BookwormApril 2012

www.editorswa.com | Post Office Box 99, Subiaco, Western Australia 6904 | president@editorswa.com

Use it or lose it

Inside

• ThenextnetworkingmeetingwillbeheldonTuesday17April2012.Seepage4formoredetails.

• CopydeadlineforNovemberissueisTuesday1November2011.

From the president ................... 3

Members’ roundup ................... 4

Conference update ................. 5

Tools of the trade ..................... 6

IPEd News ................................. 8

AGM reports ............................ 9

Spotlight on the president ..... 13

This is an interactive PDF. Click on the red text and media buttons to open the links.

Continued page 2

Many bookshops have shut in Perth over the past five years, and others face a battle for survival. But at last month’s SoEWA networking meeting we heard from the owners of two bookshops which have bucked the trend — Crow Books on Albany Highway, Victoria Park, and Beaufort Street Books in Mt Lawley.

Alan Sheardown opened Crow Books in 2010 during what he described as a ‘perfect storm’ — the fallout from the global financial crisis, the decline of local publishing, and the rise of e-books.

‘The dollar was high but we were a business and we still had to make money,’ Alan said.

His solution was twofold. Firstly, he followed his passion and, secondly, he chose to market to the local community — ‘hyperlocal’, he called it.

‘We have a really local focus. To survive we have to be the first choice for all the people in my area — or as many as possible. We also donate prizes for school quiz nights because we want kids to come into our shop. We will always be very community based.’

Alan said that after years in the industry, he finally opened the bookshop he would ‘love to have’.

‘This is my space that I wanted to create. I wanted to stock books with quality writing that are going to have lasting value. Ninety per cent of popular books have a shelf life of one to two years, maybe three if they’re lucky. Then there is no demand for that book anymore. We do stock one or two copies of the latest

or most popular books because we want to serve all our customers, but the direction that is sustainable and will still be valuable in 20 years is to stock books with quality writing.

‘The reason I am in books and the reason I love working in bookshops is the books that have cultural value that last longer than one to three years. I want to sell books that people have an attachment to. That’s my vision. That’s what I believe will be left to the book retail industry in the next 20 years.’

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Continued from page 1

‘E-books will increase but there will always be somebody who wants a proper book, and there will be a few of us left.

‘I just believe that the more people who are reading the better. Whether that’s books or e-books, doesn’t really matter. I’d rather people read than not read. Just keep reading books. I don’t even care whether you get it from me or not.’

If Alan’s solid path to Crow Books came through the famous Sydney Berkelouw Bookshops, and then Boffins and Planet, but Jane Seaton had never worked in a bookshop before she opened Beaufort Street Books.

‘I was a sales rep in the medical device industry,’ she said. ‘I had a post-graduate degree in business/marketing. I became a national marketing manager and travelled widely in Australia and overseas. And, obviously, I was on quite a tidy salary.

‘So I didn’t have experience in the trade but I did have all the training I needed — marketing, managing staff, managing the sales process, and the ability to listen and ask the right questions to elicit information that will allow you to find the right product for that customer.

‘Just as the global financial crisis hit, I resigned to pursue the idea of owning my own business. Following 18 months of research, having never worked in a bookstore, and at a time when the retail sector and our economy were at all-time lows, I opened my own bookstore.

‘Pretty crazy when you look at it that way! It is a lot of hard work but I love it.’

Jane said that, as with real estate, location was critical and that her bookshop and Mt Lawley ‘fit well together’. Her books reflect the community’s interests — quality fiction, food, cookbooks, gift books and a big kids section.

‘My aim is to choose the right books that interest the community here and that have the longevity that Alan also mentioned.’

Both bookshops are here to recommend. They want to share the enjoyment of books and give people space where they can do that.

‘Fantastic customer service — that’s a given now,’ Jane said. ‘Give customers an experience they want to take away and talk about.

‘People appreciate the lengths we will go to help them. We always gift-wrap. Our customers tell a hundred friends when we do it. I can’t pay enough to get that sort of response. We do it because we love it and we feel good doing it but I know I am also going to grow the business by doing it’.

