Heather Jamieson has 15 years' experience in editing and publishing, having received her basic training while working for Cambridge University Press. She has been an in-house editor for Fine Arts Press and Random House and has undertaken numerous freelance editing projects, with a particular focus on academic and educational books and fiction. She has strong formal English skills, and since 2004 she has worked as a teacher of tertiary literacies at the University of Wollongong.
Sybil's area of expertise is the project management, from manuscript to printer, of business (trade titles), and medical and secondary texts. Sybil has some experience of primary titles. Her first career was as a secondary teacher of English and History. Sybil's publishing career, from 1977, has included work as: verifier then production manager, Australian Consumers' Association; production manager, Universal Magazines; production editor then production manager, Professional and School Divisions, McGraw-Hill Australia. Sybil now works freelance as a copy and production editor.
Pam's area of specialisation is language and linguistics, especially reference works such as dictionaries, usage guides and style manuals. She has worked on the Macquarie Dictionary since 1986, edited eight volumes of Style Council conference proceedings (1987-2002), and 24 issues of Australian Style magazine (1992 to present). As director of the Macquarie University Postgraduate Program in Editing and Publishing, Pam has taught and assessed trainee editors since 1989. She also assesses manuscripts for Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
Meryl has around thirty years experience as an editor, writer and project manager, both in-house and freelance, to publisher level. Her experience crosses trade and education (school, tertiary and adult levels) publishing; custom publishing (magazines and books); magazine development, editing and writing. She is also highly experienced in corporate and government editing, writing and communication, to practice leader level. Her experience also includes instructional design and assessment, and teaching (correspondence and face to face). She has taught editing for the Diploma of Book Editing and Publishing at Macleay College in Sydney since 2000. Meryl was trained in-house at Cassell Australia by one of Australia’s leading editors, and has undertaken professional development courses regularly since then.
Prior to entering publishing in 1989, Heather taught literature and creative writing at Macquarie University, tutored in remedial writing workshops at York University, Canada, and University of Adelaide, as well as teaching at Migrant Education, Adelaide.
She has been senior (and sole) editor and poetry publisher with Hale & Iremonger, senior editor with Penguin - Books for Adults, and currently is managing editor for UNSW Press, which publishes some 60 books annually under its UNSW Press, New South, Redfern Legal Centre Publishing and Choice imprints.
For over a decade Heather was poetry reviewer for the Sydney Morning Herald and taught the 'Literary Editing' option in Macquarie University's Graduate Diploma for Editing and Publishing from its inception in 1990 until 2006. She was professional consultant to Macquarie University's on-line, distance-education Postgraduate Certificate in Editing, reviewing all course curricula.
Colette Vella has worked as a book editor for over 14 years, beginning as a trainee editor at HarperEducational publishers and moving on to become editor and then senior editor at Allen & Unwin. There she worked across their various lists, from science and history, to biography and fiction, and had the privilege of being involved in several award-winning books, including two Miles Franklin Award winners.
In 2004/05 she spent a year in London learning about UK publishing and working at Granta Books. She then moved over to Murdoch Books, first as their editorial manager and currently as commissioning editor of fiction and narrative non-fiction. In 2007 she was awarded the Beatrice Davis Fellowship, which saw her spend three months researching publishing in New York.
SA
Karen Disney (generalist, engineering)
Karen has 30 years' experience in editing. Having started out at Rigby Publishers and Wakefield Press, she joined a consulting engineering firm in 1986 (Kinhill, now KBR) where she continues to work in the editing and corporate communications field. Her editing experience encompasses engineering reports, manuals, forms, work methods, training materials, newsletter articles, media releases, advertisements and marketing brochures. She has also managed the editing, design and production of a number of multi-author technical publications including mining feasibility studies, environmental impact statements and the winning bid for the Alice Springs to Darwin Railway. Her online experience includes establishing the company's Asia Pacific intranet site and preparing materials for the Internet. Karen is a founding member and past president of the Society of Editors (South Australia), and is South Australia's inaugural representative on the Accreditation Board.
