EdANZ’s strategic plans pave way for future
by Caroline Simpson AE
Our strategy sessions are complete and we are moving torwards the next part of the process. The committee and members who have been helping behind the scenes spent two evenings, plus time in between, on their ABCs: assessing, brainstorming and compiling. The committee will use the coming meeting to plan the next steps for the branch. I’d like to acknowledge our facilitator, Helen Bradford, whose expertise and solid work made the sessions so productive.
The priorities from your survey answers and the committee were:
- networking with peers, experts and industry
- professional development, webinars and speaker events
- advocacy
- professional standards for editing practice.
These were closely followed by the accreditation scheme, conferences and online resources.
For the brainstorming strategy session, we put the professional standards aside because this work was already under way with a clear path.
That left space for another area to be studied in depth. Like the Standards, the organisation required for the conference is well set out. So we chose the accreditation scheme because it tied in to much of what IPEd represents to its members:
- providing professional development
- raising the profile of editing in New Zealand
- being based on the IPEd standards for editing practice
- knowing that the more accredited editors we have, the stronger our profession is.
We have a five-year vision of where we would like to be with each of the areas members were asked to rate. Although (in no particular order) member discounts, awards and prizes, job ads, mentoring and online resources weren’t covered in the brainstorming session, we do have clear pointers about where we would be heading and what that might look like, at points in between. This means that as resources come available, the branch has a head start on those areas.
Now begins the fun of organising our resources to work on the steps we set out. While we get support from the wonderful IPEd staff, the bulk of the work achieved for your branch is done by volunteers, so offers of help are always welcome.
If there is something you feel passionate about or particularly enjoy and you’d like to be involved in, then get in touch with me. Volunteer work is rewarding — doubly so when you are working towards something you feel strongly about.
Noho ora mai
Caroline Simpson, EdANZ Branch President
New members
We are pleased to welcome our new corporate member this month: Jenny Hellen of Allen & Unwin New Zealand.
Coming events
Auckland editors’ catch-up
Date: Friday 10 September 2021, 10am NZDT
Venue: At this stage it is Amano, 66–68 Tyler Street, Britomart
We are bringing the September and March Auckland editors catch-ups forward from Saturday afternoon to a Friday morning.
Come along and enjoy the delights of an Auckland spring morning from the comfort of Amano.
Any editors are welcome to come along, whether Auckland residents or visitors. We’re a friendly bunch and always welcome new faces.
Please RSVP to Caroline at edanz.president@iped-editors.org.
Cost: Free (but purchase you own drinks and food).
What editing for sensitivity, diversity and inclusion looks like in 2021
Date: Saturday 11 September 2021, 3pm—5pm NZDT
Venue: Zoom
Presenter: Renée Otmar PhD DE HLM
Dr Renée Otmar has been an editor since 1989, in-house and freelance, and a researcher in public health and research ethics since 2009. She has qualifications in both disciplines and is an accredited coach. These days she works as a consultant writer, editor, researcher/ethicist, trainer and coach. In addition to facilitating professional development in editing crime fiction, contemporary fiction and historical fiction, Renée is leading a new approach to coaching and professional supervision worldwide, to help writers and editors who work with sensitive and disturbing content. In October 2020 Renée published Editing for Sensitivity, Diversity and Inclusion: A guide for professional editors; a new and expanded edition is due for publication by Cambridge University Press in 2023.
Diversity and inclusion have really hit the spotlight, worldwide. Take, for example, the Tokyo Olympics, hailed by the Guardian as ‘a turning point for LGBTQ+ athletes’ (31 July). Tokyo is also hosting the 29-member IOC Refugee Olympic Team; an extraordinary development by any measure. The Olympics is about as mainstream as it gets — anywhere and everywhere. So, what do these developments say about our world in 2021, and our expectations of broader society?
In the publishing world, authors and publishers are usually keen to ensure the best possible depiction of diversity and inclusion in their published works. They rely on editors (and lawyers) to help them avoid causing offence or overstepping the limits of civility while maintaining their intellectual and creative liberties (such as freedom of expression).
This two-part workshop, for editors of fiction and non-fiction works, will explore the key concepts in a best-practice approach to editing for sensitivity, diversity and inclusion. As a participant, in addition to exploring how you can identify and resolve issues in the works you edit, you will be invited to reflect on your own unconscious biases and how they might influence your approach to editing.
You can expect to improve your understanding, gain a heightened sensitivity to contemporary discourses on diversity and inclusion, and deepen your appreciation of how your editorial advice can influence reading audiences’ perceptions of sensitive topics as well as those of your authors.
Note: The IPEd Conference workshop (28 June) focused mostly on matters related to gender diversity and inclusion, and cultural norms and policies that govern sexual relationships in the workplace. However, this workshop will explore issues related to cultural dominance and racism, and how to deal with these issues in your everyday editing practice.
Cost: NZD125 (AUD131.25 incl. GST) members & affiliates; NZD105 (AUD110.25 incl. GST) student members; NZD155 (AUD162.75 incl. GST) non-members — this cost is for both sessions.
Book here.
Annual Branch Meeting (ABM)
Date: TBC — in October
Venue: Zoom
Each year we have our branch version of an AGM. The main order of business is the election of committee members for the following year. You’ll be given the opportunity to nominate EdANZ members beforehand for committee roles. If you’d like to be part of the committee yourself, let us know and we will happily nominate you. The roles within the committee are set at the first committee meeting.
The ABM is also a good opportunity to raise matters for branch consideration. We’ll let you know in advance how to submit items for the agenda.
Cost: Free.
IPEd Accreditation Exam 2022
We now have six accredited editors in New Zealand and EdANZ wants to significantly increase that number over the next few years.
Are you considering sitting the next accreditation exam? If so, EdANZ is here to support you. Please email Helen Bradford, our Accreditation Board representative, to talk about any concerns you have about the exam and how we can help you overcome them.
The exam will be on Monday 22 August 2022. Based on an initial poll of interested candidates, we expect the venue will be Wellington. If we receive sufficient registrations, there may be an option to add a second venue.