Day one

Part one
• Brief introduction to the role of the sub-editor in your organisation
• How sub-editing differs from proofreading
• Building a process based on appropriate essential checks for the type of copy, usually including:
• Does the copy fit the brief/meet its intended purpose? - Is it pitched at the right level for the target audience? - Is it factually accurate? - Is it a good read – and written to house style? - Does it meet SEO requirements? - Is it legally sound?
• Intro exercise

Part two
• Practical exercise
• Feedback and good practice examples of sentences that work well, versus the poorly constructed.

Part three
• How to use structure as the foundation for efficient sub-editing:
• Demonstration of the inverted pyramid for news (a top-loading format also effective for online content of all types including emails, short form content including marketing copy)
• Introduction to the 5Ws - a formula to help subs check content has key information readers require

Part four
• Practical exercises

Day two

Part one
• How to use structure as the foundation for efficient sub-editing: - Demonstration of a variety of feature/ long-form structures – including the diamond, hexagon, egg, egg timer, multi-pyramid …
• Discussion of common problems and examples of how to fix copy that needs more than a tweak, with emphasis on improving intros and conclusions: - weak intro - lack of pace - clunky transitions - repetition - length - flabby sentences - lame conclusion

Part two
• Practical exercise
• Feedback and group discussion.

Part three
• Discussion on how to work well with writers on opinion or first-person pieces, in particular learning to respect a writer’s individual style and voice.
• Examples of when to change copy and when to leave it alone – particular focus on how to edit direct quotes/ paraphrase effectively.

Part four
• Writing titles and headlines that inform, promise and engage - How SEO influences and helps headline writing - How to balance creativity with practicality - How to stay on the right side of click-bait - How to use the other complementary display copy, that helps sell a piece – blurbs, call-outs, captions
• Final practical exercise

Questions and answers