May 2024 IPEd newsletter

May 2024
Vol. 5 No. 4 | ISSN: 2652-5836

Welcome to the May issue of Gatherings!

Before we dive into this issue, here are some important updates.

Our inaugural student membership drive launched last week. We have some fantastic offers for all new and renewing student members. Plus, all new and renewing student members go into our prize draw with an IPEd mentorship up for grabs.

Share the student membership drive with the students in your life!

And join or renew today!

If you passed the accreditation exam in 2009 or 2014, it’s time to renew your accreditation. Applications for renewal are open from 1 May to 31 July. If you are in either of these cohorts and have not yet received an email about your renewal, please contact Charlotte Cottier AE at ab.chair@iped-editors.org.

Thanks to our friends at Macquarie, IPEd members can now enjoy a 15% discount on an individual subscription to one of the three available online subscriptions (Macquarie Dictionary Online, Macquarie Dictionary and Thesaurus Online, and Student Dictionary and Thesaurus Online). Find the discount code in the member portal.

Back to this issue. We have some wonderful stories for you this month.

In the lead-up to the fiction editing masterclass with Dr Renée Otmar DE, IPEd Chair Stephanie Holt AE spoke with Renée about what draws her to historical fiction and what to expect in the masterclass.

We also caught up with the members of the IPEd Standards Working Party to go behind the scenes of the third edition. The wide-ranging conversation provides a fascinating insight into the how and why behind the third edition.

If you’re planning to sit the accreditation exam , we have you covered this month. Accreditation Board skills-based member Ted Briggs AE explains the value of accreditation and the Accreditation Board has a long list of helpful study tips.

Plus we have event reports, member profiles and a brand new crossword.

Are you following IPEd’s social accounts? Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.

Copyediting skills – accreditation level: copyediting refresher, style sheets, author queries
Date: Sunday 19 May 2024

• This day-long workshop covers the difference between a substantive edit, a copyedit and a proofread; editorial style sheets; an introduction to copyediting; and effective communication with clients. The workshop is interactive and hands-on, with workbooks provided to lead you through the ideas and give you sample texts to work on. There will be plenty of opportunities for discussion. Come prepared to do lots of editing practice and improve your copyediting skills.

Where to find answers to Australian copyright questions
Date: Tuesday 21 May 2024

• If you find copyright questions frightening, bewildering or confusing and would like to know where to get clarification without hiring a lawyer, this presentation is for you!

Exam registration support session
Date: Thursday 23 May 2024

• These free 2-hour registration support sessions are designed to help candidates with the registration process. The sessions are optional and you can arrive and leave at any time.

Editing point of view in fiction and narrative nonfiction
Date: Thursday 23 May and Thursday 30 May 2024

• This two-part online workshop will consider the question of point of view in both fiction and narrative nonfiction from an editor’s perspective. We will look closely at narrative voice – first, second and third person – and weigh up the effectiveness and limitations of each and how to communicate this to writers.

Fiction editing masterclass: Historical fiction with Dr Renée Otmar
Date: Tuesday 28 May, Tuesday 11 June, and Tuesday 2 July 2024

• Experience a deep dive into historical fiction with leading editor and trainer Dr Renée Otmar. This masterclass offers sustained engagement with the genre and the opportunity to work closely on a historical fiction manuscript in a collegial and supportive environment. The masterclass is limited to 12 participants.

Aotearoa New Zealand copyright for editors
Date: Wednesday 29 May 2024

• Do you have questions about copyright in Aotearoa New Zealand? Are you interested in finding out more about the copyright issues you should have on your radar? Then join Karen Workman from Copyright Licensing New Zealand for this presentation.

Pervasive and problematic: editing trauma in the Australian context
Date: Tuesday 4 June 2024

• In this presentation, Camilla Cripps will describe some of the potential adverse consequences of trauma exposure in editing professionals. The session will look at how principles of trauma-informed practice can help editors to safely and responsibly address, and actively pre-empt, the adverse consequences of working with traumatic narratives and traumatised authors, and through their own trauma histories.

2024 IPEd accreditation exam
Date: Monday 12 August 2024

• Thinking of taking the accreditation exam this year? Check out all our online resources including sample exam documents and the Guide for candidates and register for the earlybird rate.

Dr Renée Otmar DE will be running a fiction editing masterclass for IPEd with a focus on historical fiction. Renée spoke with IPEd Chair Stephanie Holt AE about what draws her to historical fiction, how the genre is changing and what members can expect from the upcoming masterclass.

The third edition of IPEd standards for editing practice was launched in March 2024. We spoke with members of the IPEd Standards Working Party (ISWP) about the process of reviewing and updating IPEd’s cornerstone document.

In their own words, they describe why inclusion and equity were their key priorities for the third edition, how they worked together to navigate the various obstacles they faced and how the Standards have influenced their work. 

“How well read should editors be?” from the CIEP

This CIEP fact sheet features freelance copyeditor and writer Stan Carey explaining the importance of reading to professional editors. Stan looks at the benefits of reading broadly, highlights the “must-reads” for editors, and likens reading to a workout for editors.

Download the factsheet.