So, you’re thinking about attending a conference for editors, great!
For professional editors, climbing to the top of their field and staying there is challenging. Being consistently good at your job means you will have returning clients who will, hopefully, refer others to you.
Many editors are working in isolation, so don’t often have anyone to share problems with and to learn from. As well as editing techniques, the skills required include marketing, networking and administration - plus the discipline itself is always changing so keeping on top of innovations means you need to be upskilling and training. So how can professional editors find time to learn and keep up with developments without losing focus on the job itself?
Attending editorial conferences is a great way to do that. Conferences take place all around the world and have man advantages, including:
· Meeting potential colleagues and clients
Developing your editing skills
Mastering the business side of editing
Catching up with the latest technological developments.
And conferences are fun too! Here’s a breakdown of what they can offer you.
Meeting potential colleagues and clients
Networking and building a community at a conference is a great benefit to attending editorial conferences. It’s a chance to meet some of the people who might want to use your services or to discover who might be a useful contact to have when you’re outsourcing any work.
Conferences are also a chance to meet others who work in the same field as you. They’re the people who will understand better than anyone else what it is that you do, share experiences, ideas, and advice. It’s a chance to develop personal connections and build a network that you can call on for assistance and support.
Developing your editing skills
Conferences include workshops, seminars, and talks to enhance your skills. If you’re new to the industry you can start to develop more advanced skills and learn from the best in the industry. If you’re looking to diversify, this is your chance to find out whether academic editing, fiction editing, or even working on websites, cookbooks, scripts, (and so much more) is for you. It’s a concentrated burst of new, interesting, and exciting information to enhance your professional development.
Do you have a wordsmith hero? Perhaps Carol Fisher Saller, David Crystal, John McIntyre, Geoff Pullum, or Katherine Barber? Attending a conference is your chance to hear from notable guest speakers, giving you the chance to see and learn from them in person.
Mastering the business side of editing
Many editors are new to running their own business and have no formal training in financial management, marketing, or other vital skills to running your own business effectively. Training in these areas is often expensive but at a conference, specialist sessions are usually included in the price. Even small improvements in business efficiency can make the entire conference worthwhile.
Conferences also address other aspects of running a business such as ergonomic work practices and maintaining a good work–life balance. Editors often work for themselves or within a business so conference planners try to make sure that all aspects of the business, including the well-being of the worker, are catered for. There is always something for everyone.
Catching up with the latest technological developments
The publishing industry is changing.
More and more publishers are adopting electronic workflows to make their production systems more efficient, and conferences are a chance to find out about the latest developments in more detail.
If you’re representing a company, conferences help you find out how your systems can be improved. If you’re a freelancer, conferences improve your knowledge of systems in place so you can easily adapt and fit in with your clients’ needs.
Every year there are software developments created for the publishing industry. Keeping on top of them showcases your ability to adapt and increase credibility, which can lead to gaining more clients or set you apart to potential employers. Conferences give you the opportunity to improve your skills on industry standard software, such as Microsoft Word. Plus, you might also learn about some of the great secret weapons in the editor’s arsenal, like PerfectIt.
A pun crowd!
Among all of this work and serious business talk there is also fun to be had.
There’s nothing like spending a few days with people who share your passion for words. Sometimes there are sessions or workshops on interesting topics such as book-binding or paper-folding, and there will be at least one social event, such as a dinner or drinks, if you want to get to know your peers in a more sociable setting.
But even if you don’t, conferences are often held in cities that have much to offer visitors. There will always be an opportunity, either formal or informal, to be a tourist and see some local attractions.
What about the cost?
The outlay for a two- or three-day trip is not inconsiderable. However, you can’t talk about the cost of a conference without considering the benefit. Attendance is an investment in your business, making it a tax-deductible expense, which helps you increase revenue and cut costs.
Conferences help you attract more, higher-paying clients, and bring increased visibility and efficiency to your business. Every year hundreds of editors attend conferences because it is a sound business investment with a financial benefit that outweighs the cost.
Conference around the world
Editorial conferences are everywhere. A few of the best-known ones include:
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) - UK
Editors Canada - Canada
Communication Central - USA
Northwest Editors’ Guild - USA
Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) - Australia
Mediterranean Editors and Translators (MET) - Portugal
Council of Science Editors (CSE) - USA
The European Association of Science Editors (EASE) - Europe
International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE) - Singapore
And if you’ve already visited your local conference, here’s one final thought: publishing is now a global marketplace. If you think you have seen all there is to see at your local conference, why not consider looking further afield? You might find just the thing you need to give your business a boost.
Take your editing further with PerfectIt
Conferences help you sharpen your skills, but what about when you’re back at your desk? That’s where PerfectIt comes in. Designed for professionals editors, it catches consistency errors, enforces style preferences, and makes your editing workflow more efficient. That means you spend less time of the tedious checks, particularly in long complex documents, and more time focusing on your craft.
Download a free trial of PerfectIt today and see how it can support your editing career every day.