I, not a robot: An editor’s grapple with staying human
Join PEG for a webinar on how to improve your productivity as an editor or proofreader by adopting time-management tools and approaching projects more analytically, including being aware of how and when you work best – one of the demons that perhaps plagues us all as our workloads grow and we have to find ways to cope best as entrepreneurs.
Focus: The purpose of this webinar is to share with fellow editors time-management data gathered over almost five years, an analysis of the digital platforms I use and thought leaders’ research on productivity models for knowledge workers to start a conversation about how editors can use technology to complement their productivity without losing themselves. I argue that understanding what editorial input a project requires, setting up an appropriate workflow and knowing how you work best will allow you to adopt digital resources that will enable you to add value to your role.
Date: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Time: 18:30–20:30
Place: Online (Zoom meeting)
Facilitator: Linda Pretorius
Pre-webinar materials: None
CPD hours: You will qualify for 2 hours of core CPD when you attend this webinar and only 40 minutes of discretionary CPD if you listen to the recording only without proof of attendance.
About our facilitator
Linda Pretorius holds a PhD in Biosystems from the University of Pretoria. She loves both science and working with words. In her career as a science writer, editor and proofreader she has found the best of both worlds.
Linda entered the world of editing in 2008, first as a freelancer and then working in-house as managing editor at a large educational publisher for eight years. She thinks that her science studies and inquisitive nature helped to shape her into a critical thinker. This has allowed her to evaluate existing workflows and processes through analysis, not only to understand what makes some processes fail but also to seek solutions when they do. In 2019, Linda decided to take the plunge and return to the freelance world, where she shares her experience with others as editorial consultant and hands-on practitioner.
About the webinar
A day is finite. Yet our daily to-do lists seem to be growing ever longer. To make it all work, we try to get as much out of every hour as we can (or think we can) by trying to optimise our efficiency. Think time management apps, scheduling software, programs that automate routine tasks, instant messaging to connect with collaborators and teams working simultaneously on shared documents in the cloud. But how much do these tools improve efficiency? And does increased efficiency mean increased productivity? Does output necessarily equal productivity?
In this presentation, I draw on time-management data gathered over almost five years, an analysis of the digital platforms I use and thought leaders’ research on productivity models for knowledge workers to start a conversation about how editors can use technology to complement their productivity without losing themselves. I argue that understanding what editorial input a project requires, setting up an appropriate workflow and knowing how you work best, allows editors to adopt digital resources that will add value to their role rather than define it, whether they’re a hands-on practitioner or a team’s facilitator. By being selective about the digital resources we use and thinking about their role in our work, I argue, editors can become masters of productivity instead of being automatons of efficiency.
Cost
Affiliation | Early-bird fee (before or on 11 May) |
Full fee (from 12 to 20 May) |
---|---|---|
PEG members | R295 | R380 |
LAMP members* | R495 | R580 |
Non-affiliated members | R695 | R780 |
*LAMP members: Association of Southern African Indexers and Bibliographers (ASAIB), ProJourn, Southern African Freelancers’ Association (SAFREA), South African Science Journalists’ Association (SASJA) and the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI).
Please register by completing and emailing the registration form.
Deadline for registrations: 12:00 on 20 May.
Cancellation policy
If members are unable to attend this webinar after having registered and paid for it, a full refund is possible if cancellations are received by Sharon Rose by no later than 12 noon on Tuesday, 21 May. Once the final number of attendees has been confirmed on the eve of the webinar, no refunds are possible.
In addition, should you be prevented from participating in full or in part on the day of the webinar owing to Eskom loadshedding, you will be entitled to take either the same webinar or another on the 2024 webinar programme. When this occurs, the onus will be on you to inform the webinar coordinator of your disqualification on this ground and to specify which alternative webinar you would like to transfer your registration to.
Remember, though, that as a would-be or part-participant on the day, you will in any event receive the audio recording of the entire event plus PDFs of the PPT slides.
Use the early-bird special: save money and secure your spot at this webinar by registering early!