Red Pencil Conference 2019: Voice & Voices
Contributed by the 2019 Red Pencil conference committee: Kyra Freestar, Lea Galanter, Erica Akiko Howard, Tina Loucks-Jaret, Barbara Mulvey Little, Tori Smith, Ivonne Ward, Polly Zetterberg.
A slate of inspiring sessions is coming together for the Northwest Editors Guild Red Pencil Conference 2019: Voice & Voices. The seventh biennial conference returns Saturday, September 21, to the campus of Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, northeast of Seattle.
Carol Fisher Saller speaking at the 2017 Red Pencil conference.
The Red Pencil conference is a gathering to share in a day of making connections with fellow editors and puzzling with words. This year’s lineup features over twenty professionals from a variety of backgrounds, some whose names you will recognize and some who we are thrilled to welcome into the Red Pencil community for the first time. We’ve designed a mix of sessions to help us tighten our craft, strengthen our business and self-care skills, and stretch our understanding of our place as intermediaries in a dynamic and evolving field.
Our theme, Voice & Voices, explores how we as editors engage with the concept of voice at its many levels. Beyond the daily practice of editing voice on the page, the conference examines our part in championing the unique voices of the under- and unheard and our role in fostering communication rather than acting as gatekeepers. We will look at how we can do this and why it matters. Most importantly, we will look at how editors can better support the voices of a greater range of writers, publishers, and readers, with a professionalism and polish that lifts and honors their words and needs.
Carol Fisher Saller speaking at the 2017 Red Pencil conference.
A few highlights include “Macros 101” with Amy Schneider, “Tweet This, Not That: How to Write Social Media” with Alysha Love, “Technical Editing for Science and Engineering” with moderator Jen Koogler, “Holding Space: The Importance of Helping African Americans Heal through Storytelling” with Christy Abram, and a session on nutrition, fitness, and wellness for editors with K. Aleisha Fetters.
We’re also excited to announce that the after-party will be held on-site at Bastyr immediately following the closing remarks. The gathering will provide attendees and presenters an opportunity to linger and celebrate a mind-stirring day over tasty nibbles featuring the “voices” of local Northwest farmers and food producers.
Interested in supporting the Red Pencil conference as a sponsor? We’ll be sharing sponsorship package details in a few weeks. In the meantime, if you would like to feature your company or organization at the conference, contact the committee at sponsorship@edsguild.org. Direct any other inquiries to conference@edsguild.org.
The Northwest Editors Guild and the Red Pencil committee are looking forward to hosting more than two hundred editors from the Pacific Northwest, California, Canada, and beyond. Watch for announcements about early-bird registration and our keynote speaker in May.
The lovely wooded setting at Bastyr is the perfect spot for a well-deserved retreat, high-quality professional development, and growth as a community. Mark your calendar for what is sure to be truly stimulating day!
Check the Guild’s website, our Facebook page, our LinkedIn page, or our Twitter feed for frequent Red Pencil updates, including early-bird registration dates.
