Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE
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18 March 2013
Book before 19 April for the SfEP conference
It's not too late to book your place at the SfEP's 24th annual conference in Exeter, from Saturday 31 August to Monday 2 September. If you book before 19 April, you'll receive an early-bird discount:
- £45 discount if you book a residential place and pay in full
- £16 discount per day if you book a non-residential place.
The conference programme covers a wide range of subjects, including:
- editing non-native English
- social media for editors
- editing music and music books
- self-publishing.
There'll be an after-dinner speech from Michael Jecks, and our keynote speakers are David Crystal and Carol Fisher Saller. Make the most of your visit to Exeter by taking our pre-conference course, 'Efficient copy-editing', on Saturday 31 August, and our post-conference course, 'An Introduction to InDesign', on Tuesday 3 September (additional booking required for both courses).
Remember, you'll receive the early-bird discount if you book your conference place before 19 April.
The booking form is available online here.
25 January 2013
SfEP online shop now open!
The SfEP shop is now open for the online purchase of a range of SfEP Guides and the BSI card comprising marks for copy preparation and proof correction.
Visit the shop here to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity!
22 October 2012
Judith Butcher Award: Winner announced by SfEP
Lesley Ward was announced as the winner of the first Judith Butcher Award at the SfEP's recent AGM. The award - named after the SfEP's serving president - recognises those who have made a valuable contribution to the Society, whether in a highly visible way or behind the scenes.
Nominations were made by the membership, and the shortlist and winner were chosen by a sub-committee.
Lesley was a member of the original committee that created the Society from scratch. She served as treasurer for the early years of the Society and has often been the first person that newcomers get to know through the Society's training courses. As such, she has been a vital part of the SfEP's public face.
30 July 2012
Judith Butcher Award: First shortlist announced by SfEP
We've just announced the first shortlist for the new Judith Butcher Award. This recognises those who have made a valuable contribution to the Society, whether in a highly visible way or behind the scenes. It's named after Judith Butcher, author of Butcher's Copy-editing: The Cambridge handbook for editors, copy-editors and proofreaders, who was elected the SfEP's first (and only) honorary president in 1988.
The nominees for the 2012 award are:
- Averill Buchanan, for championing the SfEP in Northern Ireland
- Paul Icke, for his work on the new SfEP database and online services
- Lesley Ward, for her major contributions both as treasurer and as trainer since the SfEP's earliest days.
The winner will be announced at the SfEP's AGM on 8 September 2012.
15 July 2011
Proofreaders help to protect the bottom line
According to a BBC News story, spelling and grammatical errors on websites are costing internet businesses millions in lost revenue. The report blamed the education system for failing to turn out school and college leavers with the required level of skills in written communication.
But the SfEP believes that businesses should take action to ensure that all their written communications are clear and error free, whether or not their staff have the appropriate expertise in spelling and grammar. Anyone can make a mistake, so employing a professional proofreader is excellent business practice. A fresh pair of eyes can work wonders.
16 June 2011
Join us in Oxford for our annual conference – booking closes soon
Take time out to attend our annual conference on 25–27 September 2011 at St Catherine's College, Oxford, a favourite venue among seasoned SfEP conference-goers. Whether you work in-house or freelance, whether you're a time-served editorial professional or just starting out, it's a great opportunity to widen your professional – and social – horizons.
Our fantastic line-up of workshops and seminars cover a wide range of absorbing topics. We have top-level speakers in the shape of Angus Phillips (Oxford Brookes University) and our honorary vice-president David Crystal. And musical entertainment will be provided by the intriguingly named Inflatable Buddha.
Our conferences are a highlight of the SfEP calendar, and delegates have said some very nice things about them:
- 'New faces are welcomed, old friends exchange news.'
- 'In the coffee breaks, over meals, in the bar, I learned almost as much as in the workshops and seminars.'
- 'If you haven't yet been to an SfEP conference, then do clear space in your diary.'
Booking closes on 8 July, so if you haven't reserved your place already, do it today.
18 May 2011
So you think you can proofread?
Is proofreading as straightforward as many people believe? Is it simply a case of spotting the odd typo here and adding a comma there?
We've created a short proofreading test to demonstrate what's actually involved in proofreading. Anyone can try it out, whether they're thinking of becoming a proofreader or are just curious to know how they would fare.
The multiple-choice exercises, designed by Gerard Hill, the SfEP's mentoring and tests director, are divided into sections. In each one, you delete, insert, substitute or query text, choosing from a short list of options at the foot of the page. At the end of the test, you can find out how you did, and then you can either try again or see exactly what you got right or wrong.
