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The Society is a member of the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd)

Redact

redact, v. To put (matter) into proper literary form; to work up, arrange, or edit. 1851. - SOED.

Redact 2010

16-17 October 2010
Mercure Hotel, Geelong

Are you looking for intensive training that builds on your skills and experience? Do you wish to learn new techniques and fresh approaches? Perhaps you are ready to be inspired and reinvigorated, or to discover a new field of editing.

At Redact you will join a small group of experienced editors for in-depth training in a specialist stream of your choice. Led by an industry expert, each group will workshop the key editorial processes and principles in their stream. Plenary sessions and meal breaks will provide opportunities to hear about participants’ experiences in the other groups, and provide the setting for socialising and networking.

Course streams

The streams on offer are fiction editing, e-publishing and government/corporate publishing. The presenters are:

• Fiction editing: Mandy Brett
• ePublishing: Tim Coronel and Tamsin Wagner
• Government/corporate publishing: Janet Salisbury

Fiction editing

Download detailed Fiction course summary (pdf 20Kb)

About the presenter:

Mandy Brett is a senior editor with Text Publishing, where she has been since 2002, working on both fiction and trade non-fiction titles. Previously she was Editor and Publisher at IAD Books, an Aboriginal publishing house in Alice Springs, handling trade titles as well as education, reference and dictionaries. She has also worked as a freelance editor, as a production editor on a small magazine and, for a number of years, as a computer programmer at Penguin Books. Mandy is the guest lecturer in fiction editing for the RMIT Graduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing.

ePublishing

Download detailed EPublishing course summary (pdf 20Kb)

About the presenter:

Tim Coronel has been involved in the book industry since 1989. He has worked in a variety of book retailing positions in chain, independent and specialist stores. Tim joined the staff of Thorpe-Bowker in 2002 and was assistant editor of Bookseller + Publisher magazine and the Weekly Book Newsletter from 2003 until 2005; he then became editor of both magazines. He was appointed publisher at Thorpe-Bowker in May 2008. Tim is also involved with the University of Melbourne Book Industry Study.

Tamsin Wagner is Digital Publishing Coordinator for Melbourne-based independent publisher Scribe Publications. Tamsin has been with Scribe since 2005, previously working there as an editor and as rights and contracts manager. From 1998 to 2002, Tamsin worked as a linguist in the Kimberley region of Western Australia where she helped to develop interactive learning materials for several Indigenous languages. She has also worked as a bookseller for Bookery in Melbourne and Ariel in Sydney.

Government/corporate publishing

The government and business sectors produce a huge variety of publications: corporate communications, such as annual reports; policy documents, guidelines, manuals and technical reports; and a wide range of public information documents, such as discussion papers, factsheets and brochures. Unlike book publishing, production management of this large and varied output follows many different paths. Every job is different, which is both exciting and challenging for editors. Based on the Australian Standards for Editing Practice, this course will use a range of interactive information sharing and practical exercises to build the skills needed to survive and thrive in this environment.

Download detailed Government/Corporate course summary (pdf 17Kb)

About the presenter:

Janet Salisbury has been the director of the science information consulting company, Biotext, since 1990. Over the past 20 years, Janet has researched, written or edited proceedings and reports for numerous government departments and agencies, non-government organisations and academic institutions. For many major projects, Janet has been involved with every aspect of document production—from rigorously assessing scientific evidence, to conducting research and literature review and public forums and workshops—as well as writing, editing and production management of the final document.

Timetable

There will be a plenary session at the beginning to introduce the aims of the weekend program. Another plenary session will conclude proceedings with a wrap-up and presentation to the other two strands.

Draft timetable (subject to change)

Registration information

Selecting your strand

To ensure that participants get the most out of Redact, a maximum of 12 people will be allowed to attend each of the three strands. Places will be allocated strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. While every effort will be made to place you in your preferred strand, this may not always be possible, depending on demand. On the registration form you may indicate your order of preference for each strand, or you may indicate that you would prefer to skip this round if you do not get into your preferred strand.

