Inside

The business of editing: November free seminar ................. 2

New members ............................. 2

Dinner in the city ........................ 3

Professional development ......... 5

Workshop information ............... 5

IPEd transition of membership societies ...................................... 6

The IPEd review process, latter stages

ISSN 2202-1361 (Online) PO Box 254, Broadway NSW 2007 August 2014

Newsletter of the Society of Editors (NSW) Inc.

Next meeting: Tuesday, 2 September

The world of magazine editing and subediting

Sue Ramsey

Sue Ramsey is the chief subeditor of Good Health magazine at Bauer Media. She will speak about her life as a freelance editor and the freelance subbing market as well as share her story of her transition to working in-house. Sue will also offer insights into a typical day as a chief sub, changes in magazine publishing over the years and what she sees in the future for magazines.

For further details visitwww.editorsnsw.wildapricot.org

Following meeting: Tuesday, 1 October

The 30 November 2013 voteThe 30 November vote was necessary to choose which of the options for the future of the societies and IPEd would have a detailed implementation and operation plan developed. The difficulty was that developing such a plan, including budgets, fee levels, the constitutional changes, and policies and procedures, would be a very time-consuming and expensive process. To develop such a plan for all three options was not practical or necessary, provided that the members of all the societies were given a discussion and business plan document that clearly outlined how each option would work and indicated the likely budget and fee levels for each option.

So, the Working Party phase 3 (WP3) developed the discussion paper and business plan, which took almost three quarters of a year. That document was presented to the members of the societies, and they were asked in the vote, that ended on 30th November last year, to choose which option would have a fully detailed implementation and operation plan developed. The direct membership model was chosen by the vote.

Developing the Transition PlanThe next step, for which WP4 was commissioned, was to develop the Transition Plan, as it is now called, that is a detailed implementation and operation plan. This process could take 12 months to complete. The process requires significant contributions by each society and by IPEd. Council and WP4 decided that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was required to define how the Transition Plan would be developed, and the part that the societies and IPEd would play in doing that. It needed to take the form of an agreement, so that the societies and IPEd were each committed to play their

part. The MOU also makes it clear what would happen if sufficient members of the societies eventually approved the Transition Plan.

The working party has established five project teams, each consisting of a team leader from WP4 and between four and eight representatives from the societies. These five teams – Legal and Governance, Finance and Operations, Membership, Communications and Professional Development – have developed scope documents and are meeting regularly to work their way through a series of deliverables. The result of this preliminary work will be a set of Green Papers containing recommendations to be referred back to each society for discussion and endorsement. These discussions will form the basis of the Transition Plan on which all society members will be asked to vote.

It is important to understand that, up to the point in time when the Transition Plan is complete, and ready to be voted on by the members of each society, no final decisions about the future of the societies and IPEd will be made. The MOU only commits everyone to work on the development of the Plan, and to submit that plan to their members for approval or not. It does make clear what the consequences will be if enough societies and their members do approve the Plan.

Society votes whether to approve the Transition PlanThe decisive step in the whole IPEd review will be the votes by the members of each society, in general meetings, on special motions to approve the Transition Plan. Each society will hold its own special general meeting, and if 75 per cent of the members who vote approve the Plan, the vote of that society in an IPEd general meeting must be to approve the Plan.

continued on page 2

2 August 2014

IPEd vote on whether to approve the Transition Plan After all the societies have held their special general meetings to vote on the Plan, the member societies of IPEd must record the result of their votes in an IPEd special general meeting. In a general meeting of the members of IPEd, that is the societies, each society has an allocated number of votes that is weighted by the number of members it has (number of members divided by 15). So, for example, a society that has 150 members will have 10 votes. For the IPEd special motion to be approved, a number of societies whose total allocated vote is at least 75 per cent of the overall total allocated votes must have approved the Plan. (This is the same as saying that IPEd approval requires societies whose

total members are at least 75 per cent of all society members to have approved the Plan).

Example: A society has 150 members. In its special general meeting, at least 75 per cent of the voting members who cast a vote approve the Transition Plan. Consequently, at the IPEd special general meeting, that society must record its allocated 10 votes (150 divided by 15) in favour of the Plan.

Assuming the total number of society members of all societies is 1500, the total of allocated society votes at the IPEd special general meeting is 100.

Requirement for IPEd approval of the Transition PlanIf societies whose allocated votes total at least 75 per cent of the overall allocated

votes (75 allocated votes in the example given) have approved the Plan, the IPEd special motion to approve the Plan is approved.