18 April 2011
Standing room only at the SfEP's London Book Fair seminar
Our seminar at the London Book Fair on Wednesday 13 April was a great success.
'The partnership between author and editor' was a panel discussion comprising two trios (author, publisher's editor, freelance editor) – one in general/popular medicine and the other in fiction – chaired by Christina Thomas, a long-standing member of the Society. The authors Mark Newton (fiction) and Bridget McCall (popular medicine) discussed how they work with their editors Julie Crisp and Lawrence Osborn (fiction) and Dick Warner and Richenda Milton-Daws (popular medicine).
Each gave a very interesting and entertaining insight into their role in the publishing process. There was time at the end for some questions from the floor, which were wide-ranging and thought-provoking.
We'd been allocated a room with 70 seats, and these quickly filled up. There were quite a number of people sitting on the floor and a queue outside the door of those waiting to come in if anyone decided to leave.
There will be an article on the session in a future edition of Editing Matters. SfEP member Francesca Warren of Redit Publishing Services volunteered to take photos, and we've put a selection in a gallery.
9 March 2011
Book before 31 March for the SfEP conference
It's not too late to book your place at the Society for Editors and Proofreaders' 22nd annual conference on 25–27 September 2011, at St Catherine's College, Oxford. If you book before 31 March, you'll receive an early-bird discount:
- £40 discount if you book a residential place and pay in full
- £15 discount per day if you book a non-residential place.
The conference programme covers a wide range of subjects, including:
- negotiation
- proofreading onscreen
- developments in journal publishing
- the business uses of social networking.
There'll be an after-dinner speech from David Crystal OBE, and a lecture by Angus Phillips, director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University. And you can make the most of your visit to Oxford by taking our newest one-day course, 'Introduction to web editorial skills', on Saturday, 24 September at St Catherine's College.
Remember, you'll receive the early-bird discount if you book your conference place before 31 March.
18 February 2011
What price quality? Overseas outsourcing of editorial services
Society founder member Kathleen Lyle has compiled a fascinating report on the overseas outsourcing of editorial work by UK publishers. It's based on the experiences of over 40 SfEP members, and includes perspectives from freelance project managers, proofreaders and copy-editors, as well as in-house desk editors. Overall, it paints a picture of an industry grappling with both the challenges and the opportunities that globalisation presents.
British publishers have routinely and successfully used overseas typesetters (mainly in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines) for many years. With the increasing availability of fast internet access in many countries, geographical location seems increasingly irrelevant.
The SfEP's concern is that some overseas suppliers whose staff don't have English as a first language are now offering editorial services, often based on a rigid, rule-based approach. In this context, it's important to remember that many authors don't have English as a first language either and so may require considerable editorial help.
10 February 2011
Join us in Oxford for our 22nd annual conference
Our 2011 AGM and conference will be on 25–27 September at St Catherine's College, Oxford. The ever-entertaining David Crystal OBE – the Society's honorary vice-president – will be giving the post-banquet speech, while our Whitcombe lecturer will be Angus Phillips, director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies at Oxford Brookes University.
The programme covers diverse topics, including:
- indexing for editors
- rights and permissions
- editing fiction
- e-publishing.
We'll also be having a workshop on the Alexander Technique, and another that promises to demystify references. Just as important is the chance to meet fellow professionals, both in the workshops and seminars and socially.
Book for the conference before 31 March and you'll receive an early-bird discount.
We're also running our newest one-day course, Introduction to web editorial skills, at St Catherine's just before the conference, on Saturday, 24 September. If you're coming to the conference, why not make the most of your visit to Oxford by booking a place on this course as well? Check out the mini-website that gives details of the course content.
31 January 2011
The SfEP's first seminar at the London Book Fair
The Society for Editors and Proofreaders will be hosting its first-ever seminar at the London Book Fair on 13 April 2011 at 2.30pm. It will take place in Wellington Rooms 1 and 2 on Level 1 of the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA. The seminar – entitled The partnership between author and editor – will explore how the relationship between author, in-house editor and freelance editor will work to mutual advantage.
The panel comprises two trios – one in fiction and the other in general/popular medicine – and will be chaired by Christina Thomas, an honorary member of the SfEP. The authors Mark Newton (fiction) and Bridget McCall (popular medicine) will discuss how they work with their editors Julie Crisp & Lawrence Osborn and Dick Warner & Richenda Milton-Daws respectively.
The annual London Book Fair is a fantastic opportunity to find out what's happening in the world of publishing. SfEP members and associates can receive a discount on the price of entry. Details are available in the Members' area of the SfEP website.