Description
Instructor: Rachel Newman
Format: This is the Group Course format, which includes an online discussion forum and instructor feedback. This course will be conducted via Google Groups.
Textbooks: The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.
Level: Beginner
Base price: $179 (members of The Christian PEN receive discounts)
Course length: This course is six lessons; it runs from March 29, 2021 to May 24, 2021.
Registration deadline: April 5, 2021
Course Outline: To come
Certificate of Completion: Upon successful completion of this course, students will earn a course certificate.
(Note: Refunds will not be given for this Group Course after March 26, 2021.)
Irene Chambers –
The information was fabulous. I was so pleased that the PEN Institute offered this copyediting course. It’s an excellent option for those stepping up from proofreading or not quite ready for the depth of substantive editing. This class helped me nail down the role of a copy editor, in detail. Kristen Stieffel provided thorough lessons and fun assignments to apply our new editing skills, with excellent feedback. I looked forward to her “true story” examples, which provided interesting peeks into her life as an editor and great examples of the concepts being taught in the lessons. I took full advantage of Kristen’s offer to ask questions, and I’m truly grateful for her patient and expert replies.
Pauline Van Linn –
The homework assignements were the most helpful. The instructor was helpful and responsive. The one-to-one instruction was very helpful and I enjoyed working at my own pace.
Anonymous –
The instructor was friendly, helpful, and encouraging. I found the class a bit more challenging than expected. This is a good thing because, for me, it was where the real learning happened. I appreciated being able to see my classmates’ assignments (after submitting my own, of course). It helped give me a ballpark indication of my own level of work; to know I wasn’t alone in getting certain things wrong, and at other times to spur me on.
Alex M. –
This course gave me a firm grasp of what to expect when copyediting various fiction manuscripts, from both traditional publishing houses and independent authors, as well as a set of tools to work on these manuscripts. The emphasis on differences in genres was very useful, and I’ll be keeping the notes on odd cases of grammar and usage close for reference. As a proofreader, I learned from this course how to be more comfortable teasing apart a manuscript with the depth expected of a copyedit. Kristen always gave some encouraging or informative feedback. And seeing everyone else’s assignments helped me understand my own strengths and weaknesses better.