Category: Editors

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Looking for a discount?

Boxing Day! Valentine’s Day! Easter! EOFY!

Grand sale, grand sale, grand sale!

There are certain times of year when the reality of marketing really hits home. Our inboxes and social media feeds are overflowing with sales offers, discount codes and exhortations to buy, buy, buy.

Yet, rather than helping us, these messages seem only to fuel consumer angst, like FOMO (fear of missing out).

I don’t know about you, but these repetitive sales messages drive me to despair. They’re exhausting. On peak sales days I seem to spend more time deleting and unsubscribing than considering a purchase – and swear I’ll never sign up to any “updates” ever again.

You may be surprised to read that I do not offer discounts on my services – read on to find out why.

The psychology of pricing

Pricing one’s products and services is more than a business decision, or a matter of “breaking even”: it’s a psychological technique that can be highly profitable, especially if you’re willing to look past the ethical issues.

In marketing parlance, “psychological pricing” is a strategic approach that uses targeted techniques to influence the consumer’s perception of a product and its value.

The anchoring effect

A common technique is the anchoring effect, which aims to influence consumers’ decision-making through apparently “rational” means. Sellers create an “anchor”, which means they set a high price for a desirable product, and then offer a lower (“sale”) price alongside this anchor. The desired effect is that the consumer decides to buy as quickly as possible, so they avoid having to pay the higher “standard” price.

This practice is probably familiar to most consumers. While we might joke about the ubiquitous “Closing down sale” associated with shops selling rugs and other floor coverings, anchoring is commonly used to great effect by retailers, including online, who have no plans to shut up shop.

Product sales

From time to time, you’ll encounter a sale on this website for products like books in print, ebooks and recorded training/workshop sessions.

There may be a launch sale for a new product to encourage visitors to buy early in the product’s life cycle. The only way I can do this without reducing my overall revenue is to allocate a portion of my annual marketing budget to subsidising the sale.

Or I may offer a discount on products nearing the end of their cycle – perhaps the stock is running low, I have no plans to reprint the book (or card deck) in its current edition.

Bundle sales

Another form of sale you’ll find on this website is a reduced price for a “bundle” – like prepayment for a series of coaching sessions, or for a combined purchase of recorded workshops or presentations.

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Help! Need beta reader, editor, agent and publisher. Seventy-five year old on fixed income.
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I'm looking for free/discounted editing in exchange for a review of your business.
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Why are editors so expensive?!
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Good services, fair rates, all year round

As stated, I do not offer discounts on services: writing, editing, manuscript assessment and live coaching or training. My commitment to you, the client, is to offer the lowest possible price every day of the year.

One way to verify that you’re getting value for money is to check the industry standard for editorial pay rates.

What you get

I have invested well over $100,000 in my education.

Over more than 3 decades I have poured my energy, creativity, sheer hard work and enthusiasm into every single project, and I have been recognised for this through several prestigious awards and scholarships.

When you purchase my services, you get the cumulative benefit of that investment, experience, knowledge and expertise, including my sensitivity reading and editing, and my work on Cultivating a Trauma-Sensitive approach to editing practice.

How to avoid the "bargain" buy

As a small business owner – and a consumer just like you – I believe you should only buy something if you really, truly love and value it.

Look for high quality, longevity and impact.

Buy the book if it’s going to give you the knowledge and advice you need. Ensure you read it and make a plan to apply what you’ve learnt to improve your own situation.

Let the impact of your purchase be a positive one.

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To launch and be launched

Watercolour painting showing a diversity of people, in states of engagement with a book

On Monday this week, Editors Victoria (a branch of the Institute of Professional Editors) hosted a launch online of my book, Editing for Sensitivity, Diversity and Inclusion: A guide for professional editors (2e, published by Cambridge University Press). I was thrilled to be in the company of more than 90 editor colleagues from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and a fruitful, albeit brief, discussion was had in the allotted hour.

At the conclusion of the event, we discovered that many people (123 people had registered) had misread or misunderstood the starting time and were trying to join just as we were closing the virtual meeting room.

This kind of mistake is remarkably common, and of course regrettable when we find we have missed out on an activity or benefit as a result. So, why do some people misread or misinterpret instructions and information? An obvious answer is that reading comprehension is a skill that needs to be learned and maintained through constant practice. But we might reasonably assume that the people who misread the time of the event were editors already skilled in reading comprehension, given that the event was hosted by a professional association of editors.

Context is everything

There is a theory about how people process information: that the context is critical. Psychologists (see, for example, this article by Leon F. Seltzer PhD) say it does not matter how crystal clear you think your message is, the reader’s comprehension will depend on factors outside your control, such as their emotional state – whether they are tired or angry, for example – and their associations with the words or phrases in your message. So word choice is important, too. This could be the point at which I tell you (yet again) why editors are important partners in crafting your message and how we can add value to your writing project.

That is true, of course, but not the point of this post. One of the most effective techniques I use with “my” authors and clients is to ask questions. Many questions. And while this may be annoying for some, there is a method in this madness. Your answers provide me with hard facts; for example, about the type of book you are writing and the audience(s) you are writing for. At the same time, the “soft” information I garner from our conversations tells me a great deal about the “style, flavour and tone” we will be aiming for; about your intentions, your hopes and dreams for the work.

And while your responses help to get the metaphorical wheels turning in my brain, it is doing something for you, too. Having to respond to questions, particularly ones whose answers you may not yet have thought about, can engage your brain in a very creative way. Even a response like “I don’t know” can provide me (and you) with pertinent information.

Diversity and cultural appropriation: Why should we care?

The book launch included an interview between me and Thirangie Jayatilake, EdsVic’s Inclusion and Access Adviser, who asked the anticipated questions about how I came to write the book and whether editors have ethical responsibilities with regard to diversity and inclusion.

The question that fascinated me most was this (I’m paraphrasing): “Why should we care about issues such as diversity and cultural appropriation?”

Now, if you know me, or anything about me, you could probably predict my answer, which was two-fold:

  1. That diversity matters because we all matter. Why not produce books that reflect the world in which we live? There are many, many more reasons, but I’ll leave you to read about them in my book.
  2. That cultural appropriation may be considered trivial to those in the dominant culture  (that is to say, the white majority in countries like Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States), but it most certainly does matter to the people(s) whose cultures are being appropriated. As Rina Arya (2021) concludes in an excellent paper on the topic:

“The concept of cultural appropriation matters and draws attention to the fact that not all forms of cultural exchange are equal and calls into questions the ethics of a majority/dominant culture taking from a marginalised culture. Access to other cultures has become easier in many parts of the world because of globalisation and this increases the urgency in understanding the implications of cultural appropriation and the boundaries of what constitutes the sharing of culture in a responsible way.”

Storytelling is at the very heart – indeed it is the essence – of who we are as humans. 

Our stories, whether fiction or memoir, or both, ought to reflect the diverse cultures, ethnicities, identities and (dis)abilities that make up our world.

Whether we write them or read them, we should expect books and stories to include real people* as we are in life: complex, mundane, amazing…

I look forward to continuing the discussion!

*Obviously, this does not include characters made up for fantasy or science fiction.

 

Watercolour painting showing a diversity of people, in states of engagement with a book
"The Library" © Francine Ogle 2023, watercolour on paper. A safe place, filled with wisdom and knowledge. A place for everyone, where diversity, equality and inclusion is welcomed. Instagram: @francine_ogle_art.

Reference

Rina Arya (2021), Cultural appropriation: What it is and why it matters, Sociology Compass, 15(10):e12923. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12923

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You can lead an author to editing but you can’t make them think (like you)

girl+horse silhouette

or, why I love working with indie authors

The title of this piece is as much for authors as it is for editors. 

Editors lament the difficulty they experience sometimes in convincing independent (indie) authors that their manuscript needs to be professionally edited (and proofread) prior to self-publication.

But indie authors just want to get their book out there into the world, as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Right?

