The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) Conference is held every year during the second weekend of September. This year I attended for the first time. I wasn’t really sure what it would entail, so now I share with you a combination of review and overview of the event, so you can get an idea of what it’s like (if you’re a fellow editor or proofreader considering going next year) or if you’re nosy about what happens when a group of editors and proofreaders get together for a weekend.
This blog post will cover the general schedule of the two days I attended; the sessions I attended; and I’ll end with answering the question ‘Why go to the CIEP conference?’.
What two days at the CIEP conference looks like
With this year’s CIEP conference being held just 40 minutes away Birmingham (at Conference Aston), I decided to attend as a day delegate for the Sunday and Monday, which are the days when the keynote speeches and all the sessions are. Opting for a weekend ticket includes accommodation from Saturday to Monday, with more ‘breaking the ice’ activities happening on the Saturday (I missed out on a guided tour of Birmingham, some networking, a CIEP run, and the quiz).
Day delegates also have to miss out on the gala dinner (well, you can buy a separate ticket and then make your way home afterwards), but settings like this make me even more anxious than I already was, so I was actually pretty comfortable with this decision (a combination of eating really slowly and being very chatty means it takes me AGES to finish a meal in social settings).
Anyhow, here’s a little day in the life of a day delegate at the CIEP conference (rough timings):
Saturday
8.45am to 9.15am: registration
9.30am: opening speech
11.00am: session 1
12.30pm: lunch (so good!) which I had with my proofreading tutor from 2022
2.00pm: session 2
3.30pm: session 3
5.00pm: I left while everyone else staying went to their rooms to chill out and get changed for the dinner
I then spent the evening at Birmingham Town Hall with a few members of my book club: we went to see Bella Mackie on the book tour for her second book What a Way to Go, compered by Joe Lycett!
Sunday
8.45am to 9.15 am: registration
9.30am: session 4
11.00am: break
11.30pm: session 5
12.30pm: lunch
1.30pm: session 6
2.30pm: break
3.30pm: closing speech and raffle (I didn’t win, booo)
5.00pm: I headed to my parents’ to have dinner with them. Some delegates hot-footed it to catch trains or beat the traffic while others were staying an additional night, travelling back the next day
This may be a slightly odd thing to focus on, but I have to mention the food. No beige buffet in sight! As a pescetarian who isn’t a fan of spicy food, my options are sometimes fairly limited, but not here. I had a fish casserole with a crunchy courgette topping with roast dinner sides on the first day, and the next day I enjoyed butternut squash gnocchi with a hefty side salad (there was a salad bar with salads that actually filled you up, like loaded cous cous, Greek slaw, potatoes, etc.).
During the breaks there were plenty of proper-sized cups and various tea options (I can’t drink coffee, but there was a decent looking coffee machine), flapjacks, blondies, fruit, croissants. All super handy so you don’t have to cart around half of Co-op with you to keep yourself topped up.
Sessions I attended at the CIEP conference 2024
The scope and breadth of the editing and proofreading world is wonderfully huge. Just take a look at the courses offered by the CIEP and you’ll see how much there is you can learn, whether you’re brand new to proofreading or you’re entering your third decade in the editorial business and want to make sure you’re not left behind.
Non-fiction, fiction, traditional publishing, self-publishing, copyeditors, proofreaders, book coaches, typesetters: all are welcome (and needed!) by the CIEP.
The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Embracing Change’, which was brilliantly covered in particular by the two keynote speakers.
Keynote speeches
The opening speech was by Rob Drummond, ‘Ten things everybody should know about (spoken) language’. Rob was passionate about how pride underlines pedantry, how identity is (or becomes) linked with accents (and vice versa), language- and accent-based prejudice, and how we need to change how people listen more than how people speak. Of course, that was not all 10 things in his speech, but the content of his speech is reserved for conference attendees.
Lynn Murphy’s closing speech ‘There’s No Such Thing As a Word’ had us all chuckling away at the differences between American English and British English, and I loved her notion that there is no such thing as true synonym (because every word has its own specific meaning, especially in context).
There are 6 sessions held across 2 days, with 4 options offered per session. Your ticket includes recordings of all sessions, which means in total you have 24 presentations on offer (plus the keynote speeches, plus the wealth of information you’ll get from talking to your edibuddies).
These are the ones I chose to go to:
Day 1
Session 1: worldbuilding for fiction editors with Andrew Hodges
Session 2: embracing our changing language from Agatha Christie, via Star Trek to 2SLGBTQ+ with Lynn Fortin
Session 3: Your editor website is not IKEA: How to attract, retain and convert visitors with Debbie Emmitt
Day 2
Session 4: Thorns on the rose: Tricky editing issues with Laura Poole
Session 5: Understanding self-publishing with Anna Davidson
Session 6: Editor blog 101: How to write blog posts that attract clients to your editing business with Dr Magda Wojcik
I thought this combination provided an ideal mix of business development to grow my business (attracting and retaining clients), providing the best experience for my clients, and some general interest to remind me how interesting and adaptive English language and literature is.
