Events
SD/PEN conducts Program Meetings on the third Thursday of every other month at 6:30 pm. Program Meetings feature special guest speakers or panelists who discuss a variety of topics pertinent to editors, writers, and freelancers.
SD/PEN also periodically hosts special Networking Events, including our annual holiday party.
In addition, SD/PEN presents one or two Workshops each year that offer in-depth and often hands-on instruction in different topics, from grammar to web technology.
Click on the event listings below for more information.
Note: program topics and presenters are subject to change.
After you’ve landed that prestigious copyediting job, your attention immediately shifts to ensuring you’re prepared with the necessary tools and resources to do excellent editorial work and perpetuate future job opportunities. One of those tools is a style sheet: a collection of decisions made by the copyeditor during editing or directions mandated by the publisher for the copyeditor to follow during editing. Depending on the project, style sheets can be simple and straightforward or complex and technical.
Paul Richmond will present several sheet formats (from old-school to new-techie versions) and describe how many in the industry (as individual freelancers or larger office-based editorial teams) use them.
Topics covered during the program include
- Who uses style sheets and who owns them
- Differences between sheets and guides
- Why are style sheets needed
- What should appear on a style sheet (and what should not)
- Popular formats of style sheets
- Receiving vs building a style sheet
- Electronic style sheets (HTML) and metadata (XML)
Time permitting, Paul will also take questions related to copyediting as viewed from within publishing and describe how UC San Diego Extension’s Copyediting Certification program prepares individuals to succeed in the industry.
(Note: this program was originally scheduled for January 18 and was rescheduled to May 17 due to illness.)
Paul Richmond is a Supplier Development Manager within the Digital Transformation/Supplier Services department of Elsevier Inc. Elsevier is a world-leading publisher and data-analytics company in STM (science, technology, medicine) academia. Based in San Diego, Paul supports operational and editorial performance of the company’s global English language-editing and copyediting vendors. With a background in technical and developmental editing, Paul is also an instructor for and professional adviser to the UC San Diego Extension Copyediting Certification program. He has been instructing since 1999.
Join us for a fun-filled evening of mingling, conversation, and noshing!
Networking events present an ideal opportunity to get to know your fellow editors and writers, learn about potential work opportunities, build your referral network, exchange tips and tricks of the trade, discuss your challenges, and celebrate your successes.
The evening will include food, games, and door prizes.
To RSVP by end of day, Tuesday, June 19 please leave a comment below.
Join us for this special program where we will draw on the SD/PEN hive mind to explore 
some of the most important issues editors and writers face. Regardless of your level of experience, you will have something to gain from—and contribute to—this informal-format meeting.
Attendees will be invited to share some of their greatest successes and best learning experiences with the group. An open question-and-answer session will give everyone an opportunity to ask the pressing and evergreen questions you’ve always wanted to ask a group of editors and writers with a wide range of experience in various specialties (e.g., technical writing and fiction editing) and environments (e.g., freelance and in-house).
Among the possible topics to be discussed are
- Best/worst client experiences—what was your best “teachable moment”?
- Marketing successes—how did you land that big job?
- Productivity tips—how do you stay organized and minimize procrastination?
- Social media activity—has been it worth your time?
- Finding work on bid sites—does it pay to play?
- Professional development—how do you keep your skills sharp?
- Resources online and off—where do you go to get the answer?
- Members with benefits—how can SD/PEN help you?
We are open to requests, so please send us your topic suggestions. This program is for you, however you wish to experience it—as an active contributor or interrogator, an eager sponge of career-boosting insights, or some combination of the three.
The evening will include lots of time for networking and snacking.