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A new era for Basic Proofreading

Basic Proofreading by Distance Learning was launched in 1996. Since then, thousands of students have completed the course successfully and it is by far the most popular of our five distance learning programmes.

The course was – and remains – heavily influenced by the National Occupational Standards in Publishing. When Basic Proofreading was launched, the Standards were linked to publishing NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications). And, although publishing NVQs were, in the event, to be short-lived, the success of Basic Proofreading proved that there was demand for an assessed course in proofreading.

Key to the popularity of Basic Proofreading has been its vocational nature – this is most definitely not a theoretical course! Instead, it aims to mimic, as closely as possible, the real working environment of the proofreader.

The course has undergone a number of revisions over the years, including the inclusion of (optional) online material in 2005. The most recent update has just been completed, with the new edition incorporating the latest BSI symbols.

The other major change is that the authorship of the course is now shared. Gillian Clarke, who has been the driving force behind Basic Proofreading for more than ten years, has now made way for a co-author in the shape of Margaret Aherne.

Gillian’s pedigree as a proofreader, editor and trainer is hard to match, but if anyone comes close it is Margaret. Like Gillian, she has been involved with the SfEP since it was founded and has been a proofreader, copy-editor and project manager for more than 20 years.

We spoke to Gillian and Margaret to get their thoughts on the revised course and on proofreading in general.

What has been the biggest change in the most recent edition of Basic Proofreading?

Gillian: "Most of the errors in the assignments have been changed: the old errors have been corrected and new ones introduced. A few changes have been made in the exercises, too. And, of course, the symbols have been updated."

What has changed most since the course was first launched?

Gillian: "This is hard to answer. Obviously the updating of the BSI symbols has been a major factor in the revised course but the tweaks made over the years have been the result of comments from both students and tutors – clarifying points that were unclear or open to misinterpretation. We are also gradually removing the 'obvious' typos that would normally be picked up by a spelling checker … but leaving in some because these do slip through even now."

What is the single best feature of Basic Proofreading?

Gillian: "The tutors! They are all experienced proofreaders and want to help pass on their accumulated knowledge and expertise."

How did you come to get involved with the course?

Margaret: "It’s something that I’d wanted to do for a long time! Our craft is a beautiful one, and I’d long wanted to share my knowledge and experience of it on a more structured basis than the informal mentoring I’ve been doing as a project manager. Lesley Ward (another tutor on the course and, along with Gillian, one of my own invaluable mentors for many years) gave me the final prodding I needed to join the tutoring panel."

What has changed in proofreading / editing?

Gillian: "Because a lot of copy-editing these days is done on-screen (the typesetter being sent an edited electronic file), the conventional flow of proofreading against copy has been reduced. The proofreader often gets just the proof because there isn’t any copy-edited paper to check against. This is a great pity because proofreading against copy is an excellent way for the proofreader to see what copy-editors do … and can thus begin to learn copy-editing at the same time."

Have standards gone up or down?

Gillian: "My own feeling is that standards are slipping in some areas. Because publishers are often trying to find ways to cut costs, they are tempted to use less experienced, and thus cheaper, people, including sending work outside the UK; sometimes they even do away with the copy-editing or the proofreading stage. However, the good news is that there are still publishers who care about standards and want the job done as well as possible. (I’m proud to say that my favourite client publisher is one of these.)"

Margaret: "It’s also significant that there are now far fewer people working in-house with a good knowledge of the editorial process, and on whom a freelancer can call for advice and from whom they can learn. Increasingly, we freelancers are having to manage on our own. Hence the vital importance of good training – and, of course, the contacts and networking that can arise as a result. I see our training role as being ever more important in the years to come."

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