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5th National Editors Conference 2011

The Society of Editors (NSW) Inc. will be hosting the 5th National Editor's Conference in 2011.

The New Horizons theme was officially launched at the 4th National Conference in Adelaide in October 2009.

Find more information at www.editorsnsw.com/conference2011.htm

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Redact—professional development for working editors

Redact is a residential weekend training intensive for experienced editors hosted by the Society of Editors Victoria. This year it will be held at the Mercure Hotel in Geelong on the weekend of 16–17 October.

If you are considering some professional development in 2010, think about Redact. You will join a small group of experienced editors for in-depth training in a specialist stream of your choice. Plenary sessions and meal breaks will present opportunities to hear about participants' experiences in the other groups, as well as provide the setting for socialising and networking.
Trainers for this event are:

  • fiction editing—Mandy Brett
  • e-publishing—Tim Coronel and Tamsin Wagner
  • corporate/government editing—Janet Salisbury

Mandy Brett is a senior editor with Text Publishing, working on both fiction and trade non-fiction titles. Previously she was editor and publisher at IAD Books, an Aboriginal publishing house in Alice Springs, handling trade titles as well as education, reference and dictionaries. Mandy has also worked as a freelance editor, as a production editor on a small magazine and as a computer programmer at Penguin Books. Mandy is guest lecturer in fiction editing for the RMIT Grad Dip in Editing & Publishing.

Tim Coronel has been involved in the book industry since 1989. He has worked in a variety of book retailing positions in chain, independent and specialist stores. Tim joined the staff of Thorpe-Bowker in 2002 and was assistant editor of Bookseller + Publisher magazine and the Weekly Book Newsletter from 2003 until 2005; he then became editor of both magazines. He was appointed publisher at Thorpe-Bowker in 2008. Tim is also involved with the University of Melbourne Book Industry Study.

Tamsin Wagner is Digital Publishing Coordinator for Melbourne-based independent publisher Scribe Publications. Tamsin has been with Scribe since 2005, previously working there as an editor and as rights and contracts manager. From 1998 to 2002, Tamsin worked as a linguist in the Kimberley region of Western Australia where she helped to develop interactive learning materials for several Indigenous languages. She has also worked as a bookseller for Bookery in Melbourne and Ariel in Sydney.

Janet Salisbury has been the director of the science information consulting company Biotext since 1990. Over the past 20 years, Janet has researched, written or edited proceedings and reports for numerous government departments and agencies, non-government organisations and academic institutions. For many major projects, Janet has been involved with every aspect of document production—from rigorously assessing scientific evidence, to conducting research and literature review and public forums and workshops as well as writing, editing and production management of the final document.

Bookings for Redact are now open.
Early-bird registration—a saving of $100—close on 13 August.
Go to www.socedvic.org/training/redact.html to register now.

Course summaries and the current weekend timetable are available on the Society’s website and detailed curriculum outlines will be available soon.

redact, v. To put (matter) into proper literary form; to work up, arrange, or edit.

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Next meeting: Tuesday, 3 August 2010

E-books in the Australian market

Elizabeth Weiss from Allen & Unwin recently declared that 2010 will be the year for e-books in the Australian market. At our next meeting Elizabeth will outline her digital publishing journey with Allen & Unwin. She will explain some of the issues related to digital publishing, including producing regular and ‘enhanced’ e-books, dealing with vendors, rights and royalties, and what this all means for editors.

Elizabeth Weiss is Academic and Digital Publishing Director at Allen & Unwin. In 1994 a friend showed her the early web browser Mosaic and she has been captivated by the potential of the web for publishing ever since (that’s when she’s not waking up at night in a cold sweat). Allen & Unwin is considered one of the leaders in digital publishing in Australia.

Location: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, 6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Cost: $15 for members; $20 for non-members and those who do not RSVP; $10 for holders of a current concession card or student card. Non-members who book and do not attend must still pay.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or the email address
<membership@editorsnsw.com> by Friday, 30 July 2010.

September meeting: Beatrice Davis Fellowship winner Alexandra Nahlous on working in New York; Tuesday, 7 September 2010.

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Winter Dinner

William Blue Dining


William Blue College of Hospitality Management
Northpoint, 171 Pacific Highway, North Sydney

Tuesday, 6 July 2010
6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m.

