The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading Conference happens every September, just as the new school year gets underway. It is perfectly timed in that way; even those of us who have been in business for many years haven’t necessarily shaken off the rhythm of the school calendar (especially if we have school- or university-age kids ourselves). So autumn’s arrival usually feels like more of a new year than January does; the perfect time for new ideas and professional development.

This was my third CIEP conference and also my third time attending online. This meant that networking opportunities were less plentiful than if I had attended in person, but online networking options were still available for online delegates. This quick summary is very much my own subjective take on sessions I attended, in the hope that it’s useful for other editorial professionals unable to attend this time, or for anyone considering attending in future. Blogging about a conference is always a great exercise for helping me digest my notes and organise my thoughts. It is in no way designed to be comprehensive review or minute-by-minute account by a CIEP member.

Sessions I listened to

The opening plenary

This year’s Whitcombe Lecture was by Rob Drummond, Professor of Sociolinguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. Rob drew on his latest book, You’re All Talk, to reflect on ten things everybody should know about spoken language. 

The overarching theme of the conference was ‘embracing change’. When we talk about change in relation to our editorial work, we often assume we mean technological change (AI), but let’s not forget that change is also happening in other spheres. This talk about the diversity and ever-changing nature of spoken English was especially topical for us as editors and proofreaders (and as humans, too!).

Rob asked some questions designed to challenge our thinking around spoken language: when we say we do not like a particular regional accent, should we not be asking ourselves why? What positions are we assuming in relation to that so-called regional accent and its corresponding identity? One quote that really lingered with me was ‘when you have to start by asking yourself, “is there a chance that what I am saying could be racist?”, don’t say it!’.

Ethical editing

This was a very thought-provoking session by Aki Schilz and Kavita Bhanot of the Literacy Consultancy about the stereotypes we all carry and bring to our work: perceived truths versus versions of experiences, power dynamics and harm. We must remember that we experience things through the filters of our own lived experiences. 

I think it was Aki who described editors as ‘readers with power’. Who are we editing for? Is there an ‘expected reader’ who influences our choices? And do we unconsciously edit for them? Another example was the question of who decides what narratives get translated and which don’t.

Acknowledging our role in constructing truths, we should edit according to the following three tenets:

• Self-interrogation

• New readerships

• Radical empathy.

Working with UN Agencies and non-governmental organisations 

Since many of my own clients are non-governmental organisations, this session by Andrea Kay and Lydia Wanstall covered familiar territory. Andrea and Lydia regularly work with organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and comprehensively explained how working with this type of editing client can differ from working with traditional publishers. Projects often have shorter lead times and are often written by multilingual authors. One thing they do have in common, though, is that the client is usually lovely to work with (this is also my experience).

As a speaker of more than one language myself, and as someone who also regularly edits texts written by multilingual authors, I related hard to the examples Andrew and Lydia provided of typical features they encounter as editors. For example, writers for whom English is not their first language often start sentences with extended introductory phrases such as ‘regarding the…’, ‘in terms of…’, before repeating the subject of the sentence. They also often use phrases like ‘It is important to note that…’. While these examples are not strictly incorrect, as editors we have an opportunity to sharpen and tidy up phrasing with clarity, impact and readability in mind. One specific note I made (and underlined!) from this session was the observation that we must remember that these texts will also be read by a global audience, so as editors we need to watch out for terms that are specific to one geographical area or culture. Seasons of the year, are one example, since they are of course not the same for everyone around the world at the same time.

Understanding self-publishing

Publishers are not printers (Inside Book Publishing)

This session by Anna Davidson offered an explainer for anyone interested in getting into self-publishing, and/or editors and proofreaders wanting to understand how self-publishing (also known as indie publishing) differs from traditional publishing. My impression was that self-publishing is a huge undertaking but one that’s incredibly rewarding (if not always immediately profitable), and I certainly came away feeling I knew more. We were given practical information on how self-published books get out into the world, and who and what is involved. It was especially intriguing to hear that many editors and proofreaders enjoy working with indie authors so much. 

Editor Blog 101 

I loved this session by Magda Wojcik! I have had a blog on and off since 2008 but things change fast and there is always something new to learn and things to improve. Blogging in 2024 is not the same as blogging in the 2000s or even the 2010s! I recently completed a course on SEO content creation, so it was so helpful to see how Magda applies keyword research in blogging for her own business. One thing to bear in mind – and something that can be difficult when you are writing for your own gig rather than for a client – is whether you’ve defined a purpose for your blog. What do your readers want to know? What do you want to rank for? 

Topics should ideally address your reader and their pain points, especially if your intended readership includes clients. But at the same time, in the 2020s, you cannot assume regular readers. Gone are the days when people subscribed via an RSS reader – remember those? People tend to search for content and read blog posts that answer their questions. Above all, attention spans are short. People scan and skim read online, so your posts must be well structured and get to the point quickly.

My thoughts

I hope to one day attend the CIEP Conference in person, but right now I am very grateful for the option to watch online. Even online, I sense the welcoming and supportive community and the general feeling of enthusiasm for words, language, and editorial standards. As a professional member of the CIEP, and as someone committed to training, it is a highlight on my annual professional development calendar.

I still have several of Sunday’s sessions to catch up on, and I was gutted to only catch the second half of Lynne Murphy’s closing plenary because life got in the way. I will post my takeaways from those sessions once I’ve watched the recordings.

So far, I can confirm that the editing and proofreading community is fully embracing and adapting to change, in every sense of that word.