I can’t give you a blow-by-blow account of the information from within these sessions because 1) that would be a bloomin’ long blog post and 2) detailed information from the conference is for the privilege of attendees only, sorry! Hopefully the titles alone will highlight the welcome variety on offer, though.
Why go to the CIEP conference?
That’s what my husband asked me when I got back. We are both very anti-corporate: we hate events being hosted for the sake of it, especially when you come away feeling like you could have spent the time working (to earn money) or spending time at home or with your family, so putting my time and money into events has to be worth it.
I was hesitant about attending for 3 main reasons, which I’ll address one by one:
1. The cost.
2. My anxiety.
3. It turning into a waste of time.
1. The cost
Yes, it is a decent sum of money. Certainly for someone like me who is still fairly young in their business, in which I work part-time hours. But then I realised that I have been frugal with my finances when it comes to my business expenses. I don’t pay for any networking or advertising and my marketing costs are extremely low. I am a paid-for member of a marketing group at £15/month, I have my CIEP membership and occasional courses, and my accountancy fees, and that’s about it. Well, except for book purchases (oh, and my salary)!
I also thought about other online courses or workshops I have signed up for that I’ve never completed: how much money have I spent on those in a year? At least attending a conference means you will definitely listen and participate. Plus, with the conference only running once a year, this outgoing is something I can save up for throughout the year.
2. My anxiety
I make no bones about being an anxious person (see 'How my anxiety makes me a better editor'). But I have this weird combination of being highly sociable and chatty along with obsessive self-doubt and rumination over what I’ve said or done.
Attending as a day delegate was one way I decided to try and manage my anxiety surrounding the event. I could go home and sleep in my own bed, plus not have to worry about the more ‘social’ aspects that happen on the first day and in the evening.
The CIEP seem particularly aware and accommodating of anxiety and the neurodivergent community. I spotted under the networking information some tips on how to manage networking if you’re nervous and there was a ‘quiet room’ on offer for anyone who needed time away to decompress or not have to worry about chatting to anyone.
What helps me with my anxiety in this sort of situation is telling people just that. When I first start talking to someone, I’ll tell them how nervous I am! This is usually met with either an assertion that they feel the same or reassurance that all these editors and proofreaders are a lovely bunch.
3. It turning into a waste of time
I cannot STAND corporate events (did I already mention that?). The obsession about appearance (both in being a know-it-all and in wearing the ‘right’ kind of attire), the apparent need to use jargon or buzz words, and the edge of competitiveness that pervades the whole event. No thank you.
Well, I’m pleased to reassure you that CIEP members seem to have the same aversion to corporate events. Don’t get me wrong, the whole thing was efficiently and professionally organised, but when you’re able to introduce yourself to the Chair of the CIEP because you’re both wearing dungarees, you know you’re in the right crowd!
Why go to the CIEP conference?
This third point is the main reason why you should attend the CIEP conference. It’s about the PEOPLE. Because every single person attending is a CIEP member, every single person there has the same standards about running a business and a genuine passion for anything to do with editing and proofreading.
You don’t need to worry about any session you attend being a waste of time. You’re bound to learn something from either the speaker or another delegate. And if it turns out you have information or insight the speaker doesn’t have, then this is welcomed by everyone there, and you’ll have a chance to establish yourself as another expert in that field.
Many freelance positions are lonely ones, especially creative jobs like writing and editing. Getting together with like-minded people who will happily chat to you about the latest changes to an authoritative style guide (there were several references to the Chicago Manual of Style 18), share your pain points like juggling running a business with your home life, and (of course) have a multitude of book recommendations will just fill your soul to the brim. And that’s something you can’t achieve in any other format.
Even though I’ve heard next year’s conference is in Glasgow (meaning I’ll have to go for a whole weekend, rather than as a day delegate) I fully intend to go so I can get more selfies, have more hugs, write more notes, and keep feeling invigorated about the world of editing and proofreading.
If you went to the CIEP conference this year (or any year) then I’d love to know what you thought about it; if you’re considering going next year, I’d love to know if this post helped you out or if you have more questions about it. Feel free to email me to ask: sian@siansmitheditorial.co.uk
Great post! Love the dungarees and that the food gets a mention :) I have zero experience of corporate conferences, so can't imagine what that's like, but from your description, it sounds like the CIEP conference is a much more relaxed and friendly place to hang out at. The Glasgow venue is amazing, by the way, and you'll get a very warm welcome in Scotland!