The editor may feel they are banging their head into a brick wall. Yet, they remain oblivious to the indie author’s battle with the two-headed demon of time and money.

I’m not usually prone to such violent analogies, but this topic calls up strong emotions. What I mean is this: people can take a view on something and hold onto it tightly – too tightly – despite mounting evidence to the contrary. They may be bleeding from the head yet insist they are fine. Really.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that words have power.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

That’s how the saying goes.

A HORSE?

Every writer is a unique beast, but if you really want to compare them with horses, consider the strength of that comparison: horses are powerful, sensitive, courageous. Treat your author, the heroic beast that they all are, with due respect.

Indie authors may vary widely in the nature of their work and how they want to build their writing career. For example, self-publication may seem like a reasonable route because the indie author may:

  • want to develop their writing skills
  • seek to build an audience or following as an independent author
  • want to build up their confidence before they approach an agent or publisher
  • have other reasons for wanting to self-publish.

To the indie author, engaging a professional editor may feel like taking a risk (or not). It could be the most challenging experience of the writer’s life, or the most fun, or neither.

The nature of that relationship depends on both the author and the editor.

The author–editor relationship

As an indie author, apart from getting a well-edited manuscript, what is it you really want from your relationship with an editor? To learn about the craft of writing, to feel supported, to know you can entrust your manuscript to a true professional …?

As the editor, apart from doing a good job and getting fair pay for it, what do you want? An appreciative client, an author who trusts your judgement and advice, who will return to you with their next manuscript …?

What else?

LEADING (A HORSE) …

A highly skilled, sensitive editor can seek to embody the values, principles and strategies of leadership by building trust with their authors, and through empowerment and encouragement. Indeed, the editor–author relationship has the potential to be one of the most intimate and influential of professional engagements.

There are plenty of examples of such relationships, spanning years or decades – perhaps even all of their professional lives.

One of the most interesting is that developed between editor Thomas Wentworth Higginson and poet Emily Dickinson.

Leading, not forcing

Editors who don’t understand that their role is to facilitate, rather than force, will understandably experience frustration, again and again. ‘Why don’t/won’t they listen to me?’ the editor thinks.

The answer is that the role of the editor is to help the author, by pointing out problems or potential problems, and offering options for resolution by the author.

Edits should always be ‘suggested edits’. It is the author’s prerogative to accept or reject (or revise) the proposed amendment – even if that makes something within the manuscript ‘wrong’.

Responsibility for a poorly worded or inaccurate statement belongs to its author, who ultimately will be held to account for it. Their writing career and reputation depends on how they handle that responsibility.

And an editor who is concerned about being associated with a work can always decline to be named (credited) within it.

… TO WATER

Water is the essence of life. In literature, water can be taken to symbolise fertility, birth and rebirth; purity, cleansing and the washing away of sins; and further, ease, grace and fluidity.

And just so, there are different types, stages and levels of editing in the creation of literary works. As with water, the different elements can take a variety of shapes, forms and purposes.

  • In a publishing house, the publisher, publishing director or publishing board (or publishing committee) has the final say on all major decisions relating to the publication of a book, including approval of contracts, budgets and plans.
  • The commissioning or acquisitions editor engages with authors in that fertile, early birthing phase. Together, they take the kernel of an idea and set out to collaborate and agree on how it might be brought to fruition.
  • The developmental or structural editor works with the author at the big-picture (chapter or scene) level to clarify the form and shape of the book. Who is it for, and how will they read/use it? What’s the best way to optimise the narrative (or information) for the primary reading audience?
  • The line editor or copyeditor focuses on writing style at the word and sentence levels, to ensure consistency in voice, tone, register, grammar, syntax and other language elements. The aim is to finish with a polished work that is ready for typesetting or layout.
  • The production editor or managing editor has a much broader remit than the editing roles described above. They are responsible for assigning or commissioning services such as editing, proofreading, design, typesetting (layout) and printing, and ensuring the budget and schedule remain on track. (Indie authors also have to take on all these tasks, or commission others to do them.)
  • The proofreader’s role is to correct surface-level errors after typesetting (layout). It is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the editorial roles in publishing. The most important thing to remember is that proofreading should take place after copyediting and layout – click here for more information about what a proofreader does. 

Many, if not most, indie authors have very little knowledge or experience of the publishing process. They often have to learn as they go – and sometimes the lessons are tough! An experienced editor can help to steer the indie author onto the right path for their book.

JUST LIKE A WORK OF ART!

Apart from itself being a work of art, how is the process of producing a book with a publisher like the creation of a work of art, like a sculpture?

  1. The sculptor plans their work before they even touch the materials, deciding first on the correct type/form, consistency and volume of materials needed for their creation. In a commissioned literary work, the author and editor must first agree on the theme, subject, topics and audience for the book.
  2. Next, the sculptor makes a clay or wax model to serve as a kind of ‘sketch’ before they begin to carve the wood, stone or other material. Here, the author submits a plot outline, summary and/or table of contents for discussion and agreement before they go ahead and write the manuscript.
    If they have already written the manuscript, the conversation with the acquisitions editor may start in a different way, but the book’s purpose and reading audiences are usually at the forefront of their negotiations.
  3. Our sculptor may be done with the project when they have completed the artwork and created a statement of intent or a description of what the work means to them. But with a literary work, it’s only when the author has submitted the manuscript that the work of producing a book can really begin in earnest.

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WATER?

A powerful analogy of editing with water is through the idea of fluidity and movement: skilful editing facilitates the creation, recreation and refreshment of ideas, stories, myths and other narratives in literary works. Dams and blockages can stop or divert the flow to a new (sometimes better, sometimes worse) destination.

AND THE HORSE?

Horses lend us the wings we lack.

Leading a powerful, sensitive and courageous beast to water is an act that should come as naturally as life itself. (Remember, though, that a horse can probably make it to the water by themselves.)

A writer whose creativity is fully charged can produce work that dazzles like a fountain in sparkling sunshine.

And their editor’s engagement can bring forth fresh perspectives, directions and motivations.

Thereby demonstrating that you can lead a horse (author) to water (editor) for a refreshing drink or splash together. Providing there is trust.

 

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Professional supervision for writers and editors

What is professional supervision?

In a nutshell, professional supervision is a continuing relationship between practitioners in the same profession, whereby an experienced practitioner provides support for a counterpart’s professional practice. The supervisor is usually – but not always – a more senior practitioner. The supervisee may be a novice, early career or experienced practitioner.

Purpose

The purpose of the supervising relationship may be to:

  • Facilitate regular, structured reflection on the supervisee’s work with their clients, to uncover ‘blind spots and explore the potential for unconscious bias’.1
  • Debrief in a safe and confidential space while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
  • Identify areas for development and growth in professional practice.
  • Provide training in interpersonal skills or in a specific methodology.

History

Supervision has its roots in clinical practice, specifically in social work, psychiatry, psychology and counselling, where it is known as ‘clinical supervision’. In these and other health-related disciplines like nursing, clinical supervision is primarily focused on improving performance in clinical practice.

Professional supervision emerged in the coaching and mentoring professions in the early 2000s to support the coaching/mentoring relationship and to extend its benefits beyond the immediate setting.

Supervision is a place for the coach or mentor with the help of a trained supervisor to engage in reflective practice, develop their capacity to respond more deeply and effectively and increase the difference they can make in the world for their clients and their stakeholders.

Peter Hawkins, Preface in Clutterbuck et al. 2016 Tweet

Support for writers and editors

Professional supervision for writers and editors is a very new idea. In fact, apart from myself, I don’t know of anyone, anywhere in the world, who provides this service for writers and editors. (I would be very pleased to hear from anyone else who undertakes this kind of work.)

The aim of professional supervision in this context is to support the writer/editor in reflecting on their work and their professional practice, to help them see these through a different perspective, and from this to develop an awareness of themselves and their ability to serve their clients.

