Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Home
  • Resource library
  • Services
  • Courses
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Training login
  • Contact
The Editing Blog: for Editors, Proofreaders and Writers

FOR EDITORS, PROOFREADERS AND WRITERS

Creating and running online courses – In discussion with Sophie Playle

1/10/2015

0 Comments

 
I’m delighted to welcome my colleague Sophie Playle back to the Parlour.

Sophie has been doing lots of interesting things with her editorial business so a catch-up is long overdue! I first featured her back in 2013. I was interested in learning more about the manuscript-critique service she offers because that’s a service that, as I pointed out at the time, is “about as far away from proofreading on the editorial freelancing spectrum as one can get”. You can read the original post here: Manuscript critiquing: The inside story.
 
Since then, Sophie has rebranded her business, branching out from editing into offering online courses. I couldn’t wait to get the low-down on these latest exciting developments, and jumped at the chance to interview her.
 
Sophie and I met and became friends through the Norfolk chapter of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. I mention this because it’s a great reminder of the benefits of meeting up on a regular basis with editorial colleagues.

​Many of us wear very different hats, which means there’s always something new to learn. Prior to meeting Sophie, I could wax lyrical for hours about proofreading, marketing and freelance business development; as for manuscript critique and training … well, that was quite another matter. So, hearing about these latest developments has been an education, and I’m chuffed to bits to be able to share our conversation with you …

Louise Harnby: Sophie, what made you rebrand your business?
 
Sophie Playle: What used to be Playle Editorial Services is now Liminal Pages. I wanted a brand that could reflect my personality and my chosen niche (speculative fiction editing) a little more. Mostly, though, I wanted to start running online courses, so the ‘Editorial Services’ bit of the original name didn’t work.
 
It was a little scary changing so much, but the new brand is much more aligned with my business intentions, so I felt it was the right thing to do. To me, a brand is something that should be always evolving.
 
LH: Tell us a bit about your first online course.
Picture
SP: Conquer Your Novel is a tutored 8-week online course designed to help writers tame their manuscripts into publishable final drafts. (Before professional editing, of course.)
 
There are lots of generic creative writing courses available online, so I wanted to offer something a little different. I knew from the outset that I would create a tutored course with weekly personal feedback. I also didn’t want the course to be too basic – there are plenty of beginner courses already on the market.
 
So I created an intermediate-level course aimed specifically at novelists. I ran it in beta in the spring, and revamped it based on the feedback.
 
LH: What topics do you cover?

SP: I had to think very carefully about this because I didn’t want to recreate what’s already out there. I find courses that simply run through the main elements of novel writing (character, plot, dialogue, setting, etc.) a little uninspired.
 
The thing is, no one writes a novel thinking about these components in isolation. They don’t work in isolation. Plot is driven by character, and setting is based around plot, and description is filtered through viewpoint character, which is determined by narrative style … and so on.
 
But to learn about these things, you have to start somewhere. I considered which topics were most important, which needed to go together, and what the most logical order would be. I’ve top and tailed the more traditional topics with practical discussions around the psychology and methodology of novel writing.
 
The first module looks at the most common reasons writers fail to complete novels, and I talk a lot about different writing personalities and approaches to the novel writing process. The last module looks at the redrafting process in detail, and also how to read analytically. A writing course on its own won’t help someone become a great writer if they don’t know how to read well!
 
LH: Where do you get your students?
 
SP: So far, my students have come largely from my mailing list – which includes past clients, writers who signed up for the freebies on my website, and other editors curious in what I do – don’t think I can’t see you, guys!
 
This time around, I’m also planning to run a Facebook ad and write a few guest posts … like this one. My past students are also happy to help promote the course, which is awesome. Love those guys.
 
I’d originally hoped the course would also be useful to editorial professionals wanting to get into fiction editing – the idea being they’d learn about the components that went into writing a good novel. One proofreader took the course when I ran it in beta and really loved it. But after refining the materials, I think the course is more useful to writers than editors.
 
LH: What are the logistics of running the course? How do you administer the materials?
 
SP: Every week, I email a PDF module with a writing assignment. Students complete the assignment by the deadline, and I provide them with feedback.
 
There’s also a Workbook for students to fill out as they progress through the course. By the end of the course, this acts as an overview of the most important decisions they’ve made about the novel – such as the narrative question, the viewpoint characters, the main plot points, etc. The Workbook is just a simple Word document set up as a form so students can only type in specified areas.
 
On top of that, I’ve created a separate private forum – or, at least, I will have by the time this interview is published! Writing can be a lonely business, and I know from experience that peer feedback and discussion is an incredibly valuable part of a writer’s development. Originally, I used a Facebook group to host the community, but a forum more easily allows students to share their work, and I think it feels a bit more special than a Facebook group.
 
LH: Do you provide individual feedback, template answers, or a mixture of both?
 
SP: It’s all individual, personalised feedback. Students have told me that my feedback is what makes the course so valuable to them. For each assignment, I use the comments feature of Word to provide specific suggestions relating to the text, then I write a couple of paragraphs at the end of the extract. My feedback is largely based on the topic we’re discussing that week, but I also point out anything else I think could help the writer improve.
 
But that’s not all. At the end of the course, I provide each writer with a written summary of the best ways I think they can improve their writing in general. This, along with their Workbook and a final exercise, helps them come up with their own personalised plan of action for completing their novels after the course has come to an end.
 