Partners and non-members are welcome

$40 per person with wines/$30 with soft drinks

Three-course menu of modern Australian cuisine, in a private dining room. Cost includes a choice from three entrees, four mains and three desserts followed by tea or coffee.

RSVP Tuesday 22 June. Booking is essential.

You can pay on the night if you have registered. Later bookings cannot be guaranteed as spaces are limited.

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Next meeting: Tuesday, 1 June 2010

The Four Ages of Publishing

The trade book publishing industry has changed a lot during the past 50 years, but in many ways it remains the same. Having spent almost 50 years in the industry, publishing consultant Richard Smart is in a great position to give an overview of Australian publishing.

In an interactive session (he welcomes as many questions as you can muster), Richard will talk about his career and offer observations on developments in the trade books’ scene. As he has made the transition from editor to publisher, via just about every department in between, Richard will discuss the role of an editor in a 21st century organisation.

Richard Smart was a director of The Australian Publishers Association (APA) from 2002–2010 and convenor of the APA’s independent publishers’ committee. He now acts as a publishing consultant to the Association. During his career he has worked for several major companies in Australia and overseas (Ure Smith, Angus and Robertson, Collins, Macmillan, ABC Books and CHOICE Books.) He now runs his own publishing and consulting business, Richard Smart Publishing. Richard was a member of the APA’s training committee for ten years and of Publish Australia’s inaugural committee. In 2007 he was on the Australia Council’s assessment panel for their Literature International Market Development program.


Location: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, 6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Cost: $15 for members; $20 for non-members and those who do not RSVP; $10 for holders of a current concession card or student card. Non-members who book and do not attend must still pay.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or email
 Bruce Howarth, Membership Secretary by Friday, 28th May 2010.

July meeting: Winter Dinner; Tuesday, 6 July 2010.

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Next meeting: Tuesday, 4 May 2010

Speculative Fiction Editing and Publishing

Speculative fiction is one of the biggest selling genres in Australian book publishing. Two author-editor-publishers from the speculative fiction world will describe the kinds of work it encompasses. Alan Baxter works in the realms of dark fantasy, science fiction and horror. Bill Congreve’s books encompasses horror, with a specialisation in ghost and vampire stories. Between them they are familiar with all the different demands on author, editor and publisher.

Alan Baxter is a fiction writer and editor who also set up his own press, www.blade-red.com/books, to produce speculative fiction works. He will have some useful tips on using the latest technologies to print, distribute and sell books, including ebooks and print-on-demand.

Bill Congreve is a technical writer, fiction writer, editor and reviewer, and an independent publisher. His company, MirrorDanse Publishers, produces Speculative Fiction anthologies, so he will have some valuable insights into editing an anthology.

Location: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, 6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Cost: $15 for members; $20 for non-members and those who do not RSVP; $10 for holders of a current concession card or student card. Non-members who book and do not attend must still pay.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or email
 Bruce Howarth, Membership Secretary by Friday, 30 April 2010.

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Insurance package for editors

The Society of Editors (NSW) is now able to offer full members a discount rate on professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

A summary of the package is available here.

The form is available here.

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Next meeting: Tuesday, 6 April 2010

Cover story

Lisa Anne from Firekracker will outline the principles behind cover design. Drawing on her experience of designing covers for books, magazines, brochures, CDs and DVDs she will discuss adapting designs for multiple formats and will also provide tips for commissioning cover designs, including costs and what to include in a design brief.

Lisa Anne began her career in the design and visual arts industry as a Junior Art Director/Designer. In 2005, she set up Firekracker, offering practical experience and contemporary design know-how to clients. Her design work has featured in advertising campaigns, books and magazines and she has also published photographic works and essays.

From 2005 to 2007, Lisa Anne was an educator in the private and public sector. She has lectured and tutored at the Australian Centre for Photography, College of Fine Arts UNSW, Dynamic Web Training and TAFE Meadowbank in areas of Imaging, Photomedia and Vector Design.

Location: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, 6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Cost: $15 for members; $20 for non-members and those who do not RSVP; $10 for holders of a current concession card or student card. Non-members who book and do not attend must still pay.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or email
 Bruce Howarth, Membership Secretary by Friday, 2 April 2010.