Writing and editing are professions with a great deal in common. Both are intensely solitary, and emotionally and creatively demanding.

In fact, writers and editors are close allies in publishing success. Some writers, particularly novice writers, may not believe their work needs editing but as they gain experience they often learn the value of working with an editor. Many editors focus on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of copyediting, and underestimate the value they can bring to the editorial relationship, to the manuscript in question and to the development and future career of the author.

A great many successful writers have written about the value, the joys and the agonies of working with an editor, as recently explored in a Paris Review essay by the Norwegian serial autobiographer Karl Ove Knausgaard.

What does professional supervision cover?

Professional supervision can be characterised in three ways:

  1. Normative/ethical – to ensure that the supervisee is conducting themselves ethically within the regulations and codes of conduct that govern their profession
  2. Formative/developmental – to ensure that the supervisee is able to learn from their experiences and develop the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to improve their professional practice and as well as their business
  3. Restorative/resourcing – to provide the supervisee with confidential support and a ‘listening ear’, to help the supervisee clarify personal and professional boundaries, and to help them increase their self-confidence and professional confidence.1,2

My own practice in conducting professional supervision with writers and editors incorporates all aspects of professional practice, including training and skills development; continuing professional development, management and leadership; professional and ethical conduct; scholarship and engagement in the field; and managing imposter syndrome, stress and burnout.

Sessions are tailored to meet individual and group needs, and the topics covered tend to evolve over time. The individual or group may start out eager to deal with immediate and acute issues, but the true value of supervision emerges over time through deep reflection and reflexive practice. The relationship requires a deep trust and commitment from both the supervisor and the supervisee/s.

How is it different from counselling or mentoring?

There are different types of counselling – such as couple’s counselling, career counselling and mental health counselling – which use talking therapies to help people deal with emotional issues. The focus is on improving the person’s mental health and relationships.

Mentoring involves a relationship – paid or unpaid, short-term or ongoing – between a mentor and mentee, in which the mentor provides support for the mentee’s personal or professional development, through guidance and the sharing of knowledge.

Professional supervision is a partnership in which the supervisor and supervisee work together to develop strategies for the supervisee to improve their professional practice. It is a learning-oriented process – which is why it may sometimes deal with personal issues – but it does not seek to ‘treat’ those issues. It is also a learner-oriented process, in that it is driven by the learner (supervisee), and success relies on their commitment to change in their behaviour or thinking.

Which is best: individual or group supervision?

To date, most (but not all) of my work as a professional supervisor has been with individual writers and editors who work with sensitive or disturbing content.

The tendency towards individualised sessions is often because these writers/editors have non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in place with their clients and necessarily want to avoid breaching those contracts. Or because the nature of their work is so sensitive or involves such disturbing content that it would be unwise to expose others to it.

But many writers and editors find enormous comfort, support and inspiration from professional supervision in a small group – usually three to five people. Any group of people can decide to get together to discuss problems, but without a trained and experienced facilitator these groups soon fizzle out or turn into a ‘whinge-fest’ and provide little in the way of development and improved practice.

In a facilitated group setting I work to carefully guide people in sharing their experiences, workshopping ideas and learning together. The learning experience can be profound, and enduring friendships or professional partnerships are often developed in the process.

Participants in these groups often talk about the sense of relief in finding that they are not alone. Even though their challenges and struggles may be unique to their situation, they get tremendous value through the interaction with like-minded colleagues – who are sometimes located in different countries and cultures.

When should you think about getting professional supervision?

Since professional supervision is focused on learning and improvement, you don’t have to wait until you encounter a major problem or challenge. You may wish to work proactively with a professional supervisor to:

  • analyse your client base and uncover strategies to build trust or better communication;
  • explore past projects or working relationships to better understand the dynamics within your own style of working or communication;
  • hypothesise tricky situations and how you might ensure you maintain ethical and professional standards
  • explore ideas and possibilities for future work or career directions.1

Most writers and editors work in isolation, so professional supervision offers the opportunity to reflect on the past and plan for the future – in your profession as well as your business.

Who benefits from professional supervision?

It may seem obvious that the supervisee is the major beneficiary of a professional supervision relationship.

However, ultimately the client benefits from working with a writer or editor who is resilient, has honed their craft through deeply reflective and reflexive practices, and has developed the confidence needed to support a manuscript or author towards success.

Where to from here?

Professional supervision is a very new area of practice that no doubt will develop and evolve over time. Finding someone with the appropriate knowledge, experience and expertise may be tricky while there isn’t a formal body of research and education to develop professional supervisors for writers and editors but it’s worthwhile doing your homework to find the right professional to support you.

My own practice is informed by my formal training as a Level 2 coach; professional supervision by a high-level coach with decades of experience; engagement with international research and practice; continuing professional development; experience in working directly with client supervisees (individually and in groups); and through a deep commitment to excellence and lifelong learning.

You’re welcome to call or email me for a description of my professional supervision and coaching services, or to arrange a brief chat to discuss how we might work together.

References

  1. Clutterbuck, D., Whitaker, C. & Lucas M. (2016) Coaching Supervision: A practical guide for supervisees. Routledge.
  2. Proctor, B. (1986) A cooperative exercise in accountability. In A. Marken and M Payne (eds), Enabling and Ensuring: Supervision in practice. Leicester National Youth Bureau. As cited in Rowe, A., Mackaway, J. & Winchester-Seeto, T. (2012) ‘But I thought you were doing that’: Clarifying the role of the host supervisor in experienced-based learning, Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 13(2), 115–34.
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Developmental editing … for editors

In my experience, most editors get their start in the profession through copyediting. This is the final stage in the editing process, and it focuses on polishing the manuscript (MS) at the word and sentence levels, prior to layout (typesetting). Commissioning and developmental editing are two higher-level (but not necessarily better) stages of editing that seek to guide the MS’s discourse and approach. And before these comes manuscript assessment (MA).

Some editors who are keen to get experience in developmental editing – otherwise also known as ‘structural editing’ and ‘substantive editing’ – say they aren’t interested in assessing manuscripts. In this post I highlight the value of the MA, for both author and editor, and explain why it is essential not to skip this stage of development for any MS.

 

A manuscript assessment is the first and most important step
in the development of a manuscript from the author’s draft.

It starts with your assessment of the manuscript

Regardless of your knowledge of the industry and genre, or your editing experience and expertise, if you’re going to provide an author with a critique of their work, the least you can do is to read the manuscript in its entirety to assess whether it is indeed ready for editing.

Editors who don’t want to undertake MAs tend to fall into one of two camps: (1) they are inexperienced or lack the confidence that they can do a good job, or (2) they prefer, for whatever reason, to get stuck into the MS.

In the case of the latter, the editor may be of the fix-it type of personality; someone who wants to get in there and make things ‘right’. This approach goes counter to the philosophy (and reality) that the role of the editor is to act in service, rather than instead of, the MS’s creator. Highly skilled editors know that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ – there is only what works best for this author and this particular MS.

In the case of the former, well, there are ways to remedy that. Highly skilled editors were once novices, too. We have taken years and decades to hone our craft, often through long hours of sweat and tears, and with the support of mentors, coaches and supervisors.

What exactly is a manuscript assessment?

The MA is a report, usually 1000–3000 words, commissioned by the author/client to determine the readiness of a MS for publication (or editing). It provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the MS, its readability and suitability for the target readership, discussion of major themes and messages in the narrative, and recommendations for improvement and next steps.

In a work of fiction, the MA might include discussion of narrative flow and pacing, and the effectiveness of dialogue, plot and character development, while the focus in assessment of non-fiction works might be on the structure and organisation of the MS, the author’s use of research and different options for presentation of complex information. The MA also considers the author’s writing style and their engagement with the subject matter. It may highlight specific areas for improvement, or it may recommend structural editing or copyediting to prepare the manuscript for submission or publication. Further editing or developmental work may be undertaken by the same editor or by a different editor.