Most recent employment: KBR (formerly Kinhill) consulting engineering firm.
Other skills: Project management, production, preparing materials for an intranet and the Internet.
Qualifications: BA, Toronto; Teaching Diploma, Ontario Teachers College.
Celia Jellett (generalist, children's books)
Celia trained as an editor with Omnibus Books, working there from 1982 to 1987 and returning in 1997 as senior editor after 10 years as a freelance. Her editing work in children's books encompasses fantasy, non-fiction, picture books, and adolescent and junior fiction. She has been a part-time instructor for the Professional Writing Unit of the Adelaide Centre for the Arts (TAFE) since 1988, and has written course books for editing subjects in the Advanced Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing) course. As a freelance, Celia has edited fiction, biography and non-fiction books for Wakefield Press, among many other assignments for government departments and private companies. She has also edited curriculum manuals and public examinations for the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia. She was a founding member of the Society of Editors (South Australia) and a council member from 1990 to 1997.
Most recent employment: Omnibus Books.
Other skills: Book production, teaching, writing.
Qualifications: BA, University of Adelaide; BA (Hons), Flinders University of SA.
Susan Rintoul (general editing, education)
Susan Rintoul is a partner in Professional Editing Services, established in 1991. She is also a partner in Seaview Press, which has produced nearly 600 titles for self-publishers. She has been a part-time instructor for the Professional Writing Unit of the Adelaide Centre for the Arts (TAFE) since 1995, and has written course books for editing subjects in the Advanced Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing) course. She is the South Australian delegate to the Institute of Professional Editors, on its interim council. She is President of the Society of Editors (South Australia) and convenor of the 2009 national editing conference.
Most of her freelance editing work has been in the educational and health fields, with clients including federal, state and local government departments, large and small businesses, publishers and individuals. She has edited fiction, and non-fiction including theses, teaching resources, manuals, and annual reports. She has also edited CD-ROMs and web sites.
Most recent employment: Professional Editing Services and Seaview Press.
Qualifications: MA (Internet Communication Strategies); BA (Librarianship).
Other skills: Book production, teaching, writing.
Kathie Stove (generalist, science, environment)
Kathie is a freelance editor and writer of 15 years' experience whose work comes mainly from government agencies. As managing editor she has delivered large multi-authored projects such as five South Australian State Budgets, state of the environment reports and environmental impact statements. She is just as much at home copyediting and proofreading many types of smaller documents, both print and online.
She is a member of the prestigious Board of Editors in the Life Sciences, is a past president of the Society of Editors (South Australia), and was convenor of the working group that developed the original CASE Australian Standards for Editing Practice.
Most recent employment: Freelance.
Other skills: Writing, teaching, information architecture.
Qualifications: BSc (Botany); ELS; Grad Dip (Library and Information Management).
TAS
Janice Bird (generalist, government publishing, fiction)
Most recent employment: Since 1999 freelance editor of fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, policy documents, reports, land management plans, theses, newsletters, marketing and educational materials. Subjects include travel, environment, health, biography, autobiography and fiction. Clients include Lonely Planet Publications, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Retirement Benefits Fund Board, Tasmanian Conservation Trust and many individual authors.
Other skills: Writing.
Qualifications: BA (Hons, Literature), University of Essex, UK, 1977. Part I, Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators, London (1982): Office Administration & Info Systems, Law & Procedure of Meetings, English Business Law, Financial Accounting I. On-the-job training with small independent book publishers (1978-81).
Other: First year of BA Architecture (1973-74). Many classes/workshops including structural editing, copyediting, indexing, desktop publishing, creative writing, writing for the web, marketing, fundraising and sponsorship, public speaking, computer programs (Publisher, Excel, Word). President of Society of Editors (Tas) Inc.
