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Topic: copy writing test
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| Author | Message |
| dementia | Posted – 7/16/2003 12:35:10 PM | show profile My sister has a chance at a job where they're going to give her a copy writing or editing test. She's got no background in this, and is looking for a place where she can practice/learn quickly. I tried to search the archives, since I remember this being a topic, but the search feature doesn't seem to be working. Can anyone help out with links to a site or two that will help her out? Thanks. |
| editrix | Posted – 7/16/2003 1:52:48 PM | show profile If this is a position in editorial for a magazine, then her best bet is to study as many issues of the publication she can possibly get her hands on. She can study up on the writing style that way. Besides having a natural knack for copywriting and the written word in general, I don't know of any sites or links that will just magically teach her what is often just an innate talent or something one has absorbed through personal interest. |
| dementia | Posted – 7/16/2003 2:11:41 PM | show profile Thanks for that. Aren't there sites, however that let you "practice" one of these tests? Or did just made that up? |
| Lowbrow | Posted – 7/16/2003 2:37:27 PM | show profile Copywriting Does your sister have journalism education or experience? A fast and VERY simplistic way one can picture copywriting is as a series of news leads plus adjectives and hard-working verbs. Quick, complete and compelling, in 20-word bites. If she can't write an effective lead, well... ------ Lowbrow, NYC |
| harkinj | Posted – 7/16/2003 2:47:56 PM | show profile I've never heard of a copywriting test. To get a job as a copy writer, you just have to have a kick-ass porfolio of your previous work. Did you mean to say copyediting instead? If so, there are lots of tests for copy editors (a lot of places will just use an in-house copy of a poorly written article rather than a standardized test), and doing a search for "copyediting test" should lead you in the right direction. I don't know of a particular site to send you to. If your sister has no experience editing copy, she should pick up the latest Associated Press Style Manual and perhaps a copy of Strunk and White's Elements of Style. She'll also want to think about the type of place she's testing for. Is it a daily newspaper, a trade magazine, a consumer health/beauty/fashion magazine, an association newsletter, or what? Depending on the nature of the publication, she might want to review her knowledge of politics, popular culture or what have you. I hope this helps. |
| editrix | Posted – 7/16/2003 2:57:05 PM | show profile The thing about editorial tests is that they aren't standardized. Each publication or catalog or ad agency has a diff. and unique way of testing out candidates. MAgazines usually give you a layout and ask you to write headlines and captions and blurbs etc. A catalog might give you photos of items or layouts with a general theme and ask for healines and deks. There really isn't any one way to "practice." All you can do is study advertisements, catalogs or magazines to get the style down pat. Depending on what kind of publication or business this job relates to. |
| Lowbrow | Posted – 7/16/2003 3:02:13 PM | show profile Good observations by harkinj. Is her potential job in entry-level publishing? Houses sometimes want to see if applicants can write flap copy. ------ Lowbrow, NYC |
| dementia | Posted – 7/16/2003 3:06:04 PM | show profile Yes. I meant copy editing. Thanks! And it's for a part-time position on a newspaper, but she's very excited about it. Cross your fingers! |
| Lowbrow | Posted – 7/16/2003 3:23:25 PM | show profile Good luck, sis! Make sure she can write a good headline, and pay attention to style for numerals, dates and serial commas! Also, remember to always add up the percentages in pie charts. There's more of course, but that's standard copyediting test stuff. ------ Lowbrow, NYC |
| editrix | Posted – 7/16/2003 5:49:05 PM | show profile I just noticed that Media Bistro is having a 3-hour seminar on Copy Editing -- I think the promo. said it's this Sunday. The info. is on the m.b. site's landing page. Your sister should look into it. |
| editrix | Posted – 7/16/2003 5:50:19 PM | show profile Oh, the seminar is in S.F. Not sure where your sister is located, but I have a feeling not there. Oh well. |
| Apollo Underdog | Posted – 7/16/2003 10:05:59 PM | show profile copyediting test Thumbing through the AP Style book for that/which and further/farther distinctions helps. So does a knowledge of American versus British spellings. Perhaps browsing through a list of commonly misspelled words could also be of some use. Hyphenation of compound modifiers is an issue for the short term -- for her short-term concerns with the test anyway. ------ The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. - Samuel Johnson |
| EditingLass | Posted – 7/19/2003 12:15:47 PM | show profile Try this --- good luck Hey, try looking at the links on this page. http://www.journaliststoolbox.com/newswriting/copyeditors.html They do some good AP style tests online and I used it before taking a copy editing test - something we are not familiar with over in the UK - and found it very helpful |
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