Value and benefits – for the author

For the author or client, a MA is a strategic investment in the development of a work. Using the construction of a building as an analogy, the MA is like the client/architect (your author) commissioning a draftsperson to provide a detailed plan before they even set foot on the building site. Like the MA, such a plan sets out the technical and material designs, dimensions and procedures, and enables careful project planning, including the resources that will be needed to complete the building.

A MA can help the author envision their desired outcome for the MS, and to decide which of the editor’s recommendations they want to deal with themselves, and which they will outsource. The service is usually provided at a fixed price, so costs are clear and contained.

A MA is often the best first step for a novice author, but many experienced authors find it an excellent way to engage an expert in the early development of their work and, in the long term, in their writing skill/career.

Value and benefits – for the editor

It’s no fun receiving a MS to edit before it’s ready. Let’s face it: such MSs can be a true mess of words and ideas. There may be structural issues, or problems so entrenched in the narrative or plotlines that fixing one issue could result in myriad others down the line. Or there may be recurring problems that the author can – and should – fix prior to editing.

Of course, many editors are skilled in helping authors to unravel deep-seated problems in a developmental edit, but it does take considerable experience to do this well, and to do it straight off the bat. Costs cannot always be determined upfront because it’s impossible for the editor to anticipate the problems before they are knee-deep in the work.

Conducting a MA enables the editor to read and absorb the work before – and without – touching the MS. It encourages the editor’s creative engagement at an appropriate distance. By this I mean that the editor can remain at arm’s length from the work while offering advice and recommendations that empower the author to choose, and to implement, their own solutions.

Over the decades, among the most intellectually satisfying and rewarding projects for me have been those involving a MA first, in a process that enabled the author (or client) to consider and take on board my recommendations and then return with a much more polished revision for developmental editing or copyediting. In my view, this process results in a win–win: highly cost-effective for the author/client, and professionally rewarding for the editor.

How to become an adept DE

It takes time (years, decades) and effort to become proficient in developmental editing, particularly in the fiction genres. Starting with MA is an efficient, cost-effective, tried and true method to help you get there. Supportive training, coaching, mentoring and supervision can give you the edge.

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For editors: training, individual/group coaching and professional supervision
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Finder’s fees, referral fees and kickbacks – what’s the deal?

monochrome-photography-of-people-shaking-hands

Let’s start with definitions.

A finder’s fee, or referral fee, is money paid to someone by an individual or agency for referring a new client. In other words, it’s a commission. This may be paid according to a predetermined percentage of the value of the transaction arising from the referral, or it may be a flat rate. The parties in such arrangements usually have a formal or informal agreement between them.

A kickback is money
paid to someone in return for arranging a transaction or an introduction – more
commonly understood as a bribe, incentive or inducement.

Search online for any of these terms and you’ll find an abundance of views that these kinds of inducements make good business sense, and a plethora of others who say they do not. In this post I focus on some ethical issues associated with fees for referrals in the editing profession.

Are they legal?

Finder’s fees and referral fees are not illegal, per se, but
they are strongly regulated in industries such as real estate, banking and
financial services.

Strictly speaking, kickbacks are not illegal either, but they can land you in hot water with employers and clients. For example, in government and other civil services, policies on probity and governance prohibit employees from receiving gifts, services, money or anything of value in return for favourable treatment with tenders and contracts – or even as a gesture of appreciation.

As far as I can tell, none of these types of payments are
illegal in the freelance/consulting world of editing.

Are they ethical?

Kickbacks or incentives are by definition corrupt practices and therefore are unethical. They often involve a degree of deception and usually interfere with our ability to make fair and unbiased assessments.

I am aware that some professional editors have agreements
between them that involve the payment of finder’s fees and referral fees. However,
I have never been a party to such agreement and therefore I don’t have a deep
knowledge of how this works in practice.

Some ethical considerations in such an arrangement relate to:

  • Transparency – whether the prospective client is made aware of the arrangement; how much the client is told about the arrangement; whether the finder’s/referral fee is itemised in the invoice to the client; and how much information is shared between the referring party and the party receiving the referral.
  • Burden of expense – whether the finder’s/referral fee is paid from payments to the party receiving the referral, or is charged to the client.
  • The nature of collegial relationships between professionals.

What are collegial relationships?

When people work together as part of a team or in a particular
workplace, as colleagues they have a shared responsibility to their employer/client
and to the task, project or work they are doing. Legally and morally they also
have a responsibility to each other. For example, to seek help in an emergency.

How deeply people experience and respond to this moral responsibility to their colleagues can vary greatly.

For the most part, consultant/freelance editors work alone as individual business owners, and thus their legal responsibilities and loyalties lie with their business. But we are also members of a mutual profession, and in this sense we have a moral responsibility to each other as professional colleagues.

In a formal sense, our collegiality is expressed through our membership of professional associations such as the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd). And informally we support each other through mentorship, advice, a shoulder to cry on when things go wrong or to throw a (virtual) party when we have something to celebrate. We also provide each other with referrals, formally and informally. The Editors Directory is essentially our formal professional referral.

My approach to referrals

Even though I have been an editor for more than 30 years now, I am still not able to say confidently that I can edit any manuscript that is offered to me. For example, mathematics and physics for academic audiences have always baffled me and so I really couldn’t offer the high-quality editorial services I take pride in providing to all my clients. And I’m clearly just not cut out for certain topics – crime fiction and novels that include graphic descriptions of violence come to mind, as do scary stories.*

At least several times a year, clients or potential clients contact me with what sound like amazing projects but I’m unable to take them on because I’m booked out and/or can’t deliver within their required timeframe. So it makes sense to refer them to colleagues who may be interested and/or available in taking on their project. Over the three decades I have made a great many recommendations – probably numbering close to a hundred, if not more – often resulting in long-term gigs for the editors receiving those referrals. In other words, many thousands of dollars in revenue.

A few of those editors have sent me a bunch of flowers or a book voucher, or have bought me lunch or a drink as a gesture of appreciation. While these are lovely, they have always come as a pleasant surprise rather than an expectation. Sometimes the editor contacts me to say thank you, sometimes they don’t. But until recently I have never had a conversation about, or a suggestion of, a referral payment.

I’ve been a volunteer with Editors Victoria/IPEd from as far back as 1992.* Just as I consider this to be my personal contribution to the profession of editing, so too do I see the practice of referring clients or potential clients to trusted colleagues. In my view, we are all in this together, and it behoves us to look after each other in the best ways we can.

I do not seek, nor do I pay, finder’s fees, referral fees or kickbacks. Not now, not ever.

*sentence updated 14 February 2022

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We need to talk about…

Building a sustainable freelance editing business

You don’t have a lot of time right now, so I’ll get right to it.

  • Renée Otmar Consultancy - Blog

Problem

You’re looking for new sources of freelance editing work.

The pool of available work in the publishing industry is small – and shrinking.

+

The number of people freelancing, or wanting to go freelance, is increasing. Every single day.

=

Competition is fierce!

If you’re just starting out (or if you’ve hit a dry patch) and you’re looking for work, this can feel scary. What to do?

Solutions

Build a killer profile: qualifications, experience, expertise.

Find novel ways to attract new customers.

Provide a high-quality service so you can keep existing customers happy.

Offer the cheapest editorial services on the market. [Seriously, don’t]

Maintain your services at current market rates.

Find sources of work outside the publishing industry.

What else…?

These are, of course, only a few of many, many available solutions.

It’s easy to panic and throw a bunch of solutions at the
problem and hope that one of them will work.

But I’m sure I don’t have to convince you: not all of them
will work for everyone, and some of them won’t work for anyone.

The secret?

Take the tried and true method. Steady as she goes.

Build a sustainable freelance editing business. One that can grow as you grow. That allows you to be flexible and ethical and joyful and inspired.

To create the right small business infrastructure to suit your needs, desires and goals, you need to think strategically. Which means having a business mindset.