QLD
Susan Addison (fiction, humanities, legal editing)
Susan has worked as a writer and editor in Brisbane since 1983. Her clients have included the Queensland Law Society, government departments, University of Queensland Press and the Museum of Brisbane.
Most recent employment: Freelance.
Susan has been working with words as a journalist, editor and writer for more than 30 years. She has developed courses and taught editing at the University of Southern Queensland, and was the founding editor-in-residence at Griffith University. Education qualifications: BA, Dip. Journalism, LLB.
Paul Bennett (education, government, land transport)
Paul has had twenty years' experience in all aspects of publishing, including typesetting, page make-up, proofreading and editing; he became a full-time editor in 1992, and was employed as Publishing Manager with the Queensland Studies Authority from 1997 to
2005. He has specialised in syllabuses and curriculum materials, government publications, and plain English.
Paul is an experienced trainer in editing and proofreading, on-screen editing, page make-up, word processing and copyright.
Education qualifications: Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.
Rosanne Fitzgibbon (fiction, literary nonfiction, history, politics)
Rosanne has had more than thirty years' publishing experience. For seventeen years, as senior editor (in-house) at University of Queensland Press, she was responsible for the literary fiction and nonfiction list and for scholarly publications in Australian studies, after she had established her reputation as a freelance editor with a range of publishers.
She lectures in writing, editing and publishing, and has conducted workshops for the Literature Board for mid-career editors. In 1993 she was awarded the inaugural Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship.
Education qualifications: BA, coursework MQual, APA training courses.
Judy Heinemann (education, government)
Judy Heinemann has had twenty years' experience in the publishing industry, in both the private and the public sectors. She specialises in educational and government publishing.
Judy has worked in the publishing and communications units of several government agencies, including Education Queensland. She is currently working as Principal Communication Officer, Disability Services Queensland.
Judy has worked as a freelance for several publishers. She has also taught TAFE editing and publishing students.
Education qualifications: BA, Dip.Ed, ASDA (Speech and Drama)
Jill Morris (generalist, children's books, education, fiction)
Jill's special skills include publishing and marketing consultancies and children's books. Her special interests include art books/the arts, educational books (from primary to tertiary and above), fiction, and sciences (especially zoology).
Jill became a Founding Director of Greater Glider Productions in 1986. She has published three series for the Curriculum Corporation, and has worked as a freelance on several projects for children and adults. She has also undertaken hundreds of manuscript consultancies in all fields.
Education qualifications: BA, Dip. Ed, LSDA, LTCL (Speech & Drama), Senior Honorary Fellow, University of the Sunshine Coast
Ruth Ridgway (generalist)
Ruth has 25 years' experience as an editor, managing editor and writer for publishing houses, other private enterprise companies, government departments, not-for-profit groups, and her own publishing services business. She originally trained in-house as an editor at educational publisher Thomas Nelson Australia, and later worked at Heinemann Publishers Australia and Jacaranda Wiley. Major clients of her business included Macmillan Education and McGraw-Hill. Ruth has edited and written for a wide range of publications in many subjects (including sciences, social sciences, technology, and humanities). Ruth also has 16 years' experience in providing various forms of training for editors and writers. She is currently National Communications Manager for major engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Education qualifications: BA (Hons), BSc, Dip. Library Studies, MSc.
Jan Whelan (generalist)
Jan has had more than 30 years' experience as an editor. Since 1983 she has worked as a freelance and publishing consultant; her clients have included several publishing houses and many government departments and agencies. She also worked as Senior Editor and then as head of Editorial Department with Jacaranda Wiley from 19751983.
Jan has worked in a very wide range of subjects; she specialises in accounting, business, finance, economics and marketing.
She helped develop two diploma courses in editing and publishing and has lectured in those courses.
Education qualifications: BA, BA (Hons).
VIC
Elizabeth Flann (generalist)
Elizabeth has worked in fiction, children's books (fiction, non-fiction and educational), general education, science, government reports, technical manuals and, for some reason, a lot of health and well-being publications.
