Workshops

Sub-editing and proofreading courses

Suitable for all skill levels, from those with no formal training to experienced editors who want a refresher.

Learn how to edit and proofread with confidence

Taught by a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journalist, this sub-editing and proofreading training covers all the essentials, including how to:

tighten copy
write in the active voice (and know when to use the passive)
make sure the lead isn’t buried
write strong intros
restructure copy so it flows well
know when to change other people’s writing
cut copy the right way
write headlines that work across print and online
improve search engine optimisation (SEO)
spot common grammatical mistakes
use punctuation marks, including apostrophes, commas, hyphens, dashes, semicolons and more
proofread like a pro
provide feedback to writers and designers.

This is a fun and practical course filled with plenty of editing exercises.

Sub-editing and proofreading course options:

Public live half-day webinar

The next course will run from 9.30am to 1pm Sydney time on Thursday 30 April.

Only eight places are available to ensure everyone can easily participate. Tickets cost $310 (plus GST).

Digital handbooks and certificates will be given, in addition to a recording of the webinar.

Find out more and register for the April course

Customised staff training

If you have more than a few people who need training, I usually recommend a custom course.

This can be tailored to suit you and your writing. I’ll take the time to understand what your team needs before creating a course that can even have exercises and examples based on your own content if you choose.

I can run the training online or in-person at your office (I regularly travel across Australia and New Zealand).

Ask for more information

One-on-one training

Personalised one-on-one sessions are available, allowing me to focus on the specific copy editing and proofreading skills you want to build.

The sessions can be taught online or in person.

Contact me to find out more

“I would recommend the sub-editing and proofreading course to anyone working in media, regardless of skill level. As an editor, I enrolled to brush up on the essentials but I ended up learning a great deal about grammar, punctuation and even editing, that I had never heard articulated before. Dan is a fantastic facilitator and the course was practical and engaging.”

Danielle Gay

Gritty Pretty

"Would happily recommend to journalists, editors and sub-editors. Dan knows his subject and this info needs to be passed on to every media participant."

Darren Snyder

Money magazine

"Dan cleaned and tightened our copy perfectly – and ahead of deadline. I highly recommend him!"

Sarah Jessup

Macquarie University

"This sub-editing and proofreading webinar is easily the best PD I have ever done. The webinar was practical, relevant, interactive, enjoyable and well-paced. Dan is an engaging facilitator who is really generous with both his knowledge and resources."

Michelle McDonald

Director of News, Anglican Church Southern Queensland

“I thoroughly enjoyed your workshop and learnt so much. It helped me return to ground zero and refine my writing techniques for the better. My punctuation, grammar and syntax are always going to need work – and don’t even get me started on dangling participles. But the greatest value I got was learning how to condense sentences and be consistently curious about every word and subject that makes up a sentence. I would highly recommend this workshop to any PR or marketing consultants, journalists, editors, or anyone who just wants to write better.”

Sophie Awatere

KP Communications

"This workshop was incredibly useful and served as a solid reminder to edit, edit, edit! I learnt some great tips and tricks to take away and think this will improve my copywriting ten-fold."

Rachel Jones

GrainCorp

"The sub-editing course was a great refresher on everyday grammatical mistakes and has made me rethink the way I write and edit. I started using the rules and tips Dan taught us straight away. I highly recommend the course."

Jenna McGowan

Optometry Australia

“Dan was very responsive to creating a workshop that suited the team’s needs. His knowledge is excellent and all examples and tasks were relevant to meet the learning objectives. My team was very enthusiastic about the workshop and remained engaged throughout the whole session.”

Jo White

Director, Public Affairs, Department of Education Queensland

"The sub-editing workshop was enjoyable and informative. I liked Dan’s relaxed teaching style and would be keen to sign up for future workshops."

Jasmin Gray

"This workshop has helped me to develop a clear understanding of grammar, punctuation and copy. I've learnt about common mistakes I've been making for years – I won't now. The practice and activities helped to put it into action and I can't wait to get back to work with these skills. Thank you!"

Annie Waterworth

"Great advice, wish I'd done this course in uni – and it should be part of uni! Thank you!"

Milly McGrath

"Dan is brilliant! This workshop has really helped me understand more about editing. The skills and tools I have learned will assist me in my daily work. Thank you."