It’s not rocket science. It’s not a hard slog. It’s working out
what you want and then creating it, step by step. Baby steps or big steps – you
decide.

Marketing your freelance editing business: A step-by-step guide for Australian editors is designed to hold your hand as you work to develop your sustainable editing business.

Are you new to editing and/or freelancing?* Would you like to take a fresh approach to an existing practice? then you’re in the right place!

This eBook provides the support and encouragement you’ll need to do that painlessly and cost-effectively, in ways that are aligned with your personal values and principles. You may even have a little fun along the way!

*If you would like to find out how to become an editor, visit the website of the Institute for Professional Editors (IPEd).

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Researching and collecting data from and about editors. Considerations in providing your personal data (Part 3 of 3)

In this three-part essay I examine some of the different ways editors collect data for and about editors, editing and the profession as whole, and the types of research they may be interested in. I explore some of the ethical issues associated in doing so and how we might go about ensuring best practice. I also offer pointers for consideration if you are approached to provide your data. Click here for Part 1. Click here for Part 2.

Parts 1 and 2 approached the question of data collection from the perspective of the editor as data collector and/or researcher. But most editors are not researchers – we are more likely to be approached for our input or our personal data, or we may encounter posts online that solicit our involvement.

This part of the essay starts with a case study and then explores some ethical issues that arose. It suggests questions to consider when you are approached to provide your personal data or to participate in research.

Case study

Recently, along with a small group of other women, I was invited to a friend’s house to view a demonstration of a brand of essential oils. We had fun testing the products and socialising over tea and nibbles. Then came the inevitable: presentation of the product lists, specials and prices. Needless to say, the products were not cheap – in fact, they were eye-wateringly expensive.
Although our hosts did not ask us directly to buy the products, I felt obligated. Having ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the tantalising fragrances and the possibilities of what I could do with the essential oils, it seemed churlish, then, to say thanks and leave without buying anything.
This kind of social pressure used to be known as ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.
Had this been a negative pressure (e.g. to consume alcohol when I didn’t feel like it, or to endorse a bigoted statement) I would have felt confident about saying no. But I figured I would use – and probably enjoy – the products, and at the same time I would be helping a friend to establish her business. All of the other women present bought something from the catalogue.
To purchase the products, we were required to fill out a printed form, including credit card details for payment. Which I did – except that I left off the security number and sent that separately by text message. I was concerned that the form could end up in someone’s rubbish bin over time, and then our household’s complete credit card details would be out there in world.
Before we left the host provided us each with a copy of the product brochure, including an agreement, which included an enormous amount of ‘fineprint’ that could only have been written by crack legal team in the United States (it was).
But it didn’t end there. After committing to our purchases we found out that the next step was for our host to create an online account for each of us. Later that day she texted me to ask for my birth date. This time I said no. It seemed absurd to have to give this level of personal detail just to purchase some essential oils. The host sent me a link so I could create the account myself, and it gave me a chance to have a look around the website.
Turns out, this brand/company uses multi-level marketing as its sales model. Individuals are recruited as ‘distributors’ to sell the product and earn money from those sales, then they in turn recruit other distributors to work under them (downline) and receive a percentage of their sales as passive income. I discovered later that each person who purchases the products has to sign up to a membership, effectively as a distributor, which includes the terms and conditions of a legally enforceable agreement.

What, if any, are the ethical issues in this case study?

  1. Lack of transparency. When I accepted the invitation to attend I had an inkling that I would be invited to buy the products demonstrated. But I wasn’t told upfront that to buy anything I would need to sign up as a distributor.
  2. Benefits and risks. Although the benefits of the products were emphasised, there was no mention of risks. I had no idea that just to buy a few essential oils I would need to provide so much personal information. In the wrong hands, that information puts me at risk of identity theft.
  3. Informed consent. Our host did not ensure that we were provided with all the relevant information prior to purchasing/signing up.

Ethically, what should have been done?

Just to be clear, as far as I could tell, the host did not do anything illegal.

However, transparency and informed consent should be the cornerstones of ethical conduct when collecting data from anyone, for any purpose whatsoever.

First, when inviting people to the demonstration, the host could have been explicit by informing everyone that:

  • The products would be available for sale.
  • Purchasers would be required to create an account with the company.
  • Signing up for an account required personal information to be provided, including full name, address, date of birth, telephone and email contact details.
  • Signing up for an account required agreement with the company’s terms and conditions, including their detailed legal agreement, which was exclusively subject to a foreign jurisdiction.
  • Purchasers would, in effect, also become ‘distributors’, regardless of whether they actually sold the product/membership to anyone else.

This information could have been provided with a quick email prior to the event.

Second, during the presentation the host could have explained the company’s sales model and answered any questions that arose. Third, she could have been transparent about how she would benefit from the transactions that might take place, and fourth, she could have described the risks of signing up. Fifth, and finally, she could have put people like me at ease by stating that there was no obligation to purchase – and ensuring that this was in fact the case. I suspect I wasn’t the only one who felt obligated to purchase.

To be sure, as an adult with all of her faculties intact, I could have pulled out of this transaction at several time-points. However, upon reflection, the social pressure I felt to contribute held me back from asking about all the details, including risks, of the purchase. It would’ve seemed too confronting in what was set up as a social event between friends.

Provision of personal data

In this section we look at what questions to ask if you are approached to provide your data, opinion or other input. You may be approached informally by someone wanting to write a blog post, or for formal purposes, such as market research by a company or a colleague; industry research by IPEd or another organisation; social research by an individual or research team; or journalism or some other purpose.

Following are important questions to consider – you don’t have to ask all of them, but ask enough to provide you with the reassurance you need.

  • Who is collecting the information and for what purpose?
    Are those purposes aligned with your personal/professional values and principles?
  • How is the information being collected?
    For example, online, email, post, survey or interview in person or by phone, video or other method.
  • What information is being requested, and from whom?
    Who else is being asked? Is the person collecting the data an officer, employee or volunteer in the organisation? What codes of conduct govern their activity in collecting this data?
  • Why have you been approached to provide this information?
    Are you the appropriate target audience?
  • What will happen to your personal information?
    How and where is it being stored? Who will have access to it? What processes and security are in place? When and how will the information be destroyed?
  • Will any of your personal information be provided to a third party?
    Who, when and under what circumstances? Could you have a copy of any information that is provided about you?
  • Will you be able to withdraw your personal information?
    Whom should you contact, when and how?
  • Will any of your personal information be published?
    What, where and under what circumstances?
    Will you be able to request correction or amendment of your personal information? How soon will the information be updated?
  • Will there be any follow-up?
    Will you receive further correspondence about the activity/ project?
  • What, if any, are the benefits of providing this information?
    There may be none to you, and you may be fine with that.
  • What are the risks of providing this information?
    Don’t accept ‘none’ – there are ALWAYS risks. Even ‘low’ or ‘negligible’ risk is relevant and you should be the one to decide on the relevance or potency of that risk.
    How will these risks be mitigated?
  • What will happen if there is a breach, or if something goes wrong?
    How will you find out? Are there avenues for redress?
  • Whom should you contact in the event of a breach or other concern?
    What, if any, industry or professional laws and/or codes of conduct govern this activity?

Participation in research

In many ways, research is the lifeblood of contemporary society. We value highly and seek fidelity in evidence, particularly evidence arising from research. Although most research with humans is conducted safely and responsibly, it can involve risks. Whether those risks are high, low or negligible, there is always a possibility that things can go wrong.

Ethical review

That’s why any research involving human participants should be reviewed by a body such as a research review committee or a human research ethics committee (HREC).

HRECs and other review bodies assess the research merit and integrity, justice, beneficence, respect, risks and benefits outlined in research proposals before the research takes place. There may be risks and benefits of the research itself, as well as to the researchers and research participants, so ethical review takes in both the broader perspective and the individual circumstances of each research proposal.

