From the committee
Networking event report: Summer Hill lunch
By Ingrid van Steenwyk
A small but lively group caught up for a networking lunch in the vibey village of Summer Hill in Sydney’s Inner West on 25 October 2024.
Nestled under a flowering jacaranda in the courtyard of Envy Deli Cafe, we discussed everything from AI to editors’ wages; the benefits of being called a “self-employed editor” versus a “freelancer”; and the ups and downs of job hunting.
Of course it wasn’t all work. We also discussed which city was cooler: Sydney or Melbourne, and life before editing. Did you know that between us we span careers in journalism, medical science and even horticulture?!
These rich life experiences prove what an interesting bunch we are and what diverse and varied experiences we bring to the editing table. Our workplaces and clients are lucky to have us!
It was a case of six degrees of separation (or maybe just one) for two of us who discovered we had studied the same course at a small regional university just a year apart. Who would have thought an editors’ networking lunch would double as a reunion of communications graduates from the 1990s?
As always, the lunch provided a great opportunity to share information and experiences in a friendly and supportive setting over good food and coffee. What a great start to the weekend!
IPEd members at the Summer Hill lunch. Photo: Ingrid van Steenwyk.
Networking event report: Newcastle lunch
By Sally Asnicar
On Monday 4 November 2024, seven editors gathered for lunch at the Queens Wharf Hotel on the waterfront in Newcastle. Several attendees were Newcastle locals, while others had travelled from further afield: Sydney, Mulbring and Gloucester.
Some great conversations ensued including the paths we have followed that led us become editors, the genres we enjoy working on, the challenge of sourcing clients, finding time to write when we are so busy “fixing” other people’s writing, and more. There was also a discussion about shearing alpacas, and how to spin and wash the wool.
Feedback about the lunch was positive, so we hope to have another editors’ lunch early next year in the Newcastle/Hunter region.
IPEd members at the Newcastle lunch. Photos: Sally Asnicar.