Description

Readability is the measure of how easy a text is to read. When important messages are edited for readability, we’re ensuring all readers can access them.

In the US, the average adult reads at a seventh-grade level, while 45 million Americans read at only a fifth-grade level. How things are written can make the difference between a reader successfully navigating modern life and being left out, feeling frustrated and incapable. Imagine going to a website to learn about whether you qualify for a business loan, but not understanding whether your business is eligible because the writing is so convoluted and bloated.

You can help readers get what they need from a text by editing it for readability. In this 90-minute webinar, you’ll learn more about what readability is, how to measure it, and what you can do as an editor to increase readability in nonfiction work—think user directions, websites, and important communications. We’ll look at text organization and layout, principles of plain language, and web-editing techniques. We’ll even do some live editing! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to be a reader’s best advocate.

Erin Brenner is the owner of editorial services firm Right Touch Editing, which specializes in providing small and midsized organizations with writing and editing teams that help clients reach their target readers. Erin has been training editors and other professionals since 2012. She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading, a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, and a Full Member of ACES.

This webinar originally aired on July 20, 2023.