What's in Store for Red Pencil 2025?

The Northwest Editors Guild's 9th biennial Red Pencil Conference will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025! This year's theme is Framing Our Future: Perspectives on a Changing Industry. The 2025 Red Pencil conference will explore how editors can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our industry during this time of rapid change. 

With an inspiring keynote and a full day of sessions led by experts in our field, we'll examine the myriad challenges and opportunities facing editors today. These include the dizzying growth of AI, rising censorship and intellectual property theft, and preserving the diversity and value that is vital to our industry.

Keynote and session presenter Amy J. Schneider at the 2023 Red Pencil Conference

In addition to a stellar lineup, varied networking opportunities, and a buffet lunch, this can't-miss one-day event will offer sessions for both new and advanced editors. We hope attendees will walk away feeling energized, inspired, and empowered with practical tools.

The 2025 Red Pencil Conference will be hosted at the Lynnwood Event Center, just north of Seattle and easily accessible by car or light rail. The keynote and select sessions will also be livestreamed and recorded for those who would prefer to attend online. 

Like most Northwest Editors Guild events, the 2025 Red Pencil conference is open to both members and non-members, although Guild members will receive a discount on their registration. Tickets will go on sale in the summer of 2025.

Snacks at the 2023 Red Pencil Conference

Call for Speakers

The Northwest Editors Guild is looking for professionals from the editing industry and beyond to share their knowledge, insights, and experience at the 2025 Red Pencil conference. Speakers play a vital role in the ongoing success of the Red Pencil Conference, which draws hundreds of editing professionals eager to expand their knowledge, develop new skills, and discuss the latest developments in our industry. 

This year's call for speakers will open on the Guild's website beginning March 1, and we encourage Guild members to apply to speak on any topic of your choice—from editing fundamentals to streamlining your workflow to adapting your editorial business to our changing industry.

Session presenter Mary-Colleen Jenkins at the 2023 Red Pencil Conference

According to our member survey, this year's attendees would also like to learn more about accessible and conscious language (and tactfully querying biased language); improving productivity and editing efficiency; strategies for marketing, networking, and finding new clients; working with publishers; and—not surprisingly in this era of record inflation—setting (and raising) rates that allow freelancers to survive. 

Of course, the number one topic on Guild members' minds is AI: its impact on the future of industry; whether AI will replace human editors; how AI can help editors improve their workflow and efficiency; working with clients who are using AI; and gaining a fuller understanding of the pros and cons of AI, including when, where, and how to use it while avoiding the plagiarism, copyright infringement, and other ethical issues that may ensue.

Attendees at the 2023 Red Pencil Conference

We're also looking for speakers who can share insights on building and running your editing business; balancing heavy workloads; avoiding burnout; overcoming imposter syndrome; marketing/networking for introverts; what's new in CMOS 18 and other style guides; editing (and staying organized) with ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity; and best practices in developmental, line, structural, copy editing, editorial project/team management, tech editing, and proofreading.

We're looking for sessions aimed toward advanced and beginner editors. And don't be afraid to suggest an interactive panel or workshop—we want to hear all your ideas! You also don't need to be a Guild member or a seasoned speaker to apply, although some previous presenting experience (either online or in person) will be useful. 

The call for sessions will run from March 1 through April 7, 2025, on the Northwest Editors Guild's website. Please fill out the form to apply. Applicants can expect to hear back from the selection committee in May.