From the committee December 2020
by Paul Anderson and Robert Rowe
The Editors NSW branch committee met on 8 December, via Zoom, for its final monthly meeting of 2020.
The NSW branch committee member reports were received, including the financial report for October 2020 and a budget commentary. The financial position of the branch remains sound and the branch is operating within the budget guidelines. Preparatory work has begun on the 2021/22 branch budget.
Our annual December dinner was held in Sydney on 2 December. It was lovely for those members who could attend to meet again, in person. Everyone had a merry time. Hopefully, some regional lunches will be reprised in 2021 too.
Monthly branch member meetings have permanently moved online. The branch aims to provide a balance of professional development, social events and possibly other opportunities for members to engage with each other and the committee.
A range of topics (and suggestions for topics are always welcome from members) is under active consideration for member meetings and as many as four workshops are proposed. 2021 is lining up to be a busy and enriching year for the branch and IPEd as a whole. This should provide members with a diverse choice of events and different ways of engagement. Please look out for branch announcements in the first quarter, as and when our full calendar is confirmed. We will, as normal, keep members informed by email, through the website and social media, as well as in Gatherings.
From the committee January 2021
by Paul Anderson and Robert Rowe
The Editors NSW branch committee held its first monthly meeting of 2021 on 12 January, with four apologies. Reports received included the November 2020 financial report. The branch continues to be in a good financial position.
As is customary, there was no branch member meeting in January. We hope to see many of you on 2 February, after the summer break, for our first meeting of the year. Guest speaker Peter Riches will present The freelance editor’s toolkit. Meeting topics have been finalised for March, April and May. Please remember that ideas for presentations are always welcome from members.
We have workshops to look forward to as well. Our Advanced Word workshops will be held in February. Both the Windows and Mac versions have sold well and there may be an opportunity for IPEd to run these again for those who missed out. Committee member Dr Linda Nix AE will deliver a Grammar Refresher workshop for the ANZ branch on 20 February.
A new initiative for 2021 is to implement member forums, the first tentatively scheduled for after our Annual Branch Meeting in August. The aim is to provide further opportunity for members to engage with each other and the committee, now that we run most events online.
Welcome to new members
by Kaaren Sutcliffe
A warm welcome to all the new members who joined Editors NSW during December or January.
Professional members: Ross Peake AE, Kai Jensen AE and Cheryl Ballantyne.
Associate members: Katherine Old, Lucy Halliday, Karen Fong, Debra Hicks, Robin Hart, Sharyn Maxwell, Jane Lampitsi, Mark John Lock, Nicholas McDonald, Caitlin Doyle-Markwick and Fi Peel.
Student member: Lucy Eddy.
Member meetings
Member meetings will continue to be held via Zoom.
Members are urged to check their email for the latest information on any event.
Book via the IPEd Events webpage.
Editors NSW December dinner
by Susie Pilkington
We tentatively booked our usual December dinner this year, keen to celebrate our 10th anniversary of holding it at the Sydney Flying Squadron, Kirribilli. Sitting right on the harbour, it is a particularly lovely spot on a summer evening.
We were not sure we would even get 10 people to form a table, so we were thrilled that 23 turned up on Wednesday 2 December to take advantage of a social outing, after so long in relative isolation.
Our members enjoyed an evening of good food, good wine and even better company. We realised how much we have missed the chance to catch up in person this year. (We will organise more social networking opportunities in 2021; have no fear.)
Even more exciting, our colleagues at HarperCollins gave us a boxful of books to give away; Macquarie Dictionary gave us five six-month online subscriptions; and Meetings Coordinator Caroline Hunter was very pleased to contribute wine left over from member meetings, which she had stored at home.
Which meant everyone who attended got a prize.
What a merry start to Christmas it was.
[Photo credits: Caroline Hunter]
Events
Topic: The freelance editor’s toolkit
Date: Tuesday 2 February 2021, 7pm AEDT
Location: online via Zoom
Details: As editors, we use a range of tools to improve the quality of the documents we review, but new products are coming on to the market all the time. How can you work out what technology is best for you and your editing business?
Peter Riches will walk us through some of the software that self-employed editors can use in the execution of projects and administration of their business. He will look at apps for Mac and PC, as well as the online tools that his company employs.
Presenter: Peter Riches is Director and Principal Consultant of Red Pony, a technical writing and editing firm. He harnesses technology to not only improve how he writes and reviews documents, but also to run his business more efficiently, effectively and flexibly.
Book here.
Topic: The IPEd mentoring program
Date: Tuesday 2 March 2021, 7pm AEDT
Location: online via Zoom
Details: Ted Briggs AE will talk about IPEd’s Mentoring Program and how it complements other forms of professional development. Mentoring is a two-way learning experience that benefits both the mentor and the mentee. It can encourage deep satisfaction and numerous benefits in many personal, career, organisational and developmental areas.
Ted will also talk about the outcomes of IPEd’s recent review of the program and the plans for continuing to develop the program and build on its success from the past eight years.
Join us to find out how being involved could benefit you, either as a mentor or a mentee, at whatever stage you are in your editing career.
Presenter: Ted Briggs AE is an Honorary Life Member of both the Canberra Society of Editors (CSE) and IPEd. He has been an IPEd councillor and a delegate to the Accreditation Board since 2012, serving as the chair from 2013 to 2017. In 2012 Ted, along with Elizabeth Manning Murphy, instituted a mentoring program for CSE to give editors at various levels the opportunity to improve their skills. This evolved into the IPEd Mentoring Program with which Ted remains a coordinator and trainer.
Book here.