Crow Books strongly supports local publishing and both bookshops hold literary events to attract customers.

Alan said, ‘I really feel it is important to sustain local publishers and also support them. We have a WA writing section. I don’t think you will ever support a bookshop just on that but certainly they are very important. I want to be a part of the conversation that’s taking place in Perth and in WA and so these books will always be a part of that’.

Jane said, ‘Events help to get the word out there. But you have to relate the event to your environment. You have to stay true to what you know you core focus is. You’ve got to stick to the books or you are destroying your main product’.

In catering to their local communities, both owners have created somewhere that people really want to spend time, a place where they can enjoy books and talk to people they know about books, although Alan says he does have one quirk. ‘If you come into my shop, you have to listen to my taste of music!’

Kerry Coyle

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 3

From the presidentNew year, new president

Tanya Marwood

thank her and the many other committee members who also stood down, for their dedication and hard work. I have already sent out a brief personal introduction via the Yahoo group email; those curious to know more might wish to take a look at the Spotlight feature in this edition of Bookworm. You might also like to take a look at your new committee by going to <http://editorswa.com/contact-details/>, from whence you can search individual names in the Register of Editors.

This year will be partly about gearing up for the 2013 National Editors Conference here in Perth. It will also be about engaging more of you, our members, to make sure we’re delivering what you need in terms of information and networking. I said this in my introductory email, but it’s worth saying again: the more you engage with your society, the more you will get out of it. All members’ suggestions on any aspect of the society are welcome.

If you can think of a good topic for one of our networking meetings, or know of someone who would come and present on a relevant issue, let us know. You can send an email, come to a networking meeting, or phone one of the committee members.

We hope to see you at the society networking meetings, and hearing from you in general.

Tanya Marwood

COMMITTEE CONTACTS

PresidentTanya Marwoodtanya@writeonwriting.com.au

Vice presidentCheryl Bettridgecheryl.bettridge@det.wa.edu.au

SecretaryAmanda Ellisamanda@amandaellis.com

TreasurerPeta RobsonPeta.Robson@westnet.com.au

Membership officerRobin Barnes barney9277@optusnet.com.au

IPEd council delegateJosephine Smithjosmith@wordsmithwa.com.au

IPEd accreditation board delegateCarla Morriscarlamorris@ozemail.com.au

Committee representatives

Jan Knight jknight@flyingedits.com.au

Marisa Wikramanayakemarisa.wikramanayake@gmail.com

Lisette Kaleveldlisette_kaleveld@yahoo.com

Bookworm editorBec Hitchingsbecsthecatswhiskers@gmail.com

Bookworm proofreaderMary Elgarelgar@westnet.com.au

Hi there — new year, new president! We have an almost all new committee too. Those who attended the AGM in March will know that I was elected when Robin Bower stood down from the role after three dynamic years. I take this opportunity to

4 Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012

Members’ roundup

Join now!

April networking meeting

Tom Dadour Community Centre

The April networking meeting will focus on website design and marketing.

Based in Fremantle, Media on Mars design solutions is a company passionate about great web design and boasts a talented group of web and print designers. We are lucky enough to have Kammi Rapsey, principal, come and speak to us about web design and how to make it work for you!

Kammi's passion is aesthetics. Her unique approach to design draws on her background in fine arts and her appreciation of good communication.

As well as being a designer, Kammi is a qualified art and media teacher. Her capabilities extend to photography, 3 dimensional design, art direction and web design.

Our very own Marisa Wikramanayake, will be talking to us about various aspects of websites, including the basics of how a site is built, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), marketing and how we as editors can use our websites, as well as how to help our clients get the best out of the website text they send us.

Wonderful Web Wizards

New SoEWA members

The Society would like to welcome new members Kathryn Buehrig, Lawrence Clarke, Zoe Deleuil, Holly Elsholz, Sandra Frid, Denise Holden, Keith Mexsom,

Joanna Moore, and Judy Moulton.

