CSE General Meeting

Wednesday 26 February 2025

Visit our events page for more details on attending this meeting in person or online.

Pamla Hewitt presents Working with words: A half-life with books and writing

It’s not always easy to keep an eye on the big picture when you’re caught up with the daily demands of deadlines and competing priorities but it’s always worth taking stock of where you’re heading in your career. Whether you’re starting out, planning retirement or somewhere in the middle, it’s useful to look back at what led you to work in publishing and where you want the next phase of your working life to take you.

I tweak my working style and directions all the time. At different stages, I’ve switched emphasis on the genres I specialise in and the services I offer, the programs and platforms I use and the clients I seek out.

This presentation includes a ledger of pros and cons of my working life, contrasting satisfactions gained with lessons learned, reflecting on the pleasures and the pitfalls of a (half) life immersed in books and writing.

In column A, satisfactions include the tangible and intangible pleasures of holding a book and reflecting on the journey between final draft and publication. There’s also serendipity – being in the right place at the right time, making an apparently random connection with a writer who becomes a delight to know through many manuscripts.

Column B, lessons learned, is a list of as-yet unrealised ambitions, red flags I’ve come to recognise and the ever-changing but constant challenges of new technology. My working life has included silk purses but there have also been sow’s ears. I know to take certain phrases with a bucketful of salt: ‘the manuscript will be ready in two weeks’, ‘it only needs a light copyedit’.

When I think back, I realise with some humility how much I’ve learned. Working with language is an endless delight with all its quirks and splendours. My experience is different from others’ and I can’t wait to hear yours. I anticipate finding common ground as well as sharing new insights.

Editing is a profession where, with some qualifications, you improve with experience. Like fine wine, a good editor ages well. Together, let’s consider ways to make the most of the journey. We can also drink to it!

About Pamela

Pamela Hewitt AE has worked in publishing for over 35 years. After working in academic and educational editing, she established Emend, focusing on fiction and narrative non-fiction. Many of these manuscripts have won major literary prizes. A qualified teacher, Pamela has presented editing and writing programs around Australia and internationally.