Consequentially, on an agreed date, the constitution of the restructured IPEd will come into effect, and the societies who approved the Transition Plan must start transferring to IPEd their surplus assets and their member records. When they have done that and deregistered or wound up, they will cease to exist as independent organisations and will effectively become branches of IPEd. As of that transition date, societies who did not approve the Plan will cease to be members of IPEd, although their individual members will be able to apply directly for membership of the national body.

continued from page 1

The business of editing: 15 November free seminarThe society runs a healthy calendar of professional development workshops, which are well attended by both members and non-members. Covering a variety of subjects, they aim to provide ongoing professional development and bring new ideas to the attention of editors.

Thanks to a varied and evolving schedule, the courses have been successful and they have contributed to the funds held by the society – funds that are intended to benefit the members.

To that end, we have created a free one-day seminar that we think will benefit the greater community of our membership: those who contract out their services and those who run small businesses; basically those who work in isolation and have limited opportunities to keep up with the changing publishing environment and may need some help with running a freelance/solo business (or are considering to do so and would like to find out more).

The seminar is offered to members free on a Saturday, in the hope that this will benefit most. Please put the date in your diary: Saturday, 15 November, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Details are being fine-tuned as this issue of Blue Pencil is published but the planned topics for the day will include:• how to cope with the changing face of

publishing• how to create an hourly rate/quote for

a job• how to market your freelance

business• how to take care of your health and

avoid RSI• how to manage your tax• how to plan your superannuation

and finally• drinks on the terrace (very important).

PresentersKeith Stevenson is a partner in ebookedit (www.ebookedit.com.au) and completes all file formatting and conversion services for clients. Keith has many years of hands-on experience in book, ebook and magazine production, first through his role as editor for Aurealis magazine and more recently as publisher with award-winning independent press Coeur de Lion Publishing. He is also a science fiction author and his science-fiction thriller Horizon will be published later this year by HarperCollins Voyager Impulse. His websites can be accessed via www.keithstevenson.com

Julie Harders is a successful small business operator who formed part of the expert panel responsible for the 2012 workshop ‘Flying solo: Setting up your own editing business’. She will explore the ways to market your skills and experience, to help garner freelance work.

Susie Pilkington has spent more than 20 years working from a home office (with a break to raise two children). She is increasingly aware of the importance of creating an hourly rate that reflects the many facets of working as a small

business operator or freelance contractor and she will give you a guide to creating your own rate.

Other presenters will include speakers from Dixon Advisory and Superannuation Services, Media Super, Balanced Ergonomics and more.

Details for the seminar will be loaded onto the society and administration websites and registration will open soon. Members will pay a $50 deposit, which will be refunded on attendance, and non-members pay the usual $350 workshop fee.

Members will receive an email with further details. Contact the society on: membership@editorsnsw.com or phone 9294 4999 (voicemail) if you want any further information. Otherwise, keep the date free and stay tuned.

New membersJenni Bruce

Stephen Groenewegen

Alison Hill

Betty Lee

Frith Luton

Donna Maegraith

Nadia Polak

Gail Tagarro

Ann Williams

3 August 2014

dinner in the

city

4 August 2014

Members new and long-standing gathered at The Apprentice restaurant, the teaching restaurant at TAFE Ultimo, for our winter dinner meeting on 5 August.

As people filled up the seats, one table at a time, there was a random placing of bodies that saw people meeting new colleagues, and conversations sprang up quickly, and with apparent ease, in small groups along the table. It was lovely to be able to sit and chat, offering a bit more time than at our speaker meetings, where we tend to ‘mill’ and conversations are in smaller grabs.

With alternate placement for the evening’s dishes, there ensued a a bit of lively negotiation as people asked to swap their entrée, main, dessert for another with someone close by. It was a like a scene from a bazaar for a while, but everyone seemed happy once the music stopped.

We enjoyed a lovely three course meal and drinks and we were finished by 8.45 pm, allowing everyone ample time to meander home in all directions.

I felt fortunate to be seated not only with a few members I know, but also with one of our newest associate members, Shannon Kelly. Conversations ranged from books, to recipes, to how prolific rhubarb was in Canada (more prolific than apples, is the answer).

One member came all the way from Alice Springs – though not on the night. Lynn Day said she tries to time a visit to Sydney once a year to coincide with one of the society’s events. What a wonderful idea and we hope you enjoyed the evening, Lynn.

Between the main course and dessert we drew the tickets to pick the winners of our door prizes. Our thanks to corporate member, Hachette Australia, for the donation of books, including the much-lauded Lost and found by Brooke Davis, featured on ABC-TV’s ‘Australian story’ in recent times.

