: a step-by-step guide Indonesia and Malaysia produce 92% of all palm oil. Their fields as far as the eye can see are covered in oil palm trees. These countries depend heavily on palm oil for jobs 17. Editing: a step-by-step guide Whole text Good headers, subheads Bullet points Box outs Pull stats Read out loud 18. Editing: a step-by-step guide Step 5: Work on the language 8 simple things to eliminate from any piece you edit... 19. Eliminate... 1. Long sentences and paragraphs Pithy sentences are like sharp nails driving truth into our memory. Diderot Sentences should be no more than 30 words Keep paragraphs to 4-5 lines max 20. Every 30 seconds, a fire station in the UK gets a call because a fires broken out in a home and children are inside, theres been a pile up on the motorway and seriously injured people are trapped or perhaps hazardous chemicals have spilled, and they need to be cleared before catching fire. No matter how dangerous the situation, brave fire fighters will spring into action, putting their own lives on the line to save others, every minute of every day. 21. Every 30 seconds, a fire station in the UK gets a call. A fires broken out in a home, children are inside. Theres a pile up on the motorway, seriously injured people are trapped. Hazardous chemicals have spilled, they need to be cleared before catching fire. No matter how dangerous the situation, brave fire fighters will spring into action. They put their own lives on the line to save others. Every minute of every day. 22. Eliminate... 2. Long words I never write 'metropolis' for seven cents when I can write 'city' and get paid the same. Mark Twain Myriad Many Procure Buy Terminate End Assistance Help Implement Carry out Commence Begin Assistance Help 23. Eliminate... 3. The passive voice There is such a thing as the poetry of a mistake, and when you say mistakes were made, you deprive an action of its poetry, and you sound like a weasel. Charles Baxter The cat sat on the mat The mat was sat on by the cat We need your support to build the hospice Your support is needed to build the hospice 24. The event was run by our Manchester office Our Manchester office ran the event Sarah was helped hugely by coming to our youth club Coming to our youth club helped Sarah hugely 25. Eliminate... 4. Redundant words and phrases Every word you use should have meaning look outfor those that dont 26. 1. The financial crisis seriously affects many different parts of the UK. 2. The shop is located in the north of the city.3. In order to support these desperate families, we need your help. 4. Our programme is the most unique in the world. 5. It goes without saying that your donation is vital. 6. We help children between the ages of six and seven years old. 7. We think that theres a lack of government funding. 8. The reason why we do this is because there are children suffering. 27. 1. The financial crisis seriously affects many different parts of the UK. 2. The shop is located in the north of the city. 3. In order to support these desperate families, we need your help. 4. Our programme is the most unique in the world. 5. It goes without saying that your donation is vital. 6. We help children between the ages of six and seven years old. We help six- and seven-year olds. 7. We think that theres a lack of government funding. 8. The reason why we do this is because there are children suffering. 28. Eliminate... 5. Nouns Never use a noun when you could replace it with a verb. Our aims are engagement of young people and crimereduction We aim to engage young people and reduce crime 29. Eliminate... 6. Adjectives and adverbs The road to hell is paved with adverbs. Stephen KingToo many adjectives/adverbs weaken the impact of your writing. Leading doctors have issued a dire warning that the nationsmassive obesity crisis will have very serious consequences for essential medical services. Doctors have warned that obesity will have serious consequencesfor public services. 30. Eliminate... 7. Jargon Jargon: The specialised vocabulary of a particular trade, profession, group or activity. (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary) Plain English: Writing that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it. (The Plain English Campaign) 31. Going forward, high quality learning environments arean obligatory precondition for the enhancement of the continuing learning process Good schools help children to learn 32. Eliminate... 8. Clichs If you hear it all the time, dont use it. He was happy as Larry She felt as sick as a dog 33. Editing: in summaryIt is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. Robert Southey 34. Editing your own work Everyones work benefits from an edit from someone else. Step away and come back Print out Read aloud 35. Exercise 1 Flow Long sentences and words Passive Nouns Adjectives and adverbs Jargon Clichs 36. What is proofreading? In an ideal world...The final stage in the process of producing a publication Dotting the is, crossing the ts When you are happy with all copy and design Checking for consistency and accuracy in spellings, meaning, layout and style 37. Why does proofreading matter? Prostitutes appeal to Pope Juvenile court to try shooting defendant Red tape holds up new bridges 38. Why does proofreading matter? If you don't understand the basic rules of written Englishreaders are entitled to wonder what else you don't understand, and with what authority you purport to write something you think they ought to read. David Marsh, The Guardian 39. Proofreading process Do final, thorough check yourself Sign off for proofreading Send to first proofreader, with clear instructions Check first proofreaders work, send on to designer Send on to second proofreader. Ask second proofreader to check first proofreaders changes 6. Check second proofreaders work, send on to designer 7. Check changes 8. Do final, thorough check yourself 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 40. How to proofread Step 1: Get in the right mindset, find the right environmentStep 2: Print out your document. Its easier to read on paper and you are much more likely to pick up errors. Its also easier to navigate through long documents. 41. How to proofread Step 3: Decide how youre going to mark up your document On paper, using proofing marks? Using PDF Sticky Notes? Writing a list of changes?Step 4: Start your proofread! 42. How to proofread What to look for in a proofread: the obvious Typos Errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation House style mistakes Inconsistencies in copy (abbreviations, titles, spellings, capitalisation) Inconsistencies in design (headings, captions, word spacing) Widows and orphans Factual errors Awkward sentences or confusing copy 43. How to proofread What a style guide might advise on Abbreviations (e.g. when to use, style, punctuation) Ampersands (e.g. if theyre acceptable and when) Banned words (e.g. sufferer or victim) Bullet points (e.g. styles) Capitalisation (e.g. specify when used e.g. titles, ranks, organisations, trade names, political parties, geographical names, seasons) Contractions (e.g. when to use, punctuation) Dates and time (e.g. what format do you use?) 44. Layout (e.g. widows/orphans, heading sizes) Measurements (e.g. do you use abbreviations?) Money (e.g. what format do you use?) Numbers Other languages (e.g. are any words italicised?) Per cent (e.g. per cent/percent/%) Publications (e.g. italicised?) Punctuation (e.g. when to use en dashes, hyphens, brackets, apostrophes, commas, ellipsis) Quotations (e.g. double or single quote marks?) Spellings (e.g. list any unusual spellings multinational/multi-national, PowerPoint) Default publication(s) to refer to for rules and/or spellings not specified in your style guide. 45. How to proofread What to look for in a proofread: the not-so-obvious That page numbers are sequential That the page numbers are correct in the contents page That cross-references are correct That all phone numbers, addresses, website links and emailaddresses work and are correct 46. How to proofread: top tips Tip 1: Read a paragraph once for sense and flow, then read it again for errors Tip 2: Read it out loud Tip 3: Read it backwards Tip 4: Use a ruler or piece of paper 47. How to proofread: top tips Tip 5: Use search and replace to check consistency Tip 6: Do a final check of design and layout