Books

Editors in Conversation 2

In this volume, the second in the Editors in Conversation series, Australian editors from widely different backgrounds discuss their careers, offering rare and fascinating glimpses into their working lives and the editing profession. All have witnessed rapid changes in the publishing world and provide candid insights with liberal doses of wit and wisdom. The following editors and conversations are featured:

Nick Hudson & Basil Walby
Ruth Dixon & Jackie Yowell
Janette Whelan & Barbara Ker Wilson
Colin Jevons & Teresa Pitt

All have worked with remarkable authors and illustrators, and have been awarded honorary life membership in recognition of their services to their respective societies in Australia, the editing profession and the publishing industry. Many are recipients of major industry awards. The second part of the book presents a fascinating talk by Julie Watts about the incredible success of Mao’s Last Dancer — three books and a film.

This volume presents in-depth profiles and traces the intellectual and cultural lives of some of the best in the business. Editors in Conversation 2 is a must-read for anyone with an interest in editing as a profession.

Editors in Conversation 2 is sponsored by the Centre for the Book (Monash University), the Society of Editors (Victoria), the Queensland Society of Editors and the NSW Society of Editors.

To order your copy of Editors in Conversation 2, complete the order form [PDF* 280 KB] and post to the Society of Editors (Vic.).

Editors in Conversation

Editors in Conversation features lively conversations with eight editors who have won major awards and raised the level of knowledge management and knowledge presentation. They include:

Beryl Hill in conversation with Wendy Sutherland
Loma Snooks in conversation with Renée Otmar
Robyn Colman in conversation with Lee White
Sheila Allison in conversation with Pamela Ball

This collection is the first in a planned series focusing on Australian editors and their working lives. The aim of the series is to raise the profile of editors and the editing profession. Complete with illustrations and a comprehensive index.

A range of topics discussed include: academic publishing, accreditation, Barbara Ramsden Award, Beatrice Davis Fellowship, career changes, CASE, collaboration, computer technology, consolidation, editing societies in Australia, fact checking, foreign language skills, freelancing, graphic design, honorary life membership, information design, IPEd, mentoring, new technology and the impact of technology on the work process, productivity, project management, role of the editor, standards, training, transition, typography, wages and conditions, work practices.

This book was published as part of the Occasional Series on Australian Editors.

To order your copy of Editors in Conversation, complete the relevant order form [PDF* 242 KB] and post to the Society of Editors (Vic.).

At the Typeface

At the Typeface is an anthology of selections from 35 years of the Society's Newsletter, with contributions from a wide range of authors, editors and publishers.

This anthology, published by the Society of Editors (Vic.) in October 2005, reveals editors’ professional life and is full of the wit and intelligence of people whose business is words. The anthology is not only an entertaining read but also an important addition to the historical records of Australian publishing.

To whet your appetite for more, have a look at the range of subjects covered just in the first few chapters of At the Typeface:

The Role of the Editor
- Qualities Desirable in an Editor
- The Future of Editors: John Ross, Ken Yendell, Frank Eyre
- What Goes into Making an Editorial Policy: Brian Johns
- Tunes for the Titanic: Richard Walsh
- Excellence, Editors and Power: Sandra McComb
- A Fortuitous Accident: Jill Kitson
- Money: Nick Hudson
Authors on Editors
- What Authors Expect of Editors: Geoffrey Serle, George Turner
- Impressions of Editors – From a Writer’s Point of View: Chris Wallace-Crabbe
- Fiction Editing: Hilary McPhee, Jackie Yowell, Penny Hueston, Gerald Murnane
- What a Writer Wants from an Editor: Helen Garner
- Editing, Fiction and Poetry: Bryony Cosgrove, Alex Miller, Judith Rodriguez, Alex Skovron
- Champions of Written Culture: Kerry Cue
- Working with English and Australian Editors: Nikki Gemmell
Editors on Authors
- An Answer to Ruth Park: Teresa Pitt
- The Good Old Days: Richard Walsh, Teresa Pitt
  A Response to Florence King: Lillian D. Rodberg
- Editing Fiction: Kay Ronai
The Literary Scene
- Succeeding as a Writer: Tim Hall
- Australia’s Literary Establishment: Does It Exist?: John McLaren
- Insights of a Publisher-Turned-Writer: John Hooker
- Evil Angels Exposed: John Bryson
- ‘I Never Read a Book before Reviewing It’: Judith Brett
- Editor Quits
- Writers’ Week: Jane Sullivan
- Surviving as a Freelance Writer: Peter Pierce
- On Failing to Meet Famous Writers: Judith Rodriguez

For more information and to order your copy for a $5 discount off retail price, complete the
order form (PDF* 259 KB) and mail to the Society of Editors (Vic.).

One of the First and One of the Finest

One of the First and One of the Finest: Beatrice Davis, Book Editor is a beautifully produced slim monograph, including photographs selected from Beatrice’s personal collection. The Occasional Series on Australian Editors Working Group and the Society of Editors (Victoria) are pleased to announce that limited copies are available at $10 each.

For more information and to order your copy, complete the order form (PDF* 65 KB) and mail to the Society of Editors (Vic).

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