Date: Tuesday 17 April 2012

Venue: Tom Dadour Community Centre 363 Bagot Road, Subiaco

Time: 7.30 – 8.30 pm

Cost: Members $5; non-members $10

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 5

Conference update

Edit ing acr oss borders6TH IPED NATIONAL EDITORS CONFERENCE, PERTH 2013

Things are moving — fast! We're trying our best to keep up. Livia Russell from Promaco Conventions, has stepped in as our professional conference organiser and we could not be more thrilled. She will be making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes in terms of event administration.

We have also extended the deadline for submitting abstracts for presentations/workshops at the conference. We are now accepting abstract submissions till 12 October this year. If you are successful you will be notified by 26 October and your full paper will need to be submitted by 28 February 2013. If you would like to be a speaker or presenter, please fill out the abstract form with your idea and send it to us at <speakers@editorswa.com>. The form will be available to download from the website on 13 April 2012.

We are still looking for sponsors. If you would like to sponsor the conference, please send an email to <sponsorship@editorswa.com> with your details.

We are also seeking expressions of interest from anyone who may wish to be a conference blogger. If you can write, are adept with social media, websites,

and photography, please let us know. We will send out further details on what you will be required to do and what the benefits are shortly, so please keep checking the website for more information.

As always, if you would like to be on the conference planning committee, send an email with your availability and experience to <convenor@editorswa.com>. We would love to hear from you.

If you would like to hear about who's speaking, what you can expect to see at the conference and what wonderful opportunities you might get, sign up to the conference newsletter, or don’t hesitate to contact us.

For speakers email Robin Bower at: <speakers@editorswa.com>.

For sponsors email Robin Barnes at: <sponsors@editorswa.com>.

For anything else email Marisa Wikramanayake at: <convenor@editorswa.com>.

Marisa WikramanayakeConvenor

Thank you, Robin!On behalf of the whole membership, I’d like to thank our cheerful, dedicated outgoing president, Robin Bower, for three stellar years at the helm of the good ship SoEWA. After immediately getting to grips with developing and expanding all those things the society was doing well, like networking meetings, the newsletter and the website, Robin proceeded to steer us into new waters, exploiting every opportunity to promote the society through, and establish its presence in, social media. She threw her support behind the idea of SoEWA hosting the 2013 conference, and has in every way been an impressive ambassador for the society and the profession. Robin, our sincere thanks to you: we are so much the richer as a society for your energy and enthusiasm.

Amanda Curtin (who apologises for excessive use of nautical metaphors)

6 Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012

Tools of the trade Carla Morris AE

Foreign toolsAs some of you know, I spend quite a bit of time editing textbooks. Lately, I have spent rather a lot of time editing LOTE (languages other than English) textbooks. As a result, I have had to confront one of the problems that many editors face: what to do with foreign words cropping

up in English texts.

So, what do you do with foreign words? Most style guides give you a nice, tidy answer to that: italicise them. Italicising foreign words is a simple way to help readers identify them as foreign.

If foreign words appear only occasionally, it is common to italicise each occurrence. If your author has a fondness for a particular word and the rash of italics is starting to look unpleasant (let’s imagine an amorous Frenchman is repeatedly using the French for my little cauliflower, ma petite chou-fleur, as a term of endearment, perhaps while nibbling a lady’s ear), it is also acceptable to only italicise the first occurrence.

There is no need to write the names of foreign proper nouns — places, organisations and people — in italics. Nor do you need to italicise currency words.

If you have a whole sentence in another language, such as a line of dialogue, you can choose to italicise it or to omit the italics and let the quotation marks give readers the clue.

But when is a word foreign? English is a language melting pot, with words borrowed from many sources. Foreign words, over time, become less foreign. As that happens — as we adopt them as our own — they lose their italics. Not coincidentally, when you consider Japan’s location at the junction of three tectonic plates, ‘tsunami’ is a Japanese word: 津波. Tsunami is now so accepted by English speakers that italics are unnecessary. The same can be said about words like jihad, coup d’état, and fiesta. Some food words are adopted so rapidly that they seem to skip the italics phase altogether.

To determine whether italics are necessary, refer to your dictionary. You can usually assume that if it is in your English dictionary, it is now accepted as English, even if we English speakers originally pinched it from somewhere else. If the word has been adopted into English, follow your dictionary’s lead for accents, spelling and capitalisation. Some dictionaries will also italicise certain foreign loan words, giving a recommendation that these still be set in italics. For each project, stick to the style recommendations of one English dictionary.