HRECs typically include eight or more members, of which there should be equal numbers of men and women and about a third from outside the institution.

I have been a researcher member on the HREC of a major regional hospital since 2013 (and deputy chair since 2017), and also on the joint HREC for two federal government departments since 2017. I’ve learned so much from this involvement. Both positions have provided me with a depth of knowledge and an appreciation for critical review.

Which is why the first piece of advice I offer to any researcher is to seek independent review of their proposal before they seek ethical approval. Peer review is an invaluable contribution to the quality of any research proposal.

Questions to ask

If you are asked to participate in research, consider the following.

  • Has the study been reviewed?
    Has the research proposed been independently reviewed for its merit and integrity?
    Has the research proposed been reviewed by an HREC or other ethical review body?
  • What is the purpose of the research?
  • What are the benefits of the research?
    For you, for the researchers, their institutions, your profession/industry/interest group and the community at large.
  • What are the risks?
    Ask the researchers to spell this out in detail, including how these risks might be mitigated and what, if any, redress or support you might be entitled to in the event that something goes wrong.
  • Who is involved?
    Who is conducting the research? Which organisation/s are sponsoring the study? Who has provided funding (if any) for the study? Who has approached you to participate and what is their role in the study? How will they benefit from the research? Is there a potential or actual conflict of interest?
  • What’s your involvement?
    Why have you been approached to participate in this research? What is involved and what will you have to do – when and how? Will you be out of pocket if you agree to be involved? Will you be reimbursed? When and how?
  • Plain language statement
    Ask the researchers to provide you with a copy of the Plain Language Statement (or Participant Information and Consent Form, PICF) approved by the ethical review body. This document should outline all the information you need to enable your informed consent to participate. It should also include details of how and when to withdraw if you ever wish to do so, and contact details for both the study coordinators and the person/s to whom complaints should be addressed.
  • Personal information
    See above for questions to ask about the collection of personal data.

Research has contributed enormously to the good of society, and perhaps none more so than human research. As I stated earlier in this essay (Part 2), there is a dearth of research on editing, editors and the profession. To help us progress we need more research, particularly robust academic and industry research, to guide our efforts individually and as a profession. You can support quality research by getting involved and making sure you ask the right questions to ensure you are well informed.

Conclusion

Editors are increasingly collecting – and approaching others to collect – personal and other data. These may serve a range of good purposes, but there are always risks.

If you’d like to comment on this essay, if you’d like some advice or coaching to guide your own work, or even if you spot an errant typo, please do get in touch.

Suggested citation:
Otmar, R. (2019). Researching and collecting data for and about editors. Part 3: Considerations in providing your personal data, online essay. Viewed at https://reneeotmar.com.au/index.php/blog/.

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Researching and collecting data from and about editors. Research by, for and about editors (Part 2 of 3)

In this three-part essay I examine some of the different ways editors collect data for and about editors, editing and the profession as whole, and the types of research they may be interested in. I explore some of the ethical issues associated in doing so and how we might go about ensuring best practice, and offer pointers for consideration if you are approached to provide your data. Click here for Part 1.

Research about editors and editing

Despite our enthusiastic interest, to date there has been very little robust academic or industry research about editing and editors.

In 2001, at a joint conference of editors and indexers held in Canberra, my friend Pamela Hewitt started the first national survey of editors. This subsequently became the IPEd National Survey of Editors, conducted more or less every couple of years.

As surveys go, this is a fairly blunt instrument, in that the questionnaire hasn’t been formally or scientifically validated and it relies on volunteers to crank out a rudimentary analysis. But the survey is useful in that it has a respectable response rate (35% in 2016) compared to many workforce surveys, and it gives us information about editors that would be otherwise very difficult to find. For example, the report of the 2016 survey tells us that the cohort of editors who responded is highly qualified and experienced, with 64 per cent having postgraduate qualifications and 75 per cent having more than 4 years’ editing experience.

What we don’t know about editors and editing

What surveys like these don’t tell us is how editors go about choosing editing as a career or about their experiences in finding employment/clients. Famous editors’ biographies, personal stories and anecdotes aside, we also know little, if anything, about other aspects of the profession – for example:

  • how editors organise their daily/weekly/monthly/annual workflows
  • how they make day-to-day decisions about technical matters
  • how they develop and manage relationships with authors, clients and colleagues
  • how (and why) they make career or business decisions
  • whether (and how) organisational directives, professional networking, personal philosophies or ontological and/or epistemological stances influence their approaches to editing
  • and so on.

What editors want to know

If you’re an editor you’ll be familiar with the adage that we all love to read about ourselves. Indeed, the story about the development of the publishing industry in Australia is a case study in our collective desire to see ourselves reflected in books and literature.

It’s widely held that seeing ourselves reflected in the arts helps to build a sense of community by validating and normalising our experiences and perspectives. Research has an important role to play in helping us to understand ourselves better as a profession.

Over the past couple of decades, in my roles as trainer, mentor, coach and champion for editors, I’ve found that novice and early career editors’ burning questions about the profession usually fall into three broad categories, in order of importance:

  1. Employment-related information – how and where to obtain employment/clients, how much to charge/salary information, professional development opportunities and changes/trends in the market
  2. Technical information – how to learn about or resolve problems related to the mechanics of writing and editing, editing relationships and various tools of the trade
  3. Curiosity – about how editors, authors and others do things, what projects they work on, what they earn and personal information of a general nature.

Over time, this order is inverted as editors gain experience and become more established in their careers.

While many editors do share their experiences in online forums, many do not. And the shared stories tend toward extremes: announcements of happy, celebratory events, or recounts of disasters that serve as cautionary tales. Even if these extremes are widespread – and right now there’s no reliable way of being certain – we don’t know how typical or representative they are of the profession, as whole or of specific sectors or niches. We also have little evidence of editors’ attitudes, beliefs and perceptions about these and other professional matters.

What we need is committed, robust research to provide this kind of knowledge.

What is research?

Research is a clearly defined method by which investigators test hypotheses or explore a research question. Investigators conducting research with humans are expected to seek approval from an ethical review body (see below).

The three main categories of research – empirical science, applied research and experimental development (e.g. industry research and development) ­– investigate phenomena through a range of methods. The following relate to research undertaken with or about humans.

Scientific research

In the natural sciences, this kind of research is also known as ‘basic research’, ‘pure research’ or ‘fundamental research’. The empirical scientific method is used to verify phenomena through observation or experiment. Scientific researchers must adhere to strict rules about their approach and the conduct of the research, both of which are subjected to scrutiny by the scientific community in a predefined manner . This is known as ‘peer review’, and its extension involves research findings being able to be repeated independently.

Scientific research also includes applied research in medicine, such as laboratory studies and clinical trials, in which clinical and other interventions (including pharmaceuticals) are tested by comparing patients and healthy participants.

Academic research

Academic research may be empirical or applied research. Scientific research is often, but not always, conducted by academics. What we usually refer to as ‘academic research’ may be conducted in non-scientific disciplines, such as anthropology, history, philosophy, law and the social sciences, within the contexts of academic institutions like universities and research centres.

Market research

As the name suggests, this kind of applied research is done by or on behalf of businesses, corporations and governments, to collect and analyse information about their customers or constituents, such as their demographic profiles, needs, behaviours and opinions. Market research is used to make policy decisions, and decisions about product development, political campaigning, sales and communication with customers or constituents. Market research is also used to keep an eye on market trends and what the competition is doing.

Social research

Often closely related to market research, social research seeks to explore, describe, explain and predict human behaviour, particularly in group (social) settings. Social scientists use qualitative and quantitative methods to create or validate theory through collection and analysis of data.

Market and social research, including research commissioned by governments, is big business in Australia – in 2008 the sector was worth nearly $800 million, with a workforce of more than 10,000.

What is ethical conduct in research?