Her main interests are in structural editing, copyediting, inclusive language. She has done a large amount of technical editing. Co-author (with Beryl Hill), The Australian Editing Handbook.
Beryl Hill (generalist, writer)
Beryl's career has spanned all levels and topics of non-fiction, as well as humour and some fiction, She has worked on many areas-from mud bricks, desert travel, cat care, gardening, educational packages, dictionaries, self-help, biographies, to obstetrics, poetry and cookery books. Co-author (with Elizabeth Flann), The Australian Editing Handbook.
Janet Mackenzie (generalist, writer, lecturer)
More than thirty years' freelancing in academic, trade, fiction and educational books, corporate publications, and government reports and submissions, including science and economics for the general reader and to Year 12. Some experience editing on-screen publications. Clients include most major publishing houses. Author, The Editor's Companion. Janet has conducted training for editors at all levels.
Qualifications: BA (Hons); Grad Dip Permaculture.
Renée Otmar (generalist)
Renée is a freelance writer, editor and project manager.
Most of her writing work has been in the public health field, where her interests are international health, health promotion, HIV/AIDS prevention, and alcohol and other drug prevention.
Renée has edited fiction and non-fiction publications across a broad range of sectors, including book publishing (trade, education and specialist), education (primary, secondary, academic and vocational), government/corporate and public health, and in print and electronic/online formats.
She has managed numerous projects (large and small), both in-house and on a consultancy basis, including convening and organising international conferences and training programs.
Most recent employment: Director, Otmar Miller Consultancy (1999-); Publishing Manager, Australian Drug Foundation (2002-05)
Qualifications: BA (politics, media studies), GradDipEdPub, MA (Communications), MPH (due 2008).
Other: Member of the Committee of the Society of Editors (Victoria) Inc. since 1992 (except 2004-05), including three terms as president; represents the assessors on the IPEd Accreditation Board (2006-). Has taught numerous workshops on targeting public health communications, business skills for freelance editors and a grammar refresher.
Susan Keogh (education, non fiction)
Susan's editing expertise lies in academic works, literary non-fiction, travel guides (wrote Lonely Planet in-house style manual) and tertiary texts.
WA
Janet Blagg (children's and adult fiction, non-fiction, Indigenous writing)
Most recent employment: Janet Blagg currently works for Fremantle Arts Centre Press and other freelance clients. She has more than 20 years' experience in book editing (in-house and freelance), in non-fiction and adult and children's fiction. She was senior editor at Victoria Press (Melbourne) and has worked for publishers in Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. She was Australia Council editor-in-residence at the Institute for Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs in 1995. Janet has been shortlisted for the Beatrice Davis editorial fellowship, and is a former Society of Editors (WA) vice-president. In 2007 she taught Editing and Publishing to professional writing students at Curtin University.
Other skills: Manuscript assessments and reader's reports for publishers; manuscript development and assessment for writers.
Qualifications: BA (Politics and History), University of Western Australia, 1973; DipEd, University of Melbourne, 1983; BLitt (1st Class Hons, Psychology), University of Western Australia, 1999.
Anne Surma (generalist, corporate, technical, academic)
Most recent employment: Dr Anne Surma is currently Senior Lecturer in English and Professional Writing at Murdoch University, and the author of Public and Professional Writing: Ethics, Imagination and Rhetoric (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). Prior to her present position, she had ten years’ experience in writing and editing, both in-house (British Council, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />London; Kinhill Engineers, Perth) and freelance (corporate quality systems, proposal and tender documents, academic texts and theses). She is a former SOEWA president, longstanding SOEWA committee member, and has been an IPEd councillor since 2006. She is presently under contract with Palgrave to write her second book, on writing and social change.
Other skills: Development and presentation of tailored workshops on writing to corporate clients.
Qualifications: BA (1st Class Hons, English), Reading; Postgrad. Cert. Education (Secondary English), Reading; MA (English Literature), Warwick; PhD, Warwick.