If your (unabridged) dictionary does not include the word, it is time to consult a dictionary in the original language and start italicising. When a word is identified as foreign and placed in italics, you or the author need to check the accents, special characters and capital letters of the word in its original language. German, for example, uses an initial capital letter for all nouns. You may also need to check the word is in the correct gender. Then, record the word in your style sheet as a reference for the next time you encounter it in the manuscript.

Another quirk of including words from other languages is that you sometimes have to spell out foreign words using our alphabet. Many languages that use different scripts have more than one way of being transliterated into English. Do you use Wade–Giles or pinyin for Chinese? Will you follow Hepburn’s lead for Japanese? Is it Tchekhov, Chekhov or Chekov? When the name is being transliterated from Russian, all three are options (unless the person in question has a preferred English spelling for their own name). Within the same text, you and the author have to decide which system of transliteration to use and stick with it. Depending on the publication, readership, and frequency of foreign words from a particular language, you may need to explain your transliteration methods to readers.

Even though the various transliteration methods suggest that the capital of Japan, 東京, can be written as Toukyou or Tōkyō, when a word has a standard anglicised form, in this case Tokyo, it is best to use it to avoid confusing readers even if it opens up transliteration inconsistencies. Again, use your style sheet to record any such decisions.

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 7

In my line of work, LOTE textbooks, including foreign words is obviously necessary. For general non-fiction writing, however, words that might be unfamiliar to readers are often best avoided unless they are explained in context.

I love the following quote from Strunk and White’s (1918) final chapter on style: ‘The writer will occasionally find it convenient or necessary to borrow from other languages. Some writers, however, from sheer exuberance or a desire to show off, sprinkle their work liberally with foreign expressions, with no regard for the reader’s comfort. It is a bad habit. Write in English’. For more on this subject, I recommend the wonderfully comprehensive chapters on languages in The Oxford Guide to Style and The Chicago Manual of Style.

Do you have a topic you would like discussed? Email me at <carlamorris@ozemail.com.au>.

Carla MorrisIPEd accredited editor

Carla Morris AE

To make my job more complicated, a foreign-language textbook will include words in their original script. Sometimes a word in its original script will even pop up in an English sentence. If you only knew the headaches that arise when trying to typeset a text in a font that the typesetter cannot read! A particular challenge with non-English text is that when marking page proofs by hand you also have to key in every scrap of foreign script (such as Japanese) because the typesetter cannot read it, let alone type it. Every character has to be typed into a Word document and sent to the typesetter. You can never assume that the typesetter will know whether the new character is a separate word or the missing tail-end of an existing word, so your handwritten mark-up has to be precise.

Foreign words can add authenticity to a novel set in far-off lands, but editors need to advise authors when their use might baffle readers. The days when the literate all received an education rich in Greek, Latin, French, and the classics are gone, and you can no longer throw a French word (or biblical or mythical allusion) into text and assume that all readers will understand.

Hvae you seen tihs beofre? Andrew EatherTihs fnsactiiag isnhigt itno how the mnid wroks recad anourd the irentent a few yraes bcak:

"Aoccdrnig to a rscheerear at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe."

To me, this suggests just how much ‘processing power’ is at work in the subconscious mind. What are we doing when we read? We are absorbing meaning through the symbols on the page or screen. This takes greater mental effort than simply listening, although that’s an act of interpretation as well. But what the above paragraph demonstrates, I think, is how our minds are capable of applying instinctual responses to analytical situations. Clearly we’re not reading every letter of the scrambled word; we are understanding it as a whole, instantly, much like we would have assessed a food opportunity or life threat back on the savannah a few hundred thousand years ago. And now this skill is helping us to decipher language almost instantly, even when it is encoded.

Perhaps language is now the crucial survival tool that our physical reflexes once were? Got your own theory? The Red Pony Express would love to hear it: <mail@redpony.com.au>.