Registration fees

Registration includes course fees, accommodation and meals, as specified below. It is not possible to provide discounts for any services, meals or participation that registrants choose to forfeit.

Discounted fees are available for financial members of all state and territory Societies of Editors (proof of status required) and for early bird registration by 5 p.m. on Friday 13 August 2010. Registrations close at 5 p.m., Thursday, 16 September 2010.

Early bird fees:
Society of Editors member: $550 (exc. GST)
Non-member: $650 (exc. GST)

After 13 August:
Society of Editors member: $650 (exc. GST)
Non-member: $750 (exc. GST)

Accommodation

Accommodation at the Mercure Hotel for the night of Saturday, 16 October is included in the registration fee.

Accommodation is provided on a twin-share basis. If you know of another Redact participant with whom you would like to share your room, please complete the relevant part of the registration form. If you wish to reserve your own room, you will need to pay a single supplement of $60. Otherwise, participants will paired off on a first-come, first-serve basis. This will be a great way to meet and get to know your fellow ‘Redacters’!

If you wish or need to stay additional nights at the hotel, please contact the hotel directly. For details of the hotel’s facilities, visit <www.mercuregeelong.com.au>.

Food

The registration fee includes lunch and morning and afternoon teas on both Saturday and Sunday. Dinner on Saturday night is also included in the fee. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend the dinner as this is a wonderful opportunity to network with the other participants and presenters. If you have any special dietary requirements, please complete the appropriate section on the form.

Confirmation of your participation

You will receive email notification of receipt of your registration. If you do not hear from us within a week of sending in your registration or for any other queries, please email us at: <redact_info@socedvic.org>.

Cancellation policy

Cancellation of registration must be notified in writing (preferably by email) to Redact, c/o Society of Editors (Vic.) Inc., PO Box 176, Carlton South VIC 3053. Cancellations made by 5 p.m., Thursday, 16 September 2010 will receive a full refund less $100 administration fee. No refund will be given for cancellations after 5 p.m., 16 September 2010, but substitutions will be possible.

How do I sign up?

Download the information and registration form (PDF* 320 KB) and send the completed form with payment to Redact, c/o Society of Editors (Vic.) Inc. PO Box 176 Carlton South VIC 3053.

Visit this page regularly for more updates.

For enquiries, contact the Redact organising committee.

Redact is one of the Society of Editors (Victoria)'s initiatives in editorial training. Redact is a residential weekend course that offers intensive study of processes and principles in a collegial setting.

Why attend Redact?

• Experience intensive training led by expert presenters.
• Share ideas and creative work with other editors.
• Be inspired by stimulating discussions.
• Learn new editing techniques and fresh approaches to the author-editor relationship.
• Develop a book from concept to publication.
• Discover a whole new field of editing.
• Spend professional ‘quality time’ with peers.
• Have fun and relax in the country.

Feedback from past participants at Redact

• 'Everything to do with fiction editing was fascinating and valuable. I would have loved to have picked Sarah's and other colleagues' brains for hours.'
• 'I enjoyed working with fantastically stimulating writing samples, ms and editorial documents.'
• 'The best aspect was hearing from Paul and other participants about other ways of doing things that I may not have thought of or had previous exposure to.'
• 'I very much enjoyed Paul's sessions. He was very approachable and flexible and led the discussion without ever being overbearing. He encouraged each of us to contribute.'
• 'Enjoyed the collaborative project-style method of working on a theoretical book. Lots of enthusiasm and more understanding of the pitfalls and benefits of the project.'
• 'Excellent teaching - inclusive but decisive and directive as needed. Very thoughtful preparation.'
• 'Good mix of in-house/freelance and very experienced/less experienced participants made it stimulating and valuable - certainly for me, probably for everyone.'
  

Redact 2007

Redact 2007 was held at Mansfield on 12-14 October 2007. Participants chose from one of three strands, each delivered by a highly experienced editor and educator:

• Fiction (Sarah Brenan)
• Biography (Bryony Cosgrove)
• Trade (Paul Watt)

The venue was the Alzburg Inn Resort in Mansfield, gateway to the Victorian high country and just over 200 km from Melbourne. Mansfield is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Melbourne by car or by V-Line bus leaving from Southern Cross Station.