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AGM

March meeting: Society of Editors (NSW) Annual General Meeting
will be held on Tuesday, 2 March 2010—FREE to all members.

Come along to discuss the 2009 Annual Report and to elect the 2010 committee. All are welcome but only financial ordinary or professional members may vote at the AGM.
If you have not renewed your membership yet, you can do so at the meeting (please bring your renewal form with you). You can also join on the night if you wish.

Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street
6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m.
Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or to editorbruce@optusnet.com.au by Friday, 26 February 2010.


April meeting: Designing covers with Lisa Anne from Firekracker;
Tuesday, 6 April 2010.

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IPEd exam, 12 September 2009

IPEd will hold the second accreditation exam for Australian editors on Saturday 12 September 2009 in the afternoon.The exam will be held simultaneously in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth.

It will last three and a half hours, including a 30 minute reading and preparation period. Registrations for the exam have closed.

The exam coordinator will send all candidates details of the exam.

The NSW exam location is:
University of Central Queensland
Room 5.04
Level 5, 400 Kent St
Sydney


The IPEd website has a sample 2009 exam and answer guide.

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Next meeting: Tuesday, 1 September 2009

The challenges of self-publishing

As a writer and sub-editor with some 30 years of experience Maureen Shelley, co-author of Eat Happy, has found that writing a book—as opposed to articles and reports—is a demanding task. Having that work edited by someone else proved more confronting.

For an author, self-publishing is a roller coaster journey, one that Maureen and co-author Rosemarie Robertson have been travelling this year. Marketing a book is another completely separate job that the self-published author needs to undertake.

Maureen will speak about her experiences in selling words. She will also speak about her experiences as a writer and sub-editor for a major metropolitan daily newspaper, as a book reviewer for a major metropolitan newspaper and as a book censor.

Maureen Shelley has worked for News Limited for the past nine years as a senior journalist, mainly with The Daily Telegraph. As a features sub-editor she edits the work of state, national and international writers. She also writes weekly on real estate, history, education, family, the arts and books.

Her first published work was The Report on the Community Consultations with People with Disability on the Proposed Disability Discrimination Act, known as The Shelley Report (1992). As chair of Australia’s censorship appeal body for seven years, Maureen has had to ban books.

Her new book, Eat Happy, taglined as recipes for life, is for people with depression and for their families. It gives recipes and measures for people to feel energised, stay calm and in control.

Location: Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, 6.30 p.m. for 7.00 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments provided.

Cost: $15 for members and students; $20 for non-members and those who do not RSVP; $7 for holders of a current concession card or student card. Non-members who book and do not attend must still pay.

Please RSVP to (02) 9294 4999 (voicemail) or email
 Bruce Howarth, Membership Secretary by Friday, 28 August 2009.

October meeting: The Society of Editors (NSW) and The Galley Club of Sydney joint meeting on Production and Editing; Tuesday 6 October.

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2009 IPEd National Editors Conference: Getting the message across
8-10 October 2009 Adelaide

The Society of Editors (SA) is proud to announce that the 4th IPEd National Editors Conference will be held in Adelaide on 8-10 October 2009. The conference will take place at the Adelaide Festival Centre on the banks of the River Torrens, with associated events taking place in and around the city centre. So get ready to listen, discuss, learn, edit, eat, drink… and join the Society of Editors (SA) in Adelaide in 2009!

Information about the conference will be posted here as it becomes available. The program (still being updated) is also now available. For more information please contact Susan Rintoul.

Conference registrations are open – register now!

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Anniversary Dinner
The Society of Editors (NSW) 30th Anniversary Dinner was held at the Italian Village Restaurant in Circular Quay on Tuesday 7 July 2009. Special guest speaker Jeremy Fisher took us on a trip down memory lane, remembering those editors who made a difference to the profession over the years. Prizes were handed out for the best 1970s inspired outfits and a truly impressive meal was enjoyed by all who braved Sydney's soggy winter weather.

A few people managed to take some photos on the night; we'd love it if you could send them to us so we can put them online! Please email them to web@editorsnsw.com and thanks to everyone for making it a special evening!

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News and events
Conference 2011
5th National Editors Conference 2011