Our summer dinner is scheduled for Tuesday, 2 December and we will work hard to find a great venue at a great price for us all to come together again.

We do hope you will put the date in your diary to join us.

Susie PilkingtonOffice manager

5 August 2014

Ebooks 201 for editors: Intermediate

Date: Wednesday, 10 September 2014Time: 9.30 am to 4.30 pmPresenter: Sarah JH FletcherVenue: UTS Short Courses Venue, Level 7, 235 Jones Street, SydneyCost: $220 for society members, $350 for non-members (includes lunch, and morning and afternoon teas)

Editors, are you looking to take your ebook skills to the next level? This course will consolidate and extend your existing ebook knowledge through a mixture of conceptual and practical work. Focusing on reflowable and fixed-layout EPUB2 and EPUB3, we will cover how to effectively use multimedia and interactivity, and testing processes for complex ebooks.

Prerequisites• Participants must bring their own laptop (Mac or PC).

Bringing devices such as tablets and eink readers is encouraged, but not mandatory.

• This course is suitable for editorial staff who have completed basic ebook training or have on-the-job ebook experience. Beginners should first complete Ebooks 101 for Editors, or equivalent.

• Some knowledge will be assumed. Unsure if this course is suitable for you? Please discuss with the presenter (via the society) before booking.

Content noteWe will not focus on marketing, pricing strategies, dealing with retailers, or app development.

Sarah JH Fletcher began her editorial career in-house at trade publishers before establishing herself in the rockstar freelance lifestyle. A longtime consumer of digital publishing, Sarah brings her editorial perspective to the development and testing of quality ebooks.

www.sarahjhfletcher.com

Principles of plain English for editors

Date: Friday, 17 October 2014Time: 9.30 am to 4.30 pmPresenter: Susan McKerihanVenue: UTS Short Courses Venue, Level 7, 235 Jones Street, SydneyCost: $220 for society members, $350 for non-members (includes lunch, and morning and afternoon teas)

There is a growing appreciation of clear written communication in business, not only among the general public and specific audiences but also within the organisations that have to prepare it. Many companies and government bodies are keen to respond to this demand from readers. Editors who understand the principles of plain English can offer extra value when advising their clients on a document’s overall readability, structure and clarity.

This workshop will take you through the three main components of plain English:• Structure: the objective of plain English is to ensure that

a document’s intended reader understands its messages quickly and accurately. What is a ‘reader-focused document’, and how it is achieved? What specific tools and devices can help make a document more readable?

• Language: business-ese is often pilloried as ‘gobbledygook’. What are the most common sentence-level problems in business writing, and how can they be converted into a straightforward, succinct style?

• The professional edge: some documents look instantly appealing – interesting, easy to read and digest – while others look as though they’ll be a chore to get through. What can help a document make a good first impression on a reader?

This course will be particularly suitable for editors working with business, government, academic and educational material.

Susan McKerihan spent more than 20 years as the plain English editor for one of Australia’s largest professional services firms, PwC. She has worked with consultants in all disciplines and industries, both within the firm and in the broader business and government community, helping them write clear and succinct reports across a range of subject areas. She now has her own business, coaching and advising business writers on how to clarify and improve the style and impact of their documents. Susan has a Masters in Applied Linguistics and a graduate diploma in teaching English as a foreign language, both from the University of Sydney.

P r o f e s s i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t

Workshop information

RegistrationTo register for a workshop you can book and pay online on www.editorsnsw.wildapricot.org prior to the course date. A tax invoice will be automatically generated and sent to you. Workshops fill quickly and we often have people on a waitlist for courses, so please secure your place early.

Payment for workshops You can register and save a place at the workshop, then come back to your booking and pay later, if required. A tax invoice will be automatically generated and emailed to you. Please note that we require a minimum of ten registrations, by the closing date, for workshops to proceed. The society reserves the right to cancel workshops if there are insufficient enrolments. If you have any enquiries please contact the office manager at:events@editorsnsw.com

Regional membersRegional members living more than 200 kilometres from Sydney receive a 40 per cent discount on the cost of the society’s regular workshops (excludes most computer-based workshops).

6 August 2014

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was sent out to member societies in April. The societies have agreed in principle with its contents, but negotiations have continued to refine the terms of the MOU. The main area of concern was a need for further clarification of some clauses regarding:• equity across all societies and individuals within the new direct

membership model• division of responsibilities between the central administration and

branches• the opportunity for societies that do not approve the plan in the first

vote to have a second vote within four months of the IPEd Council vote

• other operational and policy matters referred to WP4 project teams.•

As a result the MOU has been reissued to societies with some minor alterations and the IPEd Council is awaiting the return of signed copies.

