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Call for Presentation Proposals

You are invited to propose a session for presentation at Seasons of an Editing Career, the eighth biennial Red Pencil Conference. 

Red Pencil, one of the top editing conferences in the country, is expected to attract over 200 attendees from the Pacific Northwest, Canada, California, and beyond. This year the conference will be held at the Lynnwood Convention Center (17 miles north of downtown Seattle), which offers expanded space and enhanced accessibility. 

Our theme, Seasons of an Editing Career, encompasses every editorial career phase—from breaking into the field, to expanding a client base, to diversifying or specializing, to exploring paths to retirement. We’re also planning a strong track on editor-author relations, offering essential information and insights about—and for—the authors and other writing clients that editors serve in all seasons of their careers. 

Format

The one-day in-person conference will feature a keynote presentation followed by four sets of four concurrent 45-minute sessions, each presented by a single speaker, partners, or a panel. Attendees choose four sessions from the day’s schedule of sixteen. Presenters are required to provide any audience materials either as printed handouts or as links to a slide deck or supplemental material.

Session Topics

We welcome proposals on all topics of interest to professional editors. Subjects of particular interest include:

• Breaking into editing: traditional paths and creative innovations

• Finding clients, connecting, onboarding, and securing further work

• Editor‐author relations: defining roles and expectations, giving/receiving feedback, and managing schedule and scope creep

• Contracts and work agreements that serve and protect both editor and client

• Automating the administrative side of client relations, with templates and boilerplate for communication, tracking, and invoicing

• Aspects of self-publishing such as publishing platforms; publicity; and working with book designers, cover artists, and others involved in the self-publishing process

• Social media for marketing: self-promotion and client marketing

• Tapering down the workload: effective real-world strategies

• Tax considerations for earning income while drawing Social Security benefits

To learn more topics covered at past conferences, visit edsguild.org/red-pencil-conferences.

Presenter Qualifications

We seek experienced presenters, currently active in their field, who have worked as a professional editor or other expert (e.g. legal, financial, ergonomic) for at least five years. Current Guild membership is not required.

Compensation

Selected presenters receive free admission to the conference, which includes complimentary lunch. (Additional honorariums may be possible.) Your name and bio will be featured in conference materials. We will also link to your business site or social media channels.

Presenters are welcome to bring free promotional materials to offer during sessions along with presentation handouts. If you would like to offer books or other items for sale, please let us know and we will make arrangements with Third Place Books, the conference bookseller, to order copies for resale or sell merchandise on consignment.

Submitting Your Proposal

To propose a session topic, please submit a complete proposal, including all of the following information for yourself and any copresenters. Note: We cannot consider incomplete proposals.

• Name, address, phone, email address

• Current CV or résumé 

• Links to presenter websites and any pertinent social media accounts 

• One-page bio or statement supporting presenters’ experience

• One-page synopsis of the proposed topic and presentation, including:

  • Outline of main points

  • Appeal and value for attendees

  • Description of resource-rich in-session handouts you’ll offer or link to and/or other supplemental materials for later Guild distribution (one of these is required)

Send your proposal or any questions to conference@edsguild.org, with “Presentation Proposal” in the subject line. The deadline to submit proposals has been extended to October 16, 2022.

Presenters will be notified of their acceptance by December 1, 2022.

We look forward to receiving your session proposal!

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