About the course

Welcome! In this mini-course, you'll learn the ins and outs of Microsoft Word, the core tool for most freelance editors. Here's what you can expect to learn by the time you finish the course.


👉 Navigate Word like an expert and fly through documents

You'll learn how to do more, faster, with less reliance on your mouse:

  • Reduce clutter in your Word window and minimize lag
  • Optimize your document setup at the start of each edit
  • Learn basic and advanced keyboard shortcuts
  • Customize your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
  • Cycle through headings and captions with a wild card search
  • Learn advanced find-and-replace tricks
  • Set your own keyboard shortcuts for Word functions


👉 Learn practical solutions for crisis situations

You'll also learn what to do when things go wrong while editing:

  • How to prepare for inevitable crashes
  • How to recover your work after editing without track changes
  • How to change the comment name for all existing comments
  • How to back up your autocorrect comments and macros


By the end of the mini-course, you'll know exactly how to optimize your Word setup for fast and efficient editing! 🚀


IMPORTANT: This course is for PC users who are using Word 2019 or Office 365. It is not possible to follow along on a Mac; we will offer a Mac version of this course later in the year.


Best for: All levels

This resource is suitable for all editors. Whether you're new to editing automation or a seasoned expert, you'll find guidance that's effective and easy to implement. 

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to the mini-course!

    • Course introduction

    • How to get the most from this course

    • A note from Shane

  • 2

    Step 1: Homework

    • How it works

    • Task #1: Key terms

    • Task #2: Introduction to your QAT

    • Task #3: Access the Alt navigation menu

    • Task #4: Helpful Windows shortcuts

  • 3

    Step 2: Workshop

    • Download demo documents

    • Follow the workshop (1 hour)

  • 4

    Step 3: Follow-Up Resources

    • Reflection & feedback

    • Practice with Alt navigation

    • Quick Access Toolbar revisited

    • Keyboard shortcuts revisited

    • Wildcard characters

What is a mini-course?

In this mini-course, we'll guide you through a deep dive into tech tools you can use to innovate your editing workflow. You'll follow three steps:

Step 1: Homework

We'll ask you to complete a short homework assignment, so you'll be fully equipped to follow along and participate during the workshop. For this mini-course, the homework involves reviewing key terms and carrying out a few quick tasks on your own computer.

Step 2: Workshop

Next, we'll host a live, hands-on workshop, where we'll show you how these tools work in action. You'll receive a guided tour of Word features that can help you speed up your editing. This workshop happened on August 17, 2021. You can view the recording when you enroll in the course.

Step 3: Practice & Resources

After the workshop, we'll send you home with practice sheets and resources, so you can explore further and incorporate these tips and tricks into your own editing workflow. You can also reach out and ask us for help as needed. We're here to support you every step of the way!