Standalone Course Working with Authors
Learn strategies for building author relationships, managing editorial projects, and retaining and attracting clients.
Register Now Customize for Organizations
At a Glance
- Enrollment:
- Open enrollment
- Length:
- 7 weeks
- Format:
- Online
- Investment:
-
$1,500
Upcoming Dates
course start
Upcoming Events
There are currently no related events.
Being a successful editor depends on more than just technical expertise—it requires building trust, managing projects effectively, and navigating the business side of client relationships.
This seven-week course helps editors build a framework for working with authors, balancing the interpersonal skills needed to foster strong collaborations with the strategic and logistical aspects of editing. We’ll cover key topics such as establishing clear communication, setting expectations, handling project management challenges, and developing business practices to support long-term success. Whether you're a freelance editor or working in-house, this course will help you refine the skills needed to build productive, professional relationships with authors.
With real-world examples and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to navigate common challenges in author-editor relationships, from setting clear boundaries to addressing concerns with diplomacy. By developing a strong foundation in both communication and business practices, you’ll be better equipped to manage projects efficiently, foster trust with clients and thrive in the competitive field of editing.
Grow Skills and Your Business
Our Working with Authors course teaches you about the multifaceted work editors perform in coordination with authors, including:
- Building an editor-author relationship based on trust, which is fundamental to success.
- Growing communications, project management, and business skills to maximize impact on projects.
- Creating a positive experience that leads to referrals.
Designed For
Designed for editors working in-house or as freelancers; aspiring editors looking to launch their careers; and writers working in fields such as academia, grant writing, and cultural institutions pursuing freelance opportunities.
Enhance Your Career
Learning objectives and outcomes
During this seven-week course you will:
- Learn several strategies for establishing and maintaining trust throughout a project.
- Understand the full range of tasks that go into building a successful editorial career.
- Learn project management skills and strategies.
- Learn time management skills and strategies to make the most of your time—to the author's benefit.
- Learn the value of accounting including keeping a paper trail, pricing your work, and getting paid hassle-free.
- Take away tools and resources that you can implement directly on projects and use in your freelance business.
- Be able to approach projects with good business sense.
- Learn the importance of assessing projects and aligning them with your skill set and time.
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
- Confidently build trust with all authors, including remote collaborators and those you interact with primarily via email.
- Make and run an editorial project while supporting author relations.
- Communicate and deliver on project needs and expectations.
- Apply different levels of editing to meet author expectations or project/time management needs.
- Price your work and basic accounting information for author-editor relations.
- Implement different strategies for managing personal and work time in view of editorial projects and output.
- Understand the essential elements of an editorial project from start to finish, and how to manage various projects (and relationships).
- Understand the freelance business basics.
- Develop a plan for finding and attracting authors to your services.
Earn a Credential in Editing
After successful completion of this course, participants will receive a course badge certified by the University of Chicago to recognize their achievement.
- The standalone courses are independent of the Editing Certificate program.
- They cannot be used as a substitute for certificate electives.
The Joy Is in the Details
Quality Education Taught by Industry Thought Leaders
We provide stackable learning options with UChicago brand recognition, networking with top-tier professionals, and courses taught by thought leaders in the industry. You will receive highly practical training with in-depth assessment and instructional feedback. Our editing courses are backed by the authority of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and bolstered by direct connections to the UChicago Press.
Well-Placed Instructors at a Premier University
Our instructors have worked as freelancers, consultants, and in-house editorial and production managers at industry-leading publishing houses and have extensive experience working with The Chicago Manual of Style—including consulting on new editions. They are active practitioners with long-standing careers and understand the technical and professional demands of the publishing industry, which helps them foster in-demand career development. They also have a wealth of contacts and resources.
Katherine Faydash, MUPP
Editor and Urban Planner
Katherine Faydash is an editor and urban planner. She previously was an editor at Great Books Foundation, Loyola Press, and University of Chicago Press, and a practicum instructor for a course on human rights in Mexico at DePaul University’s College of Law. At UIC’s Great Cities Institute, she...
Skill Development in a Changing Job Market
Our Standalone Editing courses provide professional development in response to the evolving skill requirements in the job market. These courses address the need to expand beyond a curriculum in manuscript editing and encompass a wider spectrum of competencies. They provide tailored learning paths that cater to a variety of specific needs of professional development in editing. Participants will have ongoing training opportunities to stay relevant and grow skills to work across sectors and roles. These are individual courses meant to enhance your training outside of our full Editing certificate program.
Other standalone courses include:
Join a Distinguished Editing Community
Our welcoming and supportive community will challenge you, motivate you, and help you build connections with like-minded learners. You will become part of an extensive network of editors, writers, and industry professionals. There are opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and professional growth, helping you advance your career.
Talk to an Advisor Today
Do you have questions about the online course or our full Editing certificate? Our team is ready to discuss the program and answer your questions regarding our registration process. Connect with our admissions team via email, by booking a live appointment, or by filling out our online request form to receive more information and have someone reach out to you.
Payment Options for Non-Credit Certificate Students
Our goal is to provide students with a variety of tuition payment options that will suit their financial circumstances when they register for non-credit certificate UChicago Professional courses.
The University of Chicago has a clear refund policy for non-credit courses. View the withdrawal and cancellation policy for more details.
Current members of certain professional associations are eligible for a 10 percent tuition reduction. Please check the list of eligible organizations below. If you are a member of an organization listed, please contact editing@uchicago.edu for more information.
- American Medical Writers Association
- Board of Editors in the Life Sciences
- Council of Science Editors
- Editorial Freelancers Association
- Independent Writers of Chicago
- International Society of Managing and Technical Editors
- National Association of Science Writers
If you have already completed a certificate program at UChicago Professional, you are eligible to receive our 20 percent Alumni Scholarship toward this standalone course.
For more information on the Alumni Scholarship program, please email the director of professional development programs, Karine Bravais, for eligibility.
Are you a benefits-eligible UChicago employee? Please see the UChicago tuition benefits page for more information related to your employee benefits.
Of Interest
Standalone Editing Courses
These individual courses are designed to help you gain a competitive advantage by building skills in...
Editing Excellence, One Course at a Time
UChicago delivers targeted courses focused on essential niche skills and specialized editing...
Bringing the Editor’s Craft to Life in the Classroom
Tyler Balli, Basic Manuscript Editing instructor