T i p s t o i m p r o v e y o u r b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

8 Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012

IPEd newsNews from the Institute of Professional Editors LimitedThe IPEd Council met once during the period covered by these notes, on 5 February. The meeting was by teleconference.

Revision of ASEPWhile the Christmas/New Year period might have been a quiet time for many of us, not so for Queensland’s Kerry Davies AE who was busy planning for, then facilitating, the workshops to consider the revision of the Australian Standards for Editing Practice that were held by the SA, Tasmanian, Victorian, WA and NSW societies (in that order) in the weeks beginning 12 and 19 February. The Queensland society held its workshop during December last. Kerry and a member of each state society will continue to be busy for some time collating and reporting on the outcomes of the workshops, to finalise a draft revised set of standards. The IPEd Council extends its thanks to all who participated in the workshops and contributed to this essential professional activity.

2012 exam and teamOngoing busy-ness is also the experience of IPEd’s Accreditation Board (AB), it having tentatively set 13 October 2012 as the date for IPEd’s fourth accreditation exam. The Exam Lead Writer has been appointed and, following a call for volunteers made to all accredited editors, there is now a team of 10 IPEd Assessors who will work with the Lead Writer to develop the exam paper.

PatronIPEd is delighted to announce that Emeritus Professor Roland (Roly) Sussex OAM has accepted the Council’s invitation to become a Patron of the Institute. Professor Sussex is an emeritus professor of Applied Language Studies at the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

The Council was attracted to Professor Sussex by his strong interest in the day-to-day use and evolution of language. He contributes to talkback programs on

language and linguistics on ABC Radio in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and writes a weekly column, ‘Wordlimit’, for the Brisbane Courier-Mail. Chairman of the State Library of Queensland and President of Alliance Française de Brisbane are among Professor Sussex’s other current positions.

We are looking forward to Professor Sussex’s engagement in IPEd activities.

New policiesThe IPEd Council recently drafted a new ‘Policy on communication and information dissemination’ and revised its ‘Policy and procedures on costs of meetings and IPEd-sponsored events’. Both can be read on the members-only area of the website. Currently being drafted is a new ‘Policy on IPEd use of information about society of editors members’. The development of this was initially stimulated by Council’s desire to overcome the reticence of some societies to provide contact details that would streamline the procedure for giving their members access to the privileged information on the IPEd website. It has since evolved into a more general privacy policy. The draft policy has been sent to society committees for comment, and the view of the Arts Law Society of Australia on its content is also being sought.

UK SfEPAs foreshadowed in the last IPEd Notes for 2011, we can now report that formal notification has been received from the UK Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) that IPEd AEs and DEs who apply for membership will be accorded automatic acceptance as ‘Ordinary members’, and that IPEd certification will count toward becoming an ‘Advanced member’ of the society. Details of membership requirements can be found on the society’s website (www.sfep.org.uk). One IPEd Accredited Editor has already been accepted for advanced membership of SfEP.

Ed Highley IPEd Secretary

<ipedsecretary@gmail.com>

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 9

AGM reportsPresident’s report

During the 2011–12 year we’ve focussed on:

• Our presentation at the Sydney conference to launch our hosting of the Perth conference in 2013

• Education and training for editors • The promotion of editing• Updating the standards for editing practice.

Achievements in 2011–12

SpeakersLast year the accreditation exam was held in May and we had our usual preparation workshop in April to prepare for the exam. Carla Morris led the discussion and always does a thorough job of taking us through the parts of the exam and highlighting areas that may be more challenging than others. I receive many queries by email about lots of things which often help plan our networking session topics. Many members ask about how to quote for jobs so we held a panel to discuss the various methods of quoting. Stephanie Slanzi from the Department of Water, Jo Penning from SBDC and our very own Michèle Drouart took us through some of the hurdles we might find in providing the best quote for work. In June, we invited a fascinating panel from the world of editing indigenous writing. Eric Hedley Hayward had recently published his memoir, and he was joined by his proposed film maker Janine Kelly. Together with heavyweights from the world of indigenous publishing and editing, Janet Blagg, Mark Greenwood and Ray Coffey, the discussion led us into the dilemmas and solutions for editing work that has primarily an oral history. Small publishers Tehani Wesseley (Fablecroft Publishing) and sj Finch (Dotdotdash) gave us a brief insight into their very busy creative worlds in August. The Sydney National Editors Conference was held in September and a few of us who attended gave members a look at the medley of topics that were showcased there. In October members James Hansen and Anne Surma facilitated a practical discussion about their own bugbears in grammar and punctuation and the crowd shared some of their own. Professor David Lindsay presented in November and showed us a different way of looking at editing scientific writing. I highly recommend his

