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A one-day conference presented by the
Northwest Independent Editors Guild,
March 28, 2009
Report on the Conference
The second conference of the Northwest Independent Editors
Guild took place at
North
Seattle
Community College. Of the 124 editors who attended, only a few more than half were members of the
guild, so we were able to introduce many new people to our organization. Though
most attendees were from the Seattle
area, we welcomed editors from as far as
Vancouver
BC, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Attendees enjoyed
the following:
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A keynote address by Sheila Bender, an author, developmental editor, and founder
of www.writingitreal.com, a website that focuses on the personal essay. She spoke on
the working relationship between editor and writer. |
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A choice of workshops on various aspects of editing:
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The Big Picture: Structural Editing of Longer Manuscripts, by
Barbara Sjoholm |
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Taking Control of Microsoft Word, by Hilary Powers |
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When Work Becomes a Pain in the …, by Sevak Kroesen, DC
, and Jain Rutherford |
| Back to the Future: Editing for Online vs. Print Publications, by
Anne Dujmovic |
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Dealing with Problem Clients, by Michelle Goodman |
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Marking up the Screen: Acrobat for Editors, by Wendy Katz |
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Rigid Rules vs. Gentle Guidelines: Taming Miss Thistlebottom, by
Kim Runciman
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Two discussion sessions in which editors talked informally with volunteer
faciliators:
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Tooting Your Own Horn, with subtopics around methods of
self-promotion |
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Wearing Many Hats, with subtopics around different roles editors
play
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An opportunity to meet and network with other editors, look at editors’
materials, participate in an optional spelling bee with word games, and browse
work-related books at the University Book Store’s table. |
Participant
response:
The evaluations collected after the conference were very
positive, with most people saying they would attend or probably would come to
the next one.
General comments:
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“I am very impressed with the Editors Guild.” |
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“I liked talking with other editors, exchanging ideas and
experiences.” |
What people particularly liked:
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“Engaging and knowledgeable keynote and session speakers; good
to meet fellow editors/writers.” |
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“The combination of education and networking/connecting with
others.” |
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“Everyone was so friendly. I loved the sense of community.” |
What people wanted more of at the next conference:
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“More time for everything: more sessions, networking and
‘lunchtime larks.’” |
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“More on blogging, Web 2.0, etc.” |
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“More sessions for experienced folks—hard, I do understand, to
hit a common denominator.” |
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“More of same. A nice mix of networking/sharing of ideas, plus
instructional.” |
Many thanks to all our volunteers who helped with planning
and production both before and during the conference.
Conference Committee: Ann Gosch
(chair), Kyra Freestar, Marianne Streich, Nancy Wick
The next guild conference is tentatively scheduled for the
spring of 2011. The conference takes up to a year of planning, so watch for a
call for volunteers in early 2010.
Read the report from our 2007 conference.
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