Best practice in market research

Market researchers typically use surveys, observation, field trials and online monitoring tools to gather quantitative data for statistical analysis. Simply put, the purpose is to test a given hypothesis on a predefined sample so that the results of the research can be applied to the entire population being studied. For example, you may need to recruit 200 editors to determine whether your survey’s results can be generalised to the entire population of Australian editors. Statistical calculations are used to work out the appropriate sample size to test an effect in a given population.

Market researchers also use qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, focus groups and observation, to explore participants’ perceptions, attitudes and opinions. For example, market researchers might use qualitative research to test editors’ responses to a draft revision of a given style manual.

Market researchers usually do not need to apply for ethics approval in the way that academic researchers or social scientists do, but they do follow industry codes of conduct and government regulations. For example, participation in market surveys must be voluntary and the companies who conduct these are prohibited by the Trade Practices Act from trying to sell you anything in the course of administering those surveys.

Ethical frameworks – starting with medical research

The following applies to scientific, academic and social research with humans.

Discussion and debate about ethics in medical research goes back to the ancient Greeks. In the wake of the Second World War and the Nuremberg Trials (1945–49), the World Medical Assembly adopted the Helsinki Declaration in 1964, which sets out guidelines for doctors conducting clinical research. Since then, many international human rights instruments have emerged to protect humans, and guidelines to articulate professional responsibility for research with and about humans.

In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (Cwth) requires that guidelines be issued and applied to the conduct of research involving humans. This document is the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, updated 2018), published jointly by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. The purpose of the National Statement is ‘to promote ethically good human research’ (p. 6).

Principles of ethical research

Regardless of the type of research, the methods, purposes or setting, the following principles should underpin ethical conduct in human research:

  1. Research merit and integrity
  2. Justice
  3. Beneficence
  4. Respect

For explanation and discussion of these principles, refer to the National Statement. There are many other guidelines and codes of practice that apply to specific areas of research.

 Responsibility for the ethical design, review and conduct of human research is in fact exercised at many levels, by: researchers (and where relevant their supervisors); HRECs and others conducting ethical review of research; institutions that set up the processes of ethical review, and whose employees, resources and facilities are involved in research; funding organisations; agencies that set standards; and governments. While the processes of ethical review are important in this field, individual researchers and the institutions within which they work hold primary responsibility for seeing that their research is ethically acceptable. (p. 4)

What is unethical conduct in research?

An action may be perfectly legal but considered unethical – and therefore discrediting of a research study. An investigator’s conduct may be deemed unethical if they cajole, pressure or otherwise directly or indirectly coerce people to participate; if they withhold from participants important information about the research, such as risks of participating (including privacy risks); or if they do not act to secure personal information. Unfortunately there are a great many examples of unethical conduct in research, especially in the collection of data. Most of the time the researchers have good intentions but poor understanding of the principles of ethical research, or they decide to take shortcuts because they wish to avoid ‘bureaucracy’.

In publishing the findings of research, unethical behaviours may include falsification of research data or findings, duplicate submission, plagiarism, authorship conflict and conflicts of interest.

Ethics in research by and about editors

It’s easy to argue why medical research should be conducted ethically, but what about other research involving humans – for example, research on editors? Is it any different if that research is conducted by editors who know each other?

In my view, and considering the range, diversity, potential benefits and risks of research that might be conducted on and about editors, there is no reason that the same high levels of ethical conduct expected of academic, scientific and marketing researchers should not also be expected of research by and about editors.

Indeed, all participants in human research, including editors and those conducting the research, should be accorded the respect and protection that is due to them. A simple statement that carries considerable weight and complexity.

Are you conducting research? Is it ethical?

As discussed in Part 1 of this essay, you should consider the types of information you are collecting, from whom and for what purpose. If you are employed by or conducting research under the aegis of an institution such as a university or research centre, you should consult the relevant policies and guidelines, including the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

If you are collecting data to provide the foundation for a conference presentation, a journal article or a book, you should ensure a careful, rigorous approach that takes account of the principles of ethical and responsible conduct of research.

Suppose you’re not conducting formal research – let’s say you’re just collecting anecdotes and information to give a bit of flavour to a blog or informal piece. Consider the nature of that information and the potential risks (however remote) for people who respond. Using social media to ask people for information about sensitive topics carries high risk, even if you’re inviting them to communicate via private message or email. This includes soliciting people’s experiences or perceptions of having edited works that report on violence, abuse, trauma and serious mental health issues.

Expectations of ethical conduct

Conference organisers, journal editors and publishers expect that you will present evidence for the facts, theories or statistics you present. For example, if you plan to present facts or theories about how Australian editors manage their health and wellbeing, you will be expected to present evidence that those facts/theories are representative of all Australian editors, or reasonably justify why not. You will also be expected to have conducted your research in a manner that is methodologically sound, has integrity, is just and justifies the risks of any harm or discomfort to participants.

Remember that perceptions of risk and harm can vary greatly between individuals. For example, in linking an editorial error with an individual, the risk of professional embarrassment can have harmful psychological, material and financial consequences for one editor yet mild (or no) discomfort for another.

Informed consent

If you are collecting data directly from individuals, you will need to retain evidence of informed consent, which is the bedrock of ethical conduct in human research. We are a relatively small profession, and our presence on social media makes the degree of separation between editors almost non-existent. Take all necessary steps to ensure that there is no possibility of a perception of coercion to participate, remembering that ‘begging’ and friendly cajoling fall into this category.

Intellectual property

If your research intends to collect data or recruit research participants through social media, be aware of the intellectual property (IP) claims of the platform. Most high-quality research tends to be collaborative these days, and intellectual property is an important aspect of agreement between individual researchers (and their employers).

Data security and privacy

Understand the security limitations of your software and other tools and instruments. Ethics review bodies in Australia generally do not accept claims of security when researchers use tools such as SurveyMonkey, for example (because of its claim to a limited licence to use your content, among other things). Offshore data storage is also of concern, since those services are subject to laws in other jurisdictions; check the location of cloud-based services.

If you plan to store your research data on your personal computer, consider security arrangements such as password protection and limiting the use of your computer to the research team. People sometimes forget this when they allow family members, including young children, to use their laptops or smartphones. The problem is not so much a lack of trust – recognising that our spouses and families usually don’t have nefarious intentions – but the potential for something to go wrong.

It’s not enough to say that participation in a survey is anonymous. Take the steps to ensure this is the case. (It’s actually quite difficult and expensive to ensure complete anonymity.)

If you tell potential participants that you won’t use their personal information, including their email address, for other purposes, then do not under any circumstances send them emails for reasons other than the research they have consented to participate in. Take steps to ensure this can’t occur accidentally.

Approval from an HREC

If you need to apply for approval from an ethics review body, such as a human research ethics committee (HREC), you will be expected to prepare (among other documents) a research protocol or proposal that outlines: a review of the literature, background and rationale for the research, funding and/or other support for the study, research design and methods, research process and conduct, benefits and risks of the study, expected outcomes, dissemination and communication of results and a data management plan, as well as a plain language statement to accompany the consent form to be signed by participants (or a reasonable alternative for online data collection).

Consult the National Statement and any guidelines and codes relevant to your research methods, industry, discipline and topic. Read the published literature on the topic and related topics, especially in academic journals and databases that publish current evidence. If you don’t have access to an academic library, as a starting point try searching Google Scholar.

Ask for help and advice

Due to space and time limitations, I haven’t covered everything there is to know about ethical conduct in collecting data for research or other purposes. Seek independent advice and review of your research proposal before you apply for ethical review, and certainly before you commence the research. Consider inviting collaboration or co-authorship from a colleague who has experience in the research methods you propose to use.

Best practice means being transparent and open to scrutiny. Some people avoid asking for help or collaboration because they fear that they may appear stupid or incompetent, or that they may be overshadowed by a more experienced professional. Asking for help or advice is a sign of strength, not weakness. And inviting collaboration is the ultimate compliment.

