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ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA IN COMMERCIAL WRITING AND EDITING VWR008

Duration (approx) 1500 hours
Qualification
Associate Diploma



Why Study Commercial Writing and Editing?

Commercial writing is writing to engage with the reader, customer and potential customers. It can involve fiction writing, writing newsletters, email marketing, advertising copy and copywriting.  The aim of commercial writing is to promote goods and services, or to raise awareness of a particular topic or brand.

Editing is the process of reviewing the written word for clarity and quality. 

Being a commercial writer AND editor offers you serious advantages.  It provides you with –

  • The skills to write and edit your own work.
  • The skills to edit and review other people’s work.
  • The opportunity to increase the job opportunities available to you.

This provides you with two strings to your bow, editing and writing, putting you in a very advantageous situation.

The internet has changed the world of commercial writing. With every company in the world needing to maintain a web site, and the prospect of self-publishing more possible than ever before; demand has dramatically increased for commercial work to be written, edited and published in an electronic format.

Who Is This Course Suitable For?

Suitable for those already involved in writing and editing who want to improve their existing skills or complete beginners.

The course is suitable for professional/career development, CPD or personal interest.  It is a useful way to improve and expand your CV.

What Will You Learn in This Course?

  • Learn about commercial writing - freelance, creative, advertising and technical.
  • Learn about editing and publishing.
  • Develop your knowledge in complementary areas such as graphic design.

This course is suitable for professional/career development, CPD or personal interest.


Modules

Core ModulesThese modules provide foundation knowledge for the ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA IN COMMERCIAL WRITING AND EDITING VWR008
 BUSINESS STUDIES BBS101
 CHILDREN'S WRITING BWR104
 CREATIVE WRITING BWR103
 EDITING I - BWR106
 FREELANCE WRITING BWR102
 INDUSTRY PROJECT BIP000
 INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT - VIT203
 MARKETING FOUNDATIONS VBS109
 PUBLISHING I - BWR107 (SELF PUBLISHING CHILDREN'S BOOKS)
 RESEARCH PROJECT I BGN102
 TECHNICAL WRITING - BWR301
Elective ModulesIn addition to the core modules, students study any 4 of the following 7 modules.
 ADVANCED FREELANCE WRITING BWR201 (Applied Writing)
 ADVERTISING & PROMOTING BBS202
 BUSINESS STORYTELLING BWR207
 EDITING FOR SPECIALISTS AND PROFESSIONALS (EDITING III) BWR307
 EDITING PRACTICE BWR305
 GRAPHIC DESIGN BIT205
 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY BPH100

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STYLE AND APPROACH
There are a number of elements to consider when writing –

  • What type of writing are you doing (i.e. fiction, non-fiction etc)?
  • Who are you writing for (i.e. who is paying you to write as well as who your audience will be)?
  • What medium are you writing for?
  • Where will your writing be published?

There may, for example, be considerable differences in articles written for a news website compared with those published on printed media.

Consider the requirements for a newspaper. People usually do not read newspapers thoroughly. For this reason, it is essential to bring the most vital and interesting information to the beginning of the news article. The title should catch the reader's eye. The first sentence should capture the reader’s interest and encourage him/her to read further. The first paragraph should tell him/her everything that is important in the article. The remainder of the article should provide further detail.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE TYPES
Most articles written for newspapers will be based on recent newsworthy events. These may be based on information collected through interviews, eyewitness accounts, reporting and investigations, statistics, graphs or desk research. Headlines are used to grab a reader’s attention and highlight the main part of an article. The structure of articles in a newspaper and their purpose, however, will differ. The common article types include:

News Articles
These articles are based on breaking news stories and events. Facts and information can be provided through answering general questions including who, what, when, where, why and how. Quotes and references are often included to verify the reliability and factuality of an article. The most important facts in a story are often included at the beginning of a news article.