Project teamsEach of the five project teams has been working towards the production of a Green Paper that will contain a summary of their feedback from member societies, with a set of recommendations for the transition.

It is difficult to predict accurate timelines due to the complexity of working with volunteers in seven different societies, each with competing personal priorities as well as those of the society members to whom they report. However, we expect that these Green Papers will be ready for distribution to societies on a rolling basis between September and December this year.

Following a period of discussion by each society and its members, we anticipate that a final Transition Plan will be ready for a national ballot in May 2015, with a view to the actual transition taking place on 1 July 2015.

Summary of progress to date

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IPEd. WP4 working party project for transition of membership societies to direct membership model

Project team roles and objectives Progress to date

1. Legal and governance (L&G)The team’s role is to define and develop the overall legal, regulatory and governance framework for the national direct membership organisation, its branches and members. Its role does not cover operating procedures, but the governance structure, constitution and policies that will enable and regulate those procedures.Its objective is to define how the societies will transfer members and assets to the new national body, and to develop the constitution and policies needed for the effective operation of that body.

Team members: Charles Houen Vic, Team leader; Col Roberts, CSE; Roberta Blake , Qld; Rob Sheehan, Vic

• obtained legal advice on deregistration/winding up of societies and transfer of funds according to state/territory legislation

• developed principles of governance• obtained legal advice regarding a draft constitution.

Next steps will be to distribute the revised Principles of Governance paper, which will underpin the formulation of policies and procedures.

2. Finance and operations (F&O)The team’s role is to define and develop the operating procedures for the national direct membership organisation’s board or council, branches and national office.Its objective is to define how all activities of the national body’s council, branches and national staff will operate, within the rules established by the constitution and policies paper; to achieve fairness for both small and large societies; provide sufficient income for IPEd; and minimise administrative complexity where possible.

Team members: Charles Houen, Vic, Team leader; Maree Petersen, CSE; Karl Craig, Qld; Wendy Elks, Vic.This group’s work will be framed by the work of the other project teams, so much of their work is still to be done. Policies and procedures will be developed around central and branch activities, record keeping, staff selection, budgeting and accounting across all areas of activity.

continued on page 7

7 August 2014

3. MembershipThe team’s role is to define and develop national membership levels, fees and benefits.A national freelance register will also be considered by this team, in tandem with F&O, and with reference to the national website (Communication team). The Membership team should also have input to the membership record system and degree of involvement of branches in application approvals and other operational matters related to membership, which would be dealt with under F&O and/or L&G.

Team members: Kerry Davies, Qld, Team leader; Anna Boots, CSE; Bronwen Perry, Vic; Adele Walker, SA; Alexandra Davies, WA.• conducted survey of current membership criteria• developing draft membership structure including

voting and non- voting membership criteria and categories, and suggested annual fees.

Next steps will be to finalise the membership structure draft for distribution and ensure all comments and feedback are addressed.

4. CommunicationThe team’s role is to define and develop the communication framework for the national organisation and the processes for transition to this framework.Its objectives are to define the communication channels and methods the national organisation will employ to communicate with members, branches, industry and the general public, to define the nature of information to be disseminated through these channels and the frequency of publication, and to recommend processes for transition from the current member society communication models to the national communication model.

Team members: Katy McDevitt, SA; Deborah Singerman, NSW; Sue Pavasaris, CSE; Rebecca Harris, Qld; Iaan Wiltshire, Vic; Tina Mattei, Vic.The team leader position is being undertaken by the WP4 project manager at present due to the recent resignation of Denise Holden.

• detailed scoping and survey of existing newsletters, websites and social media

• sub- groups of websites, newsletters and social media working on separate task lists

• developing draft policies for central and branch communications.

5. Professional developmentThis team is responsible for developing a strategy and a mechanism for delivery of an equitable, cost- effective professional development program for IPEd members. Professional development includes: provision of training for editors through face- to- face workshops and online courses (including those provided by similar overseas organisations, such as SfEP); conferences; accreditation; mentoring; provision of information on professional development opportunities (including tertiary courses) to present and prospective editors.Recommendations made by this team may be the seeds of an IPEd policy of focusing on continuing professional development for editors.The team’s objectives are to recommend a strategy and a mechanism to achieve equitable advancement of the quality, skills and expertise of Australian editors via nationally coordinated professional development programs.

Team members: Robin Bennett, Qld, Team leader; Elizabeth Murphy, CSE; James Dixon, CSE; Hilary Cadman, NSW; Meryl Potter, NSW; Trischa Mann, Vic; Renee Otmar, Vic; Marianne Hammat, SA.