book ‘Scientific writing = Thinking in Words’. We rounded off the year with our annual Christmas bash, this year held at the Buddha Bar in Subiaco where we had fun with quizzes and word games, fabulous prizes and a wonderful Indian banquet. Our first session of 2012 was the important workshop to help revise the Standards for Editing Practice facilitated by Kerry Davies, President of the Queensland society.

BookwormWe thank Bec Hitchings for continuing as editor of our newsletter, Bookworm. She has enhanced the design and has some great new ideas for the coming year.

Huge thanks go to Michèle Drouart who has decided to relinquish the role of proofreader after working on Bookworm for 16 years. Mary Elgar has stood down from the committee to take over the proofreading role for one year.

Website• From March 2011 to March 2012, the total

number of unique visits to the site was 11 615. We are a little down on figures from the previous year (January to January it was 14 048 in 2010 to 11 057 in 2011 comparison). We’ll be looking at ways to increase that figure in the lead up to the conference in 2013.

• Average number of unique visits to the site did not increase.

• We now have an online calendar, social media integration and a good key word search which can always be improved.

• The register of editors is up and running and it is up to you to maintain and update your own entry

• We have a conference website that hangs off our main website <www.editorswa.com/conference>.

Social media• We have enhanced our presence on Facebook,

Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook page – 134 membersNSW – 171Victoria – 122Queensland – 91

10 Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012

Tasmania – 34Twitter – following 840, followers 315LinkedIn Group: Society of Editors (WA) Inc. – 46 members LinkedIn Subgroup: IPEd National Editors Conference, Perth 2013 – 11 membersVictoria – 95 membersNSW – 33 membersStart following the conversations, see who our friends are, ‘friend’, ‘follow’ or ‘join’ groups to find out what the industry is doing and network, network, network.

2013 National Editors Conference in Perth If you haven’t heard yet, Perth is hosting the conference in Perth from 10–13 April 2013 at The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle.

• We have two speakers – Nury Vittachi and William Yeoman.

• We have hired a conference organizer.• The committee is working hard to find sponsors

and speakers and put together an inspirational program.

Our conference planning subcommittee:Marisa WikramanayakeCheryl BettridgeRobin BowerMichèle DrouartKerry CoyleRobin Barnes

Please volunteer if you have some spare time this year.

Acknowledgements and thanksAs you are probably aware, after three years as President, I will be stepping down. I’ve had an amazing three years in the role, have learnt a lot, expanded my network, made new friends, and been involved in issues and activities that I would possibly never have had the opportunity to do. I also believe that as a committee, we have managed some major achievements for the society:

• Held our membership numbers (and increased them)

• Accepted the challenge of hosting the national editors’ conference in Perth in 2013 and started planning

• Helped our national body IPEd promote accreditation for editors

• Revamped our website• Revamped our Bookworm newsletter• Promoted our activities by social media• Held networking sessions and seminars each year to

help members build their knowledge and skills at a very low cost

• Hosted a Yahoo! list for members’ online discourse and a jobs board

• Provided a mentoring service for people interested in finding out about the publishing industry

• This has all been done with a committee of 10 volunteers and three volunteers in other roles.

After three years, I think it is appropriate to hand over and give someone else a turn at leading the committee.

I’d like to thank all the committee members whom I’ve worked with over the time I’ve been President. You’ve been a hardworking and inspirational team. In particular I’d like to thank those who will be stepping down:

• Ursula Shaw for working so hard on the challenging Treasurer role and other tasks on the committee

• Mary Elgar for her contributions to the committee• Kerry Coyle for the thoroughness and dedication in

her role as secretary• I’d especially like to thank Amanda Curtin for her

continuing dedication to the society as a committee member for 16 years and during that time, as President. Her knowledge and wise counsel will be missed.