Short Features
Feature articles take a more in-depth look at topics than news articles. They aren’t used to report on breaking news but are often based on recent news items. Short feature articles can be on any topic and may vary in length from 500 to 1500 words. They may or may not be accompanied by photographs or illustrations. Local papers, trade and general magazines are generally receptive to submissions of this type on a speculative basis. Acceptance of your feature will depend not only on how good it is, but also on what other articles the publisher has available at the time, and how relevant the subject is to that particular publication. A feature story will often include the use of an interview.

Investigative Article
These articles involve deep investigation and in-depth reporting into a topic of interest. This type of article is often used when reporting on or exposing activities such as corruption in business or politics, criminal activities or a celebrity scandal. Months or even years can often be spent in conducting research before an article is written.

Human Interest Article
These articles are based on newsworthy people or events, often within a local area. The article covers the problems, worries or achievements of the people within the story and is written in a way that provides emotion and allows the reader to engage with the story through interest or sympathy.

 

 




What Are the Advantages of Studying Writing with ACS Distance Education?

  • You can start at any time to suit you.
  • The courses are self-paced.
  • You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
  • Keep up to date on your learning.
  • Update your CV.
  • It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
  • Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in writing.
  • They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
  • Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

Develop your skills and the possibility of making an income from commercial writing and editor has never been greater.

Being able to write and edit are both useful and sought after skills for any writer. This is an extensive and intensive diploma course, which enables you to develop your skills in both.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

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Click here to contact a writing tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.
Courses can be started anytime from anywhere in the world!

Meet some of our academics

Timothy WalkerB.A.(Botany), RHS.M. Hort., Post.Grad.Dip.Ed. Former Director, Oxford Botanic Gardens.
John MasonWriter, Manager, Teacher and Businessman with over 40 years interenational experience covering Education, Publishing, Leisure Management, Education, and Horticulture. He has extensive experience both as a public servant, and as a small business owner. John is a well respected member of many professional associations, and author of over seventy books and of over two thousand magazine articles.
Maggi BrownMaggi is regarded as an expert in organic growing throughout the UK, having worked for two decades as Education Officer at the world renowned Henry Doubleday Research Association. She has been active in education, environmental management and horticulture across the UK for more than three decades. Some of Maggi's qualifications include RHS Cert. Hort. Cert. Ed. Member RHS Life Member Garden Organic (HDRA) .
Tracey Jones (writing)Tracey has enjoyed creative writing since she was a child. She has had several short stories published and a novella. She is also a keen writer of children's stories and poetry. She has also written many academic and non-fiction books in the fields of psychology, sociology, child development, writing and marketing.


Check out our eBooks

Writing for Childrenby John Mason and staff of ACS Distance Education
Technical WritingThe Technical Writing ebook has been written for anybody who would like to become a technical writer, add technical writing to their repertoire of skills, or improve their technical writing skills. Technical Writing is not just limited to scientific or technical documents, is necessary for writing manuals, reports or promotional materials. To be a technical writer you must have a broad range of skills in order to secure employment or ongoing projects, if you are working as a freelance technical writer. To work successfully in this field you will need: - Excellent communication skills - Logic and precision - Excellent word processing skills - To be able to manage projects - To work efficiently and independently - A solid, broad education - Improving your skills and knowledge - Great networking skills
Professional WritingProfessional writing is any writing that you are being paid for. It can include fiction writing, a best-selling book, articles in a magazine, articles in a newspaper, blogs for companies, technical manuals or procedure manuals, copy for catalogues, newsletters, text books and other academic material and so on.
Creative WritingThe Creative Writing ebook can be useful for writing students or even professional writers to help improve their writing techniques and skills. The Creative Writing ebook is a fabulous starting point for budding writers. The topics that are covered within this book are an introduction to creative writing, Methodology and technique- the building blocks of writing, Genres, Creative non-fiction, creative writing techniques, developing your skill, building your career and a Glossary.