LH: How much time does it take to administrate the course?
 
The most time-consuming part the course was creating the materials. It would take me approximately two days to write each module from scratch, and it took me a further three weeks or so to refine the materials since I ran it in beta.
 
Now I’ve created the course, I’ll spend most of my time providing student feedback. During the first running of the course, I discovered that marking time varies week to week, though I would normally spent 30–90 minutes on each assignment. I’ve decided to take on a maximum of 20 students so I can plan how to manage my time during the running of the course. 
 
LH: Are you planning to create any more online courses?
 
SP: Definitely. So far, I’ve really enjoyed creating and running this one! And I have lots of ideas for new ones, but I haven’t decided which idea to go with next.  
 
LH: What would you advise other editorial professionals considering offering online courses?
 
SP: Offering online courses can be a great way to add some variation to your work. It also enables you to help a larger number of clients and offer something at a different price point.
 
I’d recommend taking the following into consideration:
  • Know your subject. I’ve been editing fiction for years, I have an MA in creative writing, and I’m a writer myself, so I was confident I could provide value in this subject area.
  • Consider your market. Who will buy your course? Where will you find these people? Do people actually want what you’re planning to offer? (If you don’t know, conduct some research.)
  • Start small. I didn’t, because I’m an overambitious crazy person, but it would be much easier to put together a short course to test the waters.
  • Play by the (UK VAT) rules. Keep in mind the new UK VAT laws around providing digital services if you create a fully automated course.
Registration for Conquer Your Novel is currently OPEN.
 
Want to earn a referral fee? Email me (sophie@liminalpages.com) the names of the people you refer, and for every person who signs up and remains on the course after the two-week trial period, I will send you £25 as a thank you.


Sophie Playle is a Professional Member of the SfEP, writing teacher and steampunk airship pilot. (One of those things may be a lie.) She has an English Literature BA from UEA and a Creative Writing MA from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also a published writer and was shortlisted for the 2012 Escalator Literary Prize for Fiction.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    BLOG ALERTS

    If you'd like me to email you when a new blog post is available, sign up for blog alerts!
    Proofreading stamps
    ALERT ME!

    WHAT DO YOU NEED?

    • Training courses
    • ​Books and guides
    • Editor resources
    • Author resources
    • ​Monthly newsletter
    Picture
    SIGN ME UP

    PDF MARKUP

    Proofreading stamps

    AUTHOR RESOURCES

    Proofreading stamps

    EDITOR RESOURCES

    Proofreading stamps

    BOOKS FOR EDITORS AND WRITERS

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    MORE BOOKS

    TRAINING COURSES FOR EDITORS

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Blogging for Business Growth course
    MORE COURSES

    TESTIMONIALS


    Dare Rogers

    'Louise uses her expertise to hone a story until it's razor sharp, while still allowing the author’s voice to remain dominant.'

    Jeff Carson

    'I wholeheartedly recommend her services ... Just don’t hire her when I need her.'

    J B Turner

    'Sincere thanks for a beautiful and elegant piece of work. First class.'

    Ayshe Gemedzhy

    'What makes her stand out and shine is her ability to immerse herself in your story.'

    Salt Publishing

    'A million thanks – your mark-up is perfect, as always.'
    TESTIMONIALS

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Around The World
    Audio Books
    Author Chat
    Author Interviews
    Author Platform
    Author Resources
    Blogging
    Book Marketing
    Books
    Branding
    Business Tips
    Choosing An Editor
    Client Talk
    Conscious Language
    Core Editorial Skills
    Crime Writing
    Design And Layout
    Dialogue
    Editing
    Editorial Tips
    Editorial Tools
    Editors On The Blog
    Erotica
    Fiction
    Fiction Editing
    Freelancing
    Free Stuff
    Getting Noticed
    Getting Work
    Grammar Links
    Guest Writers
    Indexing
    Indie Authors
    Lean Writing
    Line Craft
    Link Of The Week
    Macro Chat
    Marketing Tips
    Money Talk
    Mood And Rhythm
    More Macros And Add Ins
    Networking
    Online Courses
    PDF Markup
    Podcasting
    POV
    Proofreading
    Proofreading Marks
    Publishing
    Punctuation
    Q&A With Louise
    Resources
    Roundups
    Self Editing
    Self Publishing Authors
    Sentence Editing
    Showing And Telling
    Software
    Stamps
    Starting Out
    Story Craft
    The Editing Podcast
    Training
    Types Of Editing
    Using Word
    Website Tips
    Work Choices
    Working Onscreen
    Working Smart
    Writer Resources
    Writing
    Writing Tips
    Writing Tools

    ARCHIVES

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

Alliance of Independent Authors
Picture
Picture
CIEP Advanced Professional Member
The Publishing Training Centre
INFO ABOUT ME
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions
Contact form
Code of practice
Qualifications
​Portfolio ​ 
​Bio page
Louise's fiction
About Louise
INFO FOR INDIE AUTHORS
Editorial services
Contact form
Can you expect perfection?
Books and guides
Transform Your Fiction series
Free resources
​
Order form for books
Testimonials
Self-editing book

Want to sign up to my monthly newsletter, The Editorial Letter? 
INFO FOR EDITORS
Training courses​
Books and guides
​​Business Skills for Editors series
Transform Your Fiction series
Free resources
1:1 business consultations
Order books and courses
​The Editing Podcast
​The Editing Blog