Magazine Copyediting WPUB1-CE9520001 syllubus

New York University
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
Humanities, Arts, and Writing Program
7 East 12th Street, 7th floor
New York, NY 10003

Course title               Magazine Copyediting

Course number        WPUB1-CE9520001

Instructor                   Lauren Spencer, Copy Editor, Woman’s Day

Contact info              lds6@NYU.edu, 347-834-2250

Dates                          October 2–November 20, 2014 (8 sessions);

Time                           Thursday, 6:45 PM–8:45 PM

Location                     Norman Thomas Center

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Course description

Expert magazine copy editors are always in great demand. In this course, you can develop copyediting expertise and increased marketability through intensive, hands-on training. Improve your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, style and usage, regardless of your skill level or experience. Hone your ability to edit for accuracy, clarity and flow. Get insider advice on how to secure work either as a freelancer or an in-house employee. Learn the importance of a publication’s individual voice and how you can become a master of its style. Understand the emerging role the copy editor has in the digitizing of publications. The course also explores the magazine production cycle and the role and function of the copy editor within that. A guest speaker will visit to answer questions regarding the copy editor’s role as a part of the whole of a publication.

Course structure

·      Each class will begin with a discussion focusing on one style of magazine in the marketplace and how it represents a specific readership. This will enable students to understand the importance of a copy editor’s knowledge or interest in a particular subject, which, while not crucial in applying for jobs, is something to pay attention to when looking over the horizon of possible positions in the marketplace.

·      Grammar spotlight: Tutorial on the day’s punctuation/grammar review, in-class assignment. Interspersed with short copy style tests done in class (not graded, but as an exercise to know what to expect in the marketplace).

Course learning objectives

·      Be able to step into any magazine and assess what you’ll need to succeed there from the practical (use of the magazine’s style guide) to the esoteric (how to get a feel for whether systemic edits are welcomed by editors or whether basic copy and proofreading is all that’s wanted).

·      Know your way around commonly used reference and style guides.

• Review magazine articles with a copy editor’s eye, which is to say recognize grammatical errors, syntactical mistakes, flaws in logic or the flow of ideas, typographical glitches and inconsistencies in style, and know how to correct them or suggest changes.
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of proofreaders’ marks and how to use them properly.
• Be aware of what skills are necessary to shift from copy editing on paper to on screen, and the differences in working on a print or a digital publication.

Course requirements

• Students will be expected to dive deeper into resource material like magazines outside of class in order to sharpen observations regarding various styles and voices in the marketplace. Also to use a dictionary and a thesaurus to become comfortable with looking up words and phrases.
• Be prepared each week to be a part of the class discussion on observations regarding specific magazine copyediting style and what audience that journal is appealing to by recognizing type, graphic and grammar style.

Required reading

• Words Into Type, 3rd Edition, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1974 (ISBN-10: 0139642625)
• William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition,

White Plains, New York: Longman, 1999 (ISBN-10: 020530902X) OR (Online version) William Strunk, Jr. and Stanford Pritchard, The Elements of Style, Updated for Present-Day Use [Kindle Edition] OR (Illustrated version by Maira Kalman) ASIN: 0910301964

• The Chicago Manual of Style, 16^th Edition (CMS) (can access online http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html and get a 30-day free trial)
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (can access online http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/)

·       

Recommended fun reading and online sources

·      The Subversive Copy Editor, by Carol Fisher Saller (also her online site/blog is quite entertaining http://www.subversivecopyeditor.com/)

• The Elephants of Style, by Bill Walsh
• Lapsing Into a Comma, by Bill Walsh

·      The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks, http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/

·      Media Bistro is a great source for magazine jobs, online classes, articles, http://www.mediabistro.com/?nav=tnl

·      Food Lover’s Companion, by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst

Grading components

Homework assignments—30% (not graded, but 10% toward grade for each turned in assignment: raw copy piece, grammar quickie, reverse-engineer style guide)

Preparing student exchange test—20% (just doing it gives you the 20%)

Midterm exam—20% (on a curve)

Final exam (take-home and in-class combined)—30% (on a curve)

Course policies

• Must attend six out of the eight classes to receive grade (in case of an emergency, please contact me to work something out).
• Assignments must be handed in on time unless given verbal permission otherwise.
• Cellphones need to be silenced and not used in class.
• Taking notes on a tablet or other device is fine.

Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism involves borrowing or using information from other sources without proper and full credit. Students are expected to demonstrate how what they have learned incorporates an understanding of the research and expertise of scholars and other appropriate experts; and thus recognizing others’ published work or teachings – whether that of authors, lecturers, or one’s peers – is a required practice in all academic projects.” The full policy is located at: http://www.scps.nyu.edu/about-scps/policies-and-procedures/  It will be strictly enforced.

This syllabus is subject to change throughout the semester.

Course outline

Class 1: OCTOBER 2

Introductions and overview of the course

• Meet the students and learn why they’re there. Discuss where work. Why taking class/what want from it, what magazines they read.
• Discuss a copy editor’s core strengths: An eye for and an ability to execute good grammar, proper punctuation, correct spelling, maintaining a consistent style, recognizing and preserving both the writer’s and the magazine’s voice. A day in the life of a copy editor (staff and freelance): how they work with other staffers in the production cycle of a magazine. Discuss magazine terms and review which they know and which they don’t.
• Hand out: proofmarks, style guide, general guidelines. Discuss what they recognize and what is new to them.
• Go over tools: from the importance of in-house style guides to communication and observational skills.
• Bazaar handout: find the blooper.
• Explain the reverse engineer of a style guide for your favorite magazine. You’ll turn in last class  (3rd assignment: 10 points). Focus: Take your favorite magazine and look closely at it: create a style guide)

Assignment for class 2

• Review proofreaders’ marks (handout).
• Read “Elementary Rules of Usage,” section one in Elements of Style
• Read “Copy Editing at The New Yorker with Mary Norris” handout.

