Editing - Improving Written Communication
Strategies for enhancing comprehension, readability, and use

This is the third course in our 3-course Word Workshop. The first course is Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing and the second course is Writing to Persuade.

This course is for managers, supervisors, editors, copy editors, proofreaders, and any one charged with accuracy, consistency, and cohesion within documents they review.

Course materials include our editing manual, "Editing to Improve Written Communication: Strategies for Enhancing Comprehension, Readability, and Use" by Susan Lawrence.

This Editing course focuses on:

• Comprehensive editing
• Editing for readability
• Editing for concision
• Copyediting for accuracy, mechanics, correctness, and completeness
• Building and maintaining relationships with authors

Participants learn, discuss, and practice techniques for:

• Evaluating global features of a document for audience and purpose
• Revealing a document's information structure through visual design 
• Minimizing the effort readers put into comprehending a document
• Making prose concise
• Ensuring accuracy, consistency, and correctness

 

Our writing courses have been described as "really about how to get better job reviews and get promoted" because they help you improve one of your most important, and visible, job skills: written communication.

Our Writing Workshop courses focus on the writing and editing processes and ways to apply those processes to everyday assignments. Previous attendees at our writing courses include all staff levels including program managers, scientists and engineers, administrative assistants, legislative and budget analysts, vice presidents, paralegals, executive directors and attorneys.

More Information
Agenda	When	Where	Related Training	Policies

 

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This course can be offered on-site as a custom training program and as a sponsored course tailored for your group's specific needs.

The program fee for sponsored courses includes program development, faculty, our editing manual by Susan Lawrence, other course materials, and classroom space in the DC area for up to 20 attendees. *  We will contact you after we receive your registration to finalize details.

See the FAQs About Sponsored Courses for more information.  

Bring this course to your location. This course and any combination of its topics are available as custom on-site training for your organization. We have tailored this course for attorneys, program analysts, administrative assistants, and others in federal agencies.  For more information about how this training can help your members and staff, please contact our client liaison.

  

Course Details

Sample Agenda	Editing 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (lunch on your own)   Welcome and Overview Introduction and Course Approach Around-the-room Introductions Comprehensive Editing (Overview) Evaluate Content and Organization Break Edit for Reader-Friendly Sentence Structure Use the Active Voice to Improve Clarity Express Actors as Subjects and Actions as Verbs Lunch on your own Use Visual Design to Reveal Information Structure Edit for Cohesion: Honor the Known/New Contract Replace Vague “This” and “Which” with Nouns Break Editing for Concision Editing for Accuracy, Mechanics, Correctness Building Relationships with Authors   This course is also available as a custom, on-site program anywhere in the United States. Do you need a training course we don't offer or coverage of an additional topic in this course? If you have suggestions for courses or topics you would like to see us offer, please contact us or complete our online suggestion form.
Suggested Prerequisites	This course is designed for all staff who edit the work of others. The suggested prerequiste is Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing. If you need help deciding which courses you should take based on your work experience or training, please contact us via email or phone: 202-678-1600.
Time and Dates	9:00 am to 4:00 pm This Sponsored Course Requires One (1) Day
Location	This course can be presented at your location in Washington, DC, or at a location in Washington, DC, that we provide.  * For a map with a brief list of hotels near the Capitol, click here. When we arrange space, we use these Washington, DC, locations.
Course Materials	Course materials include our editing manual, "Editing to Improve Written Communication: Strategies for Enhancing Comprehension, Readability, and Use" by Susan Lawrence.
Certificate of Training and CEUs	A Certificate of Training is available for this course. To get a Certificate of Training, your registration fee must be paid in full, and you must attend the entire course. Approved for .6 CEUs from George Mason University.
Related Training	Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony Speechwriting: Preparing Speeches and Oral Presentations Technical Writing Writing to Persuade
Policies	See https://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/CoursePolicies_Sponsored.html All statements and discussion at all of our courses, workshops and seminars, public and custom, are off the record and not for attribution, unless specified otherwise. The resulting confidentiality ensures a frank and free exchange of views.
FAQs	FAQs about our sponsored courses including suggested attire.
Program Fee and Registration	Sponsored Course Fee: $11,875 - for up to 20 attendees *  Contact us for information about this course as a Custom On-site training course tailored for yoru organization. The program fee includes program development, faculty, and course materials and presentation at your DC-area location for up to 20 attendees (sponsor provides classroom space, AV, and any breaks and lunch). For an additional fee, we can also provide classroom space in the DC area for up to 20 attendees, AV, breaks and lunch. We will contact you after we receive your registration to finalize details.  Registration and payment at least 3 weeks before the course is required so the program can be customized for your specific needs. For more information see FAQs About Our Sponsored Courses. * = This course can be also presented outside the DC area. Contact us for details.    Fax or Mail: Print out and complete the registration form (in Adobe pdf). The completed form should include your method of payment.    Fax the completed form to us at 202-688-2424.    Mail the completed form to us at TheCapitol.Net, Inc., PO Box 25706, Alexandria, VA  22313-5706
Available as custom, on-site training?	Yes.  This program can be tailored for on-site agency, association and corporate training.  When customized for government agencies, materials can include government correspondence manuals and style guides. We have also developed a custom "Writing Congressional Correspondence" program for federal agencies. Please call 202-678-1600 for information. Government agencies: please see the GSA Schedule for our GSA contract pricing. TheCapitol.Net, Inc. Contract GS02F0192X
Need more information?	Phone: 202-678-1600 Email: registrar -at- TheCapitol.Net Complete our online information request.
Non-Partisan	TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty, authors, clients and the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.

 

 

 

URLs: www.TheCapitol.Net/PublicPrograms/editing.html
WordWorkshop.com
TCNWW.com
TCNEdit.com
 

This Course is available as a Custom Program and as a Sponsored Course -  Requires One Day
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

All of our courses and workshops include extensive interaction with our faculty, making our courses and workshops both educational and mini-consulting sessions with substantive experts.

Rave Reviews
from our Writing Workshop Courses

"I called my boss during break to tell him this was a great course for clerical staff as well as professional staff in our office." 
-- Legislative Specialist, DOL

"Excellent job of explaining the materials and different techniques." 
-- CFO, AAHRPP

"Excellent communicator and instructor." 
-- VP, Government Relations, CRN

"I gave 5s all around because the presentation was great, the information was useful and I enjoyed the teaching."

"Wonderful instructor! Clear, concise and humorous. I didn't think that I would gain as much from this course since I work for a private, non-profit, however, I couldn't have been more wrong. Within the first hour, I was totally intrigued! This was a great 'refresher' course that helped me regain my confidence with writing. Very satisfied." 
-- Educational Advisor, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

"Great instructor--good pace and very personable." 
-- Manager of Government Affairs, Western Energy Alliance

"[Faculty] outstanding--engaging, helpful, and terrific at facilitating learning."
-- Management Analyst, federal agency

"Great refresher ... with concise tips for improvement." 
-- Unit Chief, FBI

"I am glad that I took this class. This will be a benefit to me for years to come." 
-- Legislative Analyst, Williams & Jensen

"Great tips for correcting passive writing." 
-- Budget Analyst, Dept. of Treasury

"One of the best training courses and instructors I've taken thus far. Will allow me to re-focus on the writing process when I experience writer's block." 
-- Course Attendee

"Covered all materials and explained all the topics clearly." 
-- Supervisory Paralegal Specialist, FBI

See more testimonials about this course.