Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE

FAQs: Training and qualifications

• What training should I have?
• What do you think of distance learning? Are these courses a reasonable way into the world of publishing?
• How much does training cost in time and money?

What training should I have?

Demonstrating that you are good at your job and that you are constantly striving to become even better will influence your chances with potential clients.

Nowadays many publishing houses do not employ copy-editors or proofreaders, and if they do, those working for them will learn only the house style and other practices of that specific publisher. So to become trained from the ground up or to ensure that you have well-rounded skills, formal training is essential.

Check out the Training section of this website for full information on the large number of courses run by the SfEP.

In addition, we recommend Basic proofreading by distance learning and Copy-editing by distance learning, offered by the Publishing Training Centre (PTC). Both are invaluable because of the amount of practice they provide. If your personal circumstances make it impossible for you to travel to attend courses and you're sure that you are suited to the work, one of these courses could be for you.

Finally, provided that you have successfully completed certain courses (run by both the SfEP and the PTC) and can demonstrate adequate skills, you can apply to take part in the SfEP mentoring scheme.

What do you think of distance learning? Are these courses a reasonable way into the world of publishing?

That is always a difficult question to answer – personal contacts or specific skills seem to be easier routes into publishing jobs. However, distance-learning courses can be helpful in codifying the knowledge required for the job or, at the least, may show you whether the work is suited to you and if you are suited to the work.

The PTC courses Basic proofreading by distance learning and Copy-editing by distance learning (see above) are generally reckoned to be very worthwhile. A number of SfEP members have taken the Chapterhouse courses, and they may be able to share personal experiences.

How much does training cost in time and money?

If you do all the training recommended by the SfEP (and we recommend that you do – see Which course?), it will take at least a year for you to be considered a qualified proofreader or copy-editor. And it will cost you more than £500 if you are an SfEP associate or more than £900 if you aren't.

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