Class 2: OCTOBER 9

• Look over Bazaar magazine Valentino piece. What was the mistake. How/why think made?  

• Discuss “Copy Editing at The New Yorker with Mary Norris” handout to kick off weekly topics covering the aim of specific magazines. Talk about The New Yorker and its iconic standing and high copy standards. Specifically discuss why different parts of the mag close at different times and what it translates to for other journals also point to the Bazaar mistake.
• Go over the difference between a general interest and a specific-topic title and what might be expected of a copy editor at each specific journal. Discuss weekly vs. monthly deadline expectations.
• Review the proofreaders’ marks handout.
• Grammar spotlight: Discuss Elements of Style points from reading re: basics of sentence structure and clarity.
• Hand out/Talk about Kim Gordon assignment. Point: to distinguish the tone between each magazine.

Assignment for class 3

• Read Kim Gordon piece from Elle and The New Yorker with an eye toward how the subject is presented differently in each magazine.
• Revisit The Elements of Style Section 1, parts 8 to 11. chapter on dashes.

Class 3: OCTOBER 16

• Discuss Elle and The New Yorker handout and compare specific style differences.
• Broaden discussion of what is a magazine’s voice and who its particular audience is. What is the copy editor’s role in upholding a magazine’s style?
• Dive deeper into use of reference material.
• First we’ll discuss what specific elements would be most important pertaining to a fashion magazine.
• Grammar spotlight: Discuss/revisit elements of style Part 1.
• Half-hour timed copy test from fashion magazine & solid text (“bubble” text).
• Close class with: Discuss the reality of punchy punctuation in magazines.

Assignment for class 4

• Read Elements of Style section 14 on voice and/OR Words into Type Part V: Grammar section on Voice. Passive vs. active. Verbs: active verbs. Prepare for midterm exam: Review proofreaders’ marks and grammar spotlight discussions from class 1 and 2.
• Take home assignment. (1st assignment/counts for 10 points)

Class 4: OCTOBER 23

Hand back in-class copy test. Discuss.

Take the midterm (3 parts. total ½ hour)

• Grammar spotlight: Review passive vs. active voice.

Assignment for class 5

• Drilling down on commas: the Chicago Manual of Style 6.23-6.54 (although we’ve already covered dependent and independent clauses, skim those for CMS language). Read commonly confused words section in the Chicago Manual of Style 5.220 (include affect/effect; compliment/complement) and Elements chapter 4.
• Handout recipe/instructional pieces for discussion in Lesson 5 on specific-topic magazines and how different journals treat these items. Also food style guide and word list for them to look over.
• Grammar quickie (2nd assignment: 10 points)

Class 5: OCTOBER 30

• Discuss role of a service magazine, whether it be recipes, crafts or home building. What is the difference in voice from previous readings. What is the intent of this journal, especially in the era of online availability? What is the responsibility of the copy editor to maintain the tone and specifics at this type of magazine?
• Grammar spotlight: Commas: CMS 6.23-6.54. Discuss much-confused/misused words section in the Chicago Manual of Style 5.220. Also trademark usage.
• In-class copy test in two parts: layout of recipe using WD food style guide.
• Discuss guest speaker for next week. Hand out guest speaker bio.
•  

Assignment for class 6

• Prepare questions to ask the guest speaker.
• Verbs CMS 5.95–5.152. WIT: Focus on Mood p. 342 Imperative usage.  

Class 6: NOVEMBER 6

Guest-speaker

Q&A with guest speaker for first half of class.

• Assess guest speaker via these handout questions: What point did you find most interesting or helpful? How did this speaker expand your knowledge of magazine copyediting?
• Discussion of magazine copyediting for online journals. What is the difference between the online presence of an already existing magazine and a specific online magazine? How is the process of copyediting different?
• Grammer corner: Verbs CMS 5.95–5.152.

Assignment for class 7

• Create a one paragraph copyediting test that incorporates a minimum of 5/maximum of 10 grammatical and typographical errors (base it on the WD style guide/word list) to give to a fellow student and you will take that student’s test in the next class. (20% of grade)
• Sentence construction with parallels CMS 5.212–5.215.

Class 7: NOVEMBER 13

• 1/2 hr: Take each others test, 1/2 hr: then take time to look over and correct, then give back to person & discuss
• Be prepared to share some good examples with the rest of the class.
• Grammar spotlight: Sentence construction with parallels CMS 5.212–5.215.
• Discuss exercise instructional mags and the importance of the visual.
• ½ hour: Discuss final (on syllabus mentions a take-home element of final, but forgoing that in deference to the reverse-engineer style guide). Also, think about what I haven’t covered and we’ll do that in the last class.
•  

Assignment for class 8

• Prepare for final exam, in-class section: copyediting assignment.

Lesson 8: NOVEMBER 20

Final (they take for first hour)

Discuss best ways to get jobs in the industry: adecco, media bistro,

Questions

• Final exam. (30% of grade)
• Discussion: How to break into the copyediting business: Compiled advice from copy editors and the people who hire them; job and networking resources; the résumé and what a hiring copy chief or managing editor might look for; the copy test and how to be prepared.
• Talk about/they hand in reverse-engineered style guide.  (3rd assignment: 10 points)
• Any & all questions (let them know that I’ll scan and send back their finals and email comments on their style guides.