SA President Melanie Dankel
Members’ enthusiasm ‘rubs off’
This issue of Gatherings profiles South Australia branch President Melanie Dankel.
When and why did you join IPEd?
I joined Society of Editors Victoria probably around 1998. It’s been a while so the exact year is a little hazy. I was studying the Graduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing at RMIT and it seemed a great way to tap into the industry and connect with other editors.
What is your current and past involvement with IPEd?
I have served as Training Officer and President of Editors Victoria; I have been Training Officer for Editors SA and am currently President of Editors SA and the SA Representative on IPEd’s Board.
What does IPEd mean to you?
I think we are incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated group of people in this organisation advocating for editors. Its members are incredibly passionate and it’s very easy for that enthusiasm to rub off on you. Because of IPEd we have access to rich professional development opportunities, mentorships, advocacy and a host of other benefits that people aren’t always aware of because everyone is working so hard behind the scenes.
Why are you prepared to volunteer your own time to IPEd?
I think it’s always important to give back. If we don’t work to further the interests of editors, then who will? I think people get a bit scared of volunteering because it seems like this enormous commitment, but we’re all very supportive and understanding. We’re all busy. The benefits you get from being part of IPEd and making a difference to editors are very rewarding.
What is your current job?
I work for the University of Adelaide as a copyeditor on its journal JBI Evidence Synthesis, which focuses on evidence-based health care. I also freelance edit for interstate and overseas clients in areas such as travel, fashion and even dentistry.
Some background on your career path — what led you to editing?
I’ve always been passionate about language, words and writing. I was dissuaded from becoming a writer because ‘writers never make any money’.* When I moved to Melbourne I realised that editing was a real job and it just seemed like this magical career. I enrolled in the graduate diploma at RMIT while working in the marketing department at Macmillan Education, and then joined Lonely Planet as an editor. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
If you were not an editor, what would you do?
See previous answer. 😉
What do you do in your spare time?
What’s that?
Do you have any pets?
We just adopted two cheeky cats who keep us entertained. They are escape artists and 4am alarm clocks.
What are your favourite books/movies?
That has to be one of the most difficult questions to answer. I go through phases where I’m obsessed with an author or a genre and then I move on. Alice in Wonderland has always been an enduring love for me, though.
What’s something very few people know about you?
*I would have made a terrible writer.