I wish all outgoing committee members well in their future endeavours and hope they will continue to be involved in the society in some way. Good luck to the existing and new committee members.

Robin BowerPresident, Society of Editors (WA) Inc

March 2012

AGM reports

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 11

Treasurer’s reportThe Society began the year with a balance of $11 828 and closed the books on 31 January 2012 with $13 285, recording an increase of $1457. This, however, reflects a decrease of $543 for the 2011 year. The amount of $2000 is seed money on loan to assist with the planning of the 2013 conference and will, after the conference closes, be passed to the next conference organisers for 2015.

This was the second year of a recorded deficit, resulting in the decision to increase door fees ($5 for members and $10 for non-members), and membership fees ($60 for concessional and $80 for full members). The increase took effect in February 2012. The increases are necessary for the society to keep abreast of inflationary costs and to assist in the running of the society and the planned 2013 conference.

Impacts on the financial position of the society in 2011:

• IPEd fees• Website maintenance: $700. The result is an

improved site• Presenting the 2013 Conference at last year’s

conference in Sydney: $2360• Fewer attendances at monthly meetings and the

Christmas function• Workshops revenue was missed this year.

On the plus side:

• The annual cost of room hire was reduced by $220 in 2011 and has been negotiated down a further $268 for the 2012 year (reflecting 2009 prices)

• Insurance costs have been reduced to $85• The committee continues to be prudent with

meeting running costs. This year an online receipt will see further savings of up to $70 on postage costs

• Membership applications has been on the rise — 25 new members in 2011. This year we have nine new members already

• Total membership for 2011 was up on 2010 by nine = 118• Interest income has improved on last year through

targeting better term deposit rates and opening an online account for the conference account (up $170)

• Door takings for the year, after the fee increase late in 2011, showed an improvement (up $355).

IPEd accreditation board reportIPEd exists as a child of the state societies. Its main purposes: PR, standards and accreditation. These are important to the professionalism of the industry.

As a member of a state society, you are a member of IPEd. In the 2011–12 year, the accreditation board confirms the following:

• A call was sent out for exam writers late last year • The exam writing team was appointed and has

started work• The next exam is in development with an estimated

date of 13 October 2012• The perception and awareness of accreditation is

growing. At last year’s conference huge numbers of AEs stood up

• Working in the UK has become easier for accredited editors. The UK’s SfEP has acknowledged that people with AE or DE status have already demonstrated their professional competence. From January 2012 this status counts as full evidence for ordinary membership for SfEP. Ordinary members are editors with some experience and are the equivalent of full members in states, other than WA, that have tiered membership

• The electronic exam continues to be something we are trying to find ways of implementing, as announced at last year’s conference. Option 7 — candidates doing the exam in Word at home on their own computers — is the option the feedback suggested we pursue. We are doing that but are mindful that the costs to security have to factor in any decision to change the format

• The IPED website <http://iped-editors.org/> contains some excellent resources for editors, such as its online resources section. You will need a login, but you are entitled to that if you are a member of this society.

12 Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012

AGM reportsIPEd Councillor’s reportI volunteered last May, with some trepidation, to become the WA IPEd Councillor, rather daunting considering I was taking over from Anne Surma, who has made a magnificent contribution to IPEd over the previous years.

To be honest I felt unqualified and inexperienced, so it was quite a relief when I found my niche. As a former chartered accountant, becoming the Honorary Treasurer gave me the opportunity to significantly contribute to IPEd in a way no other current councillor could. A recent example of this has been compiling the budget for next year as well as monitoring the cashflow for the current year to ensure the business is kept in a healthy and secure position.

During the year, Ed Highley, the company secretary, has kept you all informed of what IPEd is up to with his IPEd notes, published in Bookworm.

The main item for IPEd at the moment is the revision of the Australian Standards for Editing Practice. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the workshop held here on 18 February, where WA members put their contribution into the pot. I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of this process, hopefully to be completed in May.