Allyson Jennings

"Writing and sub editing is an important part of my role. Despite my experience in journalism and content creation, Dan Kaufman’s workshop was engaging and challenging. It taught me new skills and refreshed my knowledge for several platforms and writing disciplines."

Rebekah Clark

Sydney Swans

“I found your style to be approachable and engaging with your audience. The content was exactly what I was hoping for in an editing/sub-editing workshop and appropriate for all professionals. I write a lot in my role and I feel more mindful and aware of my writing deficiencies after the workshop. I feel more prepared to improve my writing and editing now.”

Justin Maroccia

Australian Farm Institute

"Absolutely loved how practical the sessions were and I’ve been able to immediately put the lessons learned into practice. It was an enjoyable experience."

Stevie Bal

Bunnings

"Enjoyable workshop – Dan is a great presenter/teacher. It was amazing to find out how much I did and didn't know."

Jamie Williamson

Rainmaker Group

"The content is applicable to all communication scenarios. I have a lot of key learnings from today to use in my daily role. An extremely useful day!"

Renée de Wet

Dementia Australia

"I found this workshop approachable, engaging and useful. No questions felt silly and all grammar quirks and rules were explained clearly. Thank you!"

Grace MacKenzie

Broadsheet

"The course was great – very hands on with great resources to take away."

Lili Sparke

"I really enjoyed the workshop. Very practical and I think it will improve my writing. Very eye opening and I had many aha moments!"

Ilana Lourival

City of Gold Coast

"Dan Kaufman is a wonderful presenter, mellow but focussed. And his wisdom shines, without ever the need to force it at his listeners. He is thoughtful, easy to understand and very open to interpretations and collaboration. I learned things I’d forgotten I once knew. I learned brand new things too. I sharpened up, and could feel Dan’s years of experience having impact during every section of his workshop."

Simon Sweetman

Victoria University of Wellington

"Really good refresher workshop. Helped to clarify often-made grammatical errors and simplify concise writing habits."

Rebecca Sands

Knight Frank

"I absolutely enjoyed the course and found it very helpful. Dan is an excellent teacher. He is kind and welcoming, creating a safe space to learn and share ideas. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who would like to brush up on their writing or proofing skills – it is engaging, practical and a lot of fun!"

Emma Maciaszek

"Top job – I was engaged the entire time! Definitely taken away some great lessons I'll use in the future."

Jesse Welsh

Nine Entertainment

"After trawling for the right editor to teach me the trade, from square one I knew I'd found the right person in Dan. He's an incredible teacher, with amusing anecdotes to boot. After just a few sessions, I was seeing English in an entirely new way and, with his help, I knew I was ready."

Gavin A

"Dan was an engaging presenter and answered all questions well. The exercises were extremely helpful in understanding the content."

Lurline Byles

Department of Fire and Emergency Services

"Thank you for a fantastic learning experience. It was great to learn so many new things. I will be a much better writer because of today."

Andrew Hill

The Salvation Army

"Dan is adaptable to the various audience’s requirements and has a tremendous scope of information and experience which he delivers very well."

Maggie Videan

Cancer Council NSW

Who's teaching the course?

I guarantee every course will be taught by myself, Dan Kaufman: a former Sydney Morning Herald journalist and editor with over 30 years of print and online experience.

At the paper I wrote for and edited almost every section at one time or another, covering everything from travel, technology and hospitality to health, science and business.

I’ve been teaching sub-editing courses for over 15 years, including at the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

Who can benefit from this sub-editing and proofreading course?

This subbing course will help anyone improve their editing skills, whether they’re just starting out or are an experienced editor who wants a refresher.

Participants often work in:

marketing
communications
publishing
journalism
public relations (PR)
blogging.

Having said that, a lot of people who aren’t professional editors also get a lot out of this course. After all, writing and editing are two sides of the same coin: if you can edit well, you'll also write well.

Futhermore, these days almost everyone needs to either edit their own writing or someone else’s (and if they use AI, they definitely need editing skills to improve what it produces).

Find out more about how this sub-editing course can work for you

Let me know if you have any questions or would like a quote.

Contact me

Find out more about how this sub-editing course can work for you

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