Level up your editing techniques
Learn about today's free masterclass and a new course
Hi Manuscript Workers,
Let me begin with a quick reminder that my free masterclass, “Edit Scholarly Texts Like a Pro,” is happening today at 10am Pacific. There will a recording if you can’t attend live, but you do need to be registered. You can sign up here.
The masterclass will be a one-hour overview of the methods I use to support scholarly writers as a professional developmental editor. I hope you’ll come away from the hour with some ideas on how you can help other scholars revise their work with efficiency and confidence. You might get some ideas for improving your own writing too.
One hour isn’t a ton of time, so for those who’d like to go deeper on the topics discussed, I also offer an online course (opening today), which I’d love to tell you more about right now.
If you’re a freelance editor, an in-house editor at a journal or book publisher, or a scholar who provides writing support to graduate students or other colleagues, you probably learned how to give feedback through trial and error or by watching your own mentors.
That works fine for a lot of people, but if your brain is wired anything like mine, you might appreciate a bit more concrete instruction and a more systematic approach. Maybe you’d like a little more certainty that you’re working effectively and actually being as helpful as possible to the writers you support. If so, this course could be a good fit for you.
What’s in the course?
When you enroll, you’ll get lifetime access to the course and all included materials.
The current version of the course is a self-study option, meaning that there will be minimal participant and instructor interaction, and you can complete the six modules entirely at your own pace. I will be available to answer questions in the course platform and you will be able to connect with others taking the course, so you won’t be entirely on your own.
The core curriculum is a series of short lectures in video, audio, and written formats (you can choose your preferred format as the material is the same across all three).
The modules are as follows:
Module 1: The Why, When, and What of Developmental Editing for Academics
Module 2: Approaching the Text
Module 3: Assessing the Text
Module 4: Editorial Letters and In-text Edits
Module 5: Working with Authors
Module 6: Running an Editorial Business
Practical assignments will be provided for each module, but in the self-study course you will not be submitting them or receiving feedback — they're purely for your own independent practice if you choose to complete them.
To supplement the curriculum, you will also get access to a library of sample documents, including real editorial letters and edited texts. These kinds of documents are normally very hard to come by due to editor-author confidentiality, but my clients have given me permission to share them in this course (and I’m very grateful to them for that).
Two live discussions will be held for course participants on July 12th and September 27th at 10am Pacific. These discussions will be held on Zoom and are completely optional to attend. They are intended to give you an opportunity to meet me and your fellow participants and to ask any questions you may have about developmental editing, supporting academic authors, or running an editorial business. The discussions will be recorded and posted in the course for anyone who isn't able to attend live.
What past participants have said
"The whole course was excellent. I was finally able to articulate what services I wanted to offer in addition to coaching in a way that makes sense. Developmental editing is part of my business that I'd like to grow and now I have a much clearer way to pitch myself. The notes from the course will be extremely helpful to me for a long time."
--Career coach for academics, Canada
“I learned so much not only about academic developmental editing (which I had already been doing, but not with confidence) but also about marketing and pricing my services appropriately. I was able to apply this course to my next job just a few weeks later, and *I* was just as impressed as the author.”
--Academic editor and proofreader, United States
"I took Laura's course during my first year working full-time as a developmental editor and found it to be extremely helpful. I appreciated Laura’s smart, accessible overviews of various topics, and I found the material on practical aspects of running an editing business to be invaluable. The course left me feeling empowered to figure out models for writing manuscript assessments and for pricing my services that truly worked for me."
--Developmental editor and book proposal consultant, United States
"This course is perfect for academic copyeditors and former academics seeking to offer developmental editing as a new service. I took the course alongside completing my first developmental editing jobs. I'm so glad I did – I now have several satisfied customers and the first book project I completed sailed through peer review!
The course materials offered me a map through this new terrain. I particularly liked:
1) the focus on accessibility – having the option to listen to the materials really helped the concepts sink in.
2) the sample editorial letters – these helped me 'level up' and shift from a more distanced writing style to one that engages more directly with the client.
3) Laura's open approach, including discussing thorny issues such as rates and what emotions come up when you send your editorial letters to clients."
--Social science editor, Europe
"As someone finishing up a PhD, the developmental editing for academics course gave me the resources and confidence to launch a career in academic editing.
The course expertly breaks down each aspect of academic developmental editing, providing supplemental readings and samples that guide you through each stage of the process. Laura has a particular talent for explaining the most important things in a lucid and concise manner so that you feel you have a grasp on the often mysterious world of academic publishing.
As far as I am aware, it is the only course of its nature out there, so it is truly a rare insight into the field, especially into the workings of an expert like Laura. If you take advantage of all it has to offer, you’ll obtain the necessary tools and knowledge to confidently approach your first developmental editing job and learn a thing or two about academic presses and the business of freelancing along the way. I wholeheartedly recommend the course to all of those interested in learning more about DE or debating adding developmental editing to their services."
--Humanities scholar, United States
"Laura's Developmental Editing Course for Academics was outstanding and I give it 5 stars! As a former tenured professor, I have plenty of experience editing academic manuscripts. Nevertheless, I found the course to be an invaluable experience that offers helpful strategies for approaching both the text and author. The course really broadened my knowledge of developmental editing and honed my content editing skills. The pre-recorded lectures and assignments were really well-organized through comprehensive modules, which were very easy to navigate. I found Laura to be a delightfully engaging and responsive instructor; I highly recommend this course to those who are considering launching a freelance editing career and also academic writers who are hoping to enhance their self-editing skills."
--Freelance developmental editor and former professor, United States
A bonus if you enroll today
As of today, Developmental Editing for Academics is now open for enrollment. Those who enroll today will be able to pay an introductory price of $346. Tomorrow, the regular price ($386) will kick in.
Enrollment will stay open for the self-study course through September, so you do have plenty of time to think it over. Today’s introductory price is just a little bonus for people who are ready to sign up right away.
Questions about the course? You can reply to this email and ask, or you can attend my free masterclass today. I’ll be talking a bit more about what’s in the course, and there will be time for live Q&A too.
Hope to see you soon!