Copy Editing: Your Role in the Editorial Process

Whether you're producing books, magazines, journals, newsletters, web sites, or corporate communications, the goal is to provide high-quality content. Yet common to every kind of publishing effort are the often self-created obstacles in the way of that goal. Come spend a day devoted to eliminating the obstacles: fuzzy roles, inadequate or absent guidelines, less than ideal communication patterns. We'll look at the differing yet often overlapping roles among editors, writers, and production staff, and at how to manage the editorial process -- from providing briefs to developing a house style to "playing well with others."

We'll start the day with guided breakout sessions designed to get you thinking about the challenges we face in implementing a well-run editorial process. Then we'll tackle the key issues in turn, from the beginning to the end of the process: role definition, house style definition, guidelines for contributors and editors, resources, and editorial process design. You'll come away from this copyediting workshop with renewed awareness of how you fit into the big picture and with practical strategies for turning good intentions into real solutions.