An area of concern for IPEd is communication. IPEd exists as a national body representing its members —

the seven societies of editors. As your representative, at each monthly teleconference I report to council on the main activities of our society. Any issues of concern or interest can also be brought before the council. After the teleconference, I report any relevant information to the WA committee. Ed Highley then emails the draft council minutes to the president of each society for use by the committees. Once approved, these minutes are available to view on the IPEd website, so if you are interested you can keep a close eye on what IPEd is up to.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing president, Robin Bower, for her support of IPEd, in terms of replying to correspondence and also passing on information to the committee and to members. The relationship has been particularly useful to me because living in Pemberton I am not able to come to committee meetings and therefore rely on email and others passing on messages for me. I am sure the new president will be as supportive and helpful as Robin has been. I look forward to the challenges of the coming year with the accreditation exam in October and then the conference in April 2013.

If you have any questions or concerns or wish to discuss any matters relating to IPEd, please contact me <josmith@wordsmithwa.com.au>.

Jo Smith

Celebrating Amanda CurtinAnnabel Smith recently interviewed Society member, Amanda Curtin.

Amanda is a writer and freelance book editor based in Perth, Western Australia. Her first novel, The Sinkings, was published by University of Western Australia Publishing (UWAP) in 2008, and her short story collection, Inherited (also UWAP), was published in 2011.

She has won the University of Canberra National Short Story Award (joint winner), the Katharine Susannah Prichard Short Fiction Award, the Lee Steere History Prize and the Golden Key Honour Society Excellence in Fiction Award.

To read the full interview, Q&A with Author Amanda Curtin, go to <http://annabelsmith.tumblr.com/post/20454455899/q-a-with-author-amanda-curtin>.

Society of Editors (WA) Inc. | Bookworm APRIL 2012 13

A trivial bit of fun ...

Po s t O f f i c e B o x 9 9 , S u b i a c o, We s t e r n A u s t r a l i a 6 9 0 4p r e s i d e n t @ e d i t o r s w a . c o m

w w w. e d i t o r s w a . c o m

D O Y O U H AV E S O M E T H I N G T O S AY O R A S U G G E S T I O N F O R T H E D E S I G N O F B O O K W O R M ?C o n t a c t B e c w i t h y o u r a r t i c l e s o r i d e a s | b e c s t h e c a t s w h i s k e r s @ g m a i l . c o m

SpotlightI’ve followed a most circuitous route to editing and writing, starting my working life as an engineer — in the ceramics industry, of all things — making electronic components and bricks. I suppose it makes some kind of sense, given that both engineers and editors need to be inherently analytical and well organised. I was certainly one of the more literate and articulate of my fellow students!

After working for a time in engineering and other, often unrelated jobs, I found I preferred the idea of my own business. In 1999, I completed a Diploma of Freelance Journalism through the Australian College of Journalism in Sydney, and the government’s NEIS (New Enterprise Incentive Scheme) and set up Write On Writing Services <www.writeonwriting.com.au> in 2000.

Since then I've been editing and writing for a diverse range of clients and I've been an active member of the Society since 2003. Some of you might recall that I was editor of Bookworm from March 2005 until March 2007 and a committee member for several years.

I write, edit and sometimes proofread projects in many areas, including the environment, wildlife, science and engineering, travel, transport, marketing, fiction, and autobiography. I have a strong personal interest in biodiversity conservation and animal welfare issues.

Lately I’ve been considering going back into part-time employment with a public or private sector organisation because I’ve been finding the freelance lifestyle a little difficult. The demands of constant marketing can wear one down and unless one happens to have several good, high-volume repeat clients such marketing is absolutely necessary. I wouldn’t discourage any member from trying the freelance path, though I would encourage them to take a flexible view when it comes to accepting work.

Tanya MarwoodSoE(WA) President

I am is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that I do is the longest sentence?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergyman defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

Do Roman paramedics refer to IV’s as 4’s?

By rearranging a ten-word sentence in the English language into every conceivable combination, whether grammatical or not — there are 3 628 800 possible combinations.

Editor’s Word of the Month:

Sarcastrophe – when humorous sarcasm fails abysmally and turns into more of a tragedy!

Source: Book of Words, 2006