One not-so-glamorous yet highly important skill that PR professionals must master is how to edit well. Let’s be honest, no one gets too excited about details like when to use an em dash versus an en dash, or whether to use an Oxford comma. However, having an eye for these small details is what makes your final product clean, correct and professional. In the communication field, the standard for writing is the Associated Press, or AP, style. The AP Stylebook is updated regularly – it has dubbed itself “the journalist’s Bible,” and for good reason. Knowing how to quickly and correctly reference the Stylebook will save you a lot of trouble in your future classes, internships and jobs because you’ll be able to easily follow established writing conventions. Over the past year, I’ve worked as a copy editor for Virginia Tech’s student newspaper, The Collegiate Times. This has helped me realize the importance of having an eye for details – if there’s a typo or grammatical error in a headline, for example, it takes away credibility from an otherwise well written story. For people to take our publication seriously, it’s important that we present ourselves just as seriously. Here are three key tips I’ve picked up while working as a copy editor that can help you master the AP Stylebook. 1. Don’t be afraid! The Stylebook looks large and intimidating. However, it won’t take you long to get accustomed to using it. The book is broken into sections and alphabetized, and with a little practice you’ll get much faster at looking up information. Remember, you don’t have to be able to recite the Stylebook, just reference it. Which brings me to my second point… 2. Get familiar, don’t memorize. It’s impossible to remember everything that’s in the Stylebook. You will quickly commit basic rules to memory, particularly common errors. But as you start out, just worry about familiarizing yourself with the book – how it’s written, how it’s organized and how to look things up. Bookmark questions that keep coming up for you with sticky notes, or highlight sections that you find important. 3. Look out for common errors. Keep an eye out for errors with AP Style that you see being made consistently. AP guidelines such as what to do with numerals, state names and addresses are frequently misused, and it will help you edit more efficiently if you memorize these commonly made mistakes. Here is a list from InkHouse of twelve common mistakes made with AP Style. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll soon become comfortable with using the AP Stylebook! Edited by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014
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