EdANZ summarises exceptional PD opportunities
by Caroline Simpson
Kia ora,
At our last committee meeting I got really excited. This is not a sentence you would normally see someone write about committee meetings, is it? We were talking about the coming professional development (PD) opportunities and events your events team has planned for you.
First, let’s acknowledge the work that goes into it: brainstorming ideas, writing emails to approach presenters and discussing terms with them, planning dates and filling forms, designing and monitoring social media ads and carrying out the many other details behind the scenes. And let’s not forget the technical assistance required to run a Zoom event.
A great schedule is under way for the next year from the EdANZ branch alone, and now, thanks to the boom of Zoom, you get to pick and choose from the PD opportunities and events organised by the other branches too. But it isn’t just the variety of events that gets me excited, it is the way branches are finding ways to work together to give you greater benefits for your membership.
We have learnt that, to run smoothly, Zoom workshops generally need a cap on the number of attendees. Add to this the wider audience able to attend online events and you can find they sell out quickly. Did you want to register for the EdNSW punctuation workshop recently, only to find it had sold out? And then, when it was run by EdVic, it sold out once more. This month EdANZ is running that same workshop so you all get another chance to book a popular session. Meanwhile, the organisational load of running the workshop several times is spread across several branches. Magic.
But perhaps the most exciting aspect of our IPEd-wide PD opportunities and events is the way members get to meet a wider community of editors. The EdANZ Zoom hui in October attracted a blend of Australian and New Zealand members, giving these editors a chance to pick up ideas and nut out concerns. Thanks to these connections, you will find a room full of faces you already know when you go to the next IPEd conference.
There will be plenty of events and PD opportunities to book in the next year, so I hope to bump into you at one of them.
Ngā mihi,
Caroline Simpson, EdANZ Branch President
edanz.president@iped-editors.org
Wellington catch-up meeting
For our second face-to-face meeting in a while, the Wellington editors met at Frank’s on the Terrace. The discussion was lively between the five attendees: Helen, Ryn, Phil, Theresa and Liz. Topics ranged from academic articles and self-publishing to frustrations and joys. Frank’s is a great central location for Wellingtonians to meet over coffee, even on the blustery day it was.
We meet on the first Monday of every other month at 11am. Upcoming dates are 1 December, 2 February and 6 April.
Academic editors hui
The hui for academic editors kicked off a week’s activities for EdANZ. Fourteen of us shared information on topics such as making documents accessible for readers who have a visual impairment, and the pros and cons of providing help sheets for clients. It was particularly interesting to hear members describing the ways they helped clients avoid repeated mistakes, including use of tip sheets, checklists and numbered comments.
Fiction and poetry editors hui
The second Zoom hui was on fiction and poetry editing. Seventeen editors attended, a great mix of editors from both sides of the Tasman. It was great to see some familiar faces from the previous themed Zooms.
Marja led the section on fiction editing, and we talked about whether you can copyedit and proofread the same client’s work or whether it was better for the client to get a fresh pair of eyes; we discussed sensitivity in fiction and when to query — and what to do if the client pushes back.
Ryn led the poetry section and we discussed whether content or style was more important in poetry; how to work with a client on text with poetry’s more fluid rules than those of standard text; and practical tips on how to edit poetry without losing the client’s voice and intentions.
I’m looking forward to the next one already.
Nonfiction, magazine editors hui
Thirteen editors from across New Zealand and Australia who work in non-fiction, newspapers and magazines gathered online on 14 October for our second round of Zoom hui. These informal catch-ups are a great way to meet other editors who work in a similar field, and to ask questions and discuss issues that affect us.
After a brief round of introductions, we had an extremely interesting discussion around fact checking: do you feel it’s your responsibility? Do you charge extra for this service on top of a regular copyedit? What sources do you use? Do you have a clause in your contract absolving you of liability?
We then moved on to a chat around marketing and the advantages and disadvantages of having a niche. The final topic of the evening centred on the fast-moving world of newspapers and magazines, including how to manage workflows and how to break into this area.
The next round of Zoom hui will be held in February/March 2021. To mix things up a bit, we’re inviting participants to act as host or co-host for these sessions — if this is something you are interested in, please email Anne-Marie McDonald (edanz.events@iped-editors.org) or Susi Bailey (edanz.training@iped-editors.org).
Government, business and NGOs hui
On 15 October, eight New Zealand and Australian editors took part in EdANZ’s second Zoom hui for editors who work with government departments, businesses and NGOs. Our discussion topic was how to nurture relationships with existing clients and attract new clients. We talked about how much time we invest in building relationships; the approaches we use; the problems we face and the successes we’ve had. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to try out one editor’s technique of securing new business by chatting to people on plane journeys.
Thank you to Meredith Thatcher for offering to lead a discussion on information security at the next hui for government, business and NGO editors.
Future events
Zoom workshop: Punctuation refresher — Solving tricky issues with Ann Philpott
Dates: Sunday 15 November, 1pm–3pm NZDT workshop; Sunday 29 November, 1pm–2pm follow-up workshop
The third offering of this course consists of two parts: instruction and interaction for the two-hour workshop, and questions from participants, exercises and interaction for the one-hour follow-up workshop. It will cover punctuation as a refresher for those who have some knowledge of punctuation but who wish to ensure their knowledge is up to date.
This course will also be a punctuation refresher for those who plan to sit the IPEd accreditation exam in December 2020. It will use the Style manual 6th edition and other respected and widely used guides as authorities for the information presented.
It is not an introductory course.
Cost: IPEd members AUD90; members of affiliates AUD90; non-members AUD120; student members AUD54. The cost is for both workshops; it is not possible to pay for just one workshop.
Book here.
Speaker presentation: Achieving clarity through plain language with Meredith Thatcher
Date: Thursday 19 November 2020, 7.30pm NZDT
The need for government, businesses, organisations and individuals to communicate in a clear, concise way is increasing. So it’s timely to discuss what plain language is, and how editing into plain language can benefit us, our work and our audiences.
Cost: IPEd members NZD11; non-members NZD16
Book here.
EdANZ Zoom Christmas Party
Date: Monday 14 December 2020
Save the date and dig out your reindeer antlers for what we hope will be a lighter end to a year like no other.