Course content

Biography strand

Writing biography has been described as ‘walking on ashes’; editing biography and autobiography could be described as walking on eggshells. Life writing is very personal, dealing as it does with someone’s life, their memories, their pain and happiness, their grudges, ambitions and desires. It is these elements that make the genre so popular. In the biography/autobiography strand we will discuss the importance of the author-editor working relationship and the range of issues involved with editing in this genre. We will workshop the manuscript of an autobiography and will look at specific editorial concerns that arose with a range of other manuscripts.

Biography course outline

Presenter Bryony Cosgrove has nearly 30 years’ experience in the publishing industry as an editor and publisher of a wide range of books. She is a recipient of the FAW Barbara Ramsden Award and the Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship. Since 1993 she has also lectured in publishing and writing courses at universities, TAFE colleges and writers’ centres around Australia. She is a member of the editorial board of the online journal The Fine Print and is currently undertaking a PhD at Monash University’s School of Historical Studies. In 2007 her book Portrait of a Friendship: The letters of Barbara Blackman and Judith Wright 1950-2000 was published by Miegunyah Press.

Fiction strand

What makes a memorable novel opening? How can one assess the underlying structure of fiction? Is it possible to talk at all coherently about that elusive concept, style? What are the essential components of a strong author-editor relationship? These and other questions will be workshopped in the fiction strand. Weaving in and out of these topic sessions will be continuing discussions on a draft novel MS which will be sent to participants some time before the course takes place. If Redact 2006 is any guide, the discussions will be ardent, wide-ranging and a lot of fun.

Fiction course outline

Presenter Sarah Brenan has been editing books for over 30 years - initially in academic publishing, then in many disparate fields as a freelancer, and for the last decade or so in books for children and young adults - and has 20 years experience in fiction editing. From 2002 to 2006 she coordinated and taught an undergraduate subject at the University of Melbourne, and has now embarked on an MA in Publishing and Communications, with a focus on structure in fiction. Sarah is Senior Editor with Allen & Unwin in Melbourne.

Trade strand

With easy access to recipes online, in weekend newspapers and supermarkets - and celebrity cookbooks clogging most bookstores - is it at all possible to publish a cookbook that will stand out from the crowd and be a success without a big production budget, cross-media advertising and celebrity ‘author’? As a team of development editors, our task for the Redact weekend is to come up with two new ideas for innovative cookbooks. The cynics will say that this brief is impossible, but through thinking creatively, strategically and historically, we will set out to prove them wrong. Before the weekend gets underway, participants will need to do some basic market research by visiting two bookstores, and to make a list of their favourite foods and cookbooks.

Trade course outline

Presenter Paul Watt has 15 years’ experience in the publishing industry and has worked for the Gale Group (UK), Addison Wesley Longman and Cambridge University Press (Australia and UK). He has worked on numerous trade books, from encyclopedias to coffee table books, as well as academic monographs and journals. He has also been a bookseller - at the then-named Dillons, in Oxford. Paul has taught in the University of Melbourne’s Publishing and Communications program and his PhD, undertaken at the University of Sydney, is presently under examination. Currently he is a research officer in the School of Music at Monash University, and is a contributor to the forthcoming Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism.

Redact 2006

The inaugural Redact was held on 27-29 October 2006 and was voted a great success by the participants.

The program had broad appeal, designed to benefit both experienced and beginning editors, freelance and in-house. Participants worked in teams on a publishing project, taking it from raw MS through to polished end-product. The focus was on collaborative learning, and we expected that the participants would develop lasting friendships and networks.

The three strands in the 2006 program were fiction (Sarah Brenan), education (Glenys Osbourne) and trade (Paul Watt).

Sarah, Glenys and Paul put much energy into planning and carrying out an action-packed program. Both in-house and freelance editors gained a great deal from this initiative, whether they were highly experienced or newer to the profession.

• Fiction strand - report by Lorelei Waite
• Education strand - report by Niki Horin
• Trade strand - report by Clare Emery

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