• conducted survey of training priorities• updating existing database of each society’s

training and aligning individual training to Australian standards for editing practice in order to prioritise.

Next steps will be to analyse survey data to make recommendations for future training programs; develop policies to ensure equity of training opportunities, including development of online training programs; review and develop as required, policies regarding accreditation, national conferences and mentorship.

Thank you to all those councillors, committee members and other individuals who have contributed to this project. A special thanks also to project team members who have already put in many hours of voluntary work to get us to this stage.

I trust we will continue to receive your feedback, all of which will be considered most respectfully and gratefully. I urge you all to spread the word and involve as many editors as possible in our future deliberations.

Rosemary Noble Project Manager

continued from page 6

8 August 2014

Society of Editors (NSW) Inc.2014 committeePresident: Jacqui Smith

Email: president@editorsnsw.com

Vice-presidents: Pam Peters Email: vp1@editorsnsw.com Rochelle Fernandez Email: vp2@editorsnsw.com

Secretary: Shelley Reid Email: secretary@editorsnsw.com

Treasurer: Susie Pilkington (acting) Email: treasurer@editorsnsw.com

General committee members: Zoë Hale

Email: pmc@editorsnsw.com Owen Kavanagh

Email: committee1@editorsnsw.com Meredith McGowan

Email: bluepencil@editorsnsw.com Agata Mrva-Montoya

Email: education@editorsnsw.com Susie Pilkington

Email: membership@editorsnsw.com

Newsletter editor: Meredith McGowan Email: bluepencil@editorsnsw.com

Meetings coordinator: Rochelle Fernandez

Email: meetings@editorsnsw.com

Professional development coordinator: Agata Mrva-Montoya

Email: education@editorsnsw.com

Website coordinator: Abigail Nathan

Email: web@editorsnsw.com

Editorial Services Directory Email: membership@editorsnsw.com

IPEd Council Chair: Owen Kavanagh

Email: iped@editorsnsw.com

Accreditation Board representative (NSW): Alison Moodie

Email: accreditation@editorsnsw.com

AdministrationOffice manager: Susie Pilkington

Administration officer for publicity, membership and events coordination.

Email: events@editorsnsw.com

Email: membership@editorsnsw.com

Society of Editors (NSW) Inc.PO Box 254, Broadway NSW 2007 Voicemail: 9294 4999www.editorsnsw.com© 2014 The Society of Editors (NSW) Inc.

Blue PencilEditor: Meredith McGowanAssistants: Pam Peters, Susie PilkingtonBlue Pencil is only available in digital format (PDF). If you require a printed version, please contact the officer manager.

Published: generally 11 issues a year (combined January–February issue).Your comments and contributions are welcome. Post them to the Editor, Blue Pencil, Society of Editors (NSW) Inc., PO Box 254, Broadway NSW 2007, or email the editor at bluepencil@editorsnsw.com

Copy deadline for the September issue is Monday, 29 AugustThe views expressed in the articles and letters, or the material contained in any advertisement or attachment, are those of individual authors, not of the Society of Editors (NSW) Inc.

Advertising ratesFull page $375; half page $200; one-third page $125; quarter page $100; one-sixth page $75 (half of one column). Circulation: approximately 400. Please note that the committee reserves the right to decide whether advertisements are appropriate for this newsletter.

MembershipMembership of the Society of Editors (NSW) Inc. is open to anyone working as an editor for publication (print or electronic documents) and anyone who supports the society’s aims. Membership is available in different categories.

Membership runs for a calendar year. The 2014 fees are $85 for professional members (new or renewal), $65 for associate members (new or renewal) and $45 for student members. Interested organisations can become corporate associates for $400 per year.

To obtain a membership application form visit the Society of Editors (NSW) Inc. website www.editorsnsw.com, phone 9294 4999 (voicemail) or write to PO Box 254, Broadway NSW 2007.

Listing in the Editorial Services DirectoryThe Editorial Services Directory is available online at www.editorsnsw.com/esd New listings and updates can be added quarterly as follows:

• January (deadline 31 December)• April (deadline 31 March)• July (deadline 30 June)• October (deadline 30 September).The cost is $40 per year in addition to the fee for membership of the society. Only professional members are eligible for a listing. New listings should be submitted using a template available from the office manager at membership@editorsnsw.com

Committee meetingsAll members are welcome to attend the society’s committee meetings, generally held on the second Tuesday of each month. Please contact a committee member for details if you wish to attend the next meeting.

ABN 53 030 428 517