Conclusion

Like many professional editors, I’m keen to see more research about and for us. Above all, I want to see high-quality research being conducted and reported, regardless of its purpose or focus, and I am committed to contributing to the development of a body of literature we can be proud of.

Over the past few years I have observed editors collecting data online from their colleagues, including for market research and on highly sensitive topics, and this has caused me a great deal of concern. This essay is my personal and professional contribution to promoting transparency and ethical conduct. In Part 3: Considerations in providing your personal data (posted 4 October 2019) I offer tips and questions to consider if you are asked to provide your information.

If you’d like to comment on this essay, if you’d like some advice or coaching to guide your own work, or even if you spot an errant typo, please do get in touch.

Suggested citation:
Otmar, R. (2019). Researching and collecting data for and about editors. Part 2: Research by, for and about editors, online essay. Viewed at https://reneeotmar.com.au/index.php/blog/.

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Researching and collecting data from and about editors. A question of ethics (Part 1 of 3)

Editors may be early adopters of technologies that serve our professional agendas, but on the whole we’re fairly suspicious of social media, apps and other technologies that collect personal data. Many of us tend to avoid getting involved until we’re absolutely sure that we won’t be personally compromised by doing so. Prudent, yes. Adventurous, no.

So it’s been interesting over the past few years to observe editors increasingly collecting or seeking to collect data online about their customers and potential customers, and even their colleagues. Some of this is forthrightly for market research, whereby people are looking to gather information that can help them find more clients or give them an edge in a highly competitive market.

Sometimes editors want to collect information they believe will help their colleagues and the profession, and those of us on the receiving end of these requests are rightly concerned to ensure that this is ‘above board’. We wonder to ourselves, can they even do that? What are the ethics behind collecting data from and about editors?

In this three-part essay I examine some of the different ways editors may wish to collect data from and about editors, editing and the profession as whole, and the types of research or activities they may be undertaking. I explore some of the ethical issues associated in doing so and how we might go about ensuring best practice. I also provide some pointers and questions to consider if you are approached by someone collecting information.

Editors and social media

Over the past 3–5 years, I’ve seen even the most risk-averse editors succumbing to pressure from their peers and from society in general to become more involved in social media. I’ll go out on a limb here and hazard a guess that today most professional editors are active on social media – at least on the professional pages of Facebook and related apps such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. Secret Editors Business (SEB), a closed group for members of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), has close to 850 members, most of them Australian, while the EAE Backroom, an offshoot of Editors Association of the Earth, has more than 4000 members worldwide.

Of course, many editors have been at the forefront of online activity for at least a decade, if not two, and not only because they’re employed by or provide services to clients in the knowledge economy. Many editors love using new technologies, and a great many now use online channels to market themselves. These trailblazers often have their own websites, blogs, pages and what-not  – and marketing strategies to boot.

What data do editors collect online?
Formal and informal methods of data collection

Like other businesses, consultant or freelance editors have learned, or are learning, how to collect valuable marketing information through their online channels. They use tools like Google Analytics to collect and analyse data from the ‘back end’ of their websites; social media platforms also offer tools to collect and analyse data from business profiles.

Editing businesses harness this data to direct their marketing efforts, whether that’s outward to attract new or potential clients, or within their professional circles to build their profile or brand. Let’s refer to this method of data collection as ‘formal’ – they usually have a defined purpose, method and timeframe, and are used in making business decisions.

Sometimes editors post quick polls on social media to help them make editorial decisions when formal references are ambiguous, outdated or simply lacking. Or they post about problems or dilemmas they face in their everyday work; the responses are often swift, detailed and generous (and sometimes even frivolous). These are ‘informal’ methods of data collection – if you were working in an office environment you’d be asking for this kind of advice from a colleague at the next desk, around the water cooler or in the coffee queue.

To ‘give back’, or to make a difference

Many editors are also turning their creative energies to more altruistic endeavours, such as contributing to our collective knowledge of the editing profession and industry.

As convenor of the IPEd national editors conference held in Melbourne in May 2019, I saw evidence of this in the topics of abstracts submitted for presentation. For me, as a researcher it’s been heartening to see that we’re increasingly interested and expecting to learn more about ourselves and our profession, and so I applaud this development.

Topics of interest included:

  • professional development
  • the editor as writer/creator
  • creating work–life balance
  • maintaining health and wellbeing
  • workplace ergonomics
  • developing business skills
  • learning about new and emerging technologies.

While editors interested in collecting data on these and other topics attempt to do so via the aforementioned social media platforms, their methods are difficult to classify, because they’re not conducting market/social research or formal research under the aegis of an institution; they’re seeking input that goes deeper than the informal water-cooler response; and they’re looking to publish that data in some form or another.

Is this research or journalism – or something else? Some of the editors collecting data have formal research/journalism qualifications and/or experience, others have no actual experience but have edited works by researchers or journalists, and yet others have no experience in research or journalism, or in editing either of those. Let’s call this method of data collection ‘quasi-formal’.

Is that even ethical?

Ethical conduct involves doing the right thing and doing it in the spirit of respect and concern for others.

All human interaction, including the interaction
involved in human research, has ethical dimensions.

NHMRC et al., 2007, p. 3

Ethical conduct in informal data collection

As a condition of membership to the editors’ groups and pages online, people must agree to the stated rules, and these groups are usually strongly regulated by members themselves – with vigilant moderators to adjudicate when necessary. These groups provide a good model for editors wishing to collect data informally. For example, SEB rules ask that members treat each other with respect and keep discussions confidential.

Treat information shared with you online in the same way that you would a colleague advising you in person: avoid communicating or otherwise publicising or broadcasting it without the express written permission of the individual who posted it.

Ethical conduct in market research (formal)

Market and social research are covered by laws and regulations including the Trade Practices Act and the Privacy Act – for example, it is illegal to pretend you are conducting market or social research when in fact you are selling something. The industry is self-regulated through two peak bodies: the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) and the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations.

AMSRS has published a Code of Professional Behaviour (August 2017) to guide the conduct of market and social research. In particular, the Code covers:

  • General rules of professional behaviour
  • Distinguishing research from other activities
  • Disclosure of identifiable research information
  • Proposals, commissioning and design
  • Data collection and handling
  • Informed consent
  • Children, young people and other vulnerable groups
  • Observation and recording
  • Re-contacting participants
  • Data provision and reporting
  • Data storage and security
  • Cross-border disclosure of identifiable research information
  • Responsibility to carry out research in accordance with the Code
  • Implementation of the Code.

Editors who collect data for the purposes of market or social research would do well to familiarise themselves with this Code and other best-practice guidelines provided by the industry.

If you have a website that collects any data at all about visitors, especially if you also sell services or products online, consider whether you need to publish a privacy policy. It is not a requirement for small businesses like ours (e.g. less than $3 million turnover per year) to have a privacy policy, but it is good practice to follow Australian Privacy Principle No. 1, which is about open and transparent management of personal information. See the Privacy Policy on my website as an example.

Ethical conduct in scientific and academic research (formal)

For a discussion about ethics and scientific and academic research, see Part 2: Research by, for and about editors (posted 26 September 2019).

Ethical conduct in quasi-formal data collection

If you’re collecting data for purposes other than the formal and informal purposes described above, you may be collecting this information to provide the foundation for an article, blog, book, presentation or other purpose. What might constitute good ethical practice in this context?

  • Publishing a blog or an article (print or online) – consult the MEAA’s Journalist Code of Ethics.
  • Submitting an abstract for a conference presentation, a report or paper for publication in a journal, conducting training or publishing a book, see Part 2: Research by, for and about editors (posted 26 September 2019).

Conclusion

In this part of the essay I’ve given a brief overview of the types of data editors typically collect from and about their colleagues, and I’ve touched on their purposes for collecting data and how they might ensure they do this ethically, in a manner that respects their colleagues. In Part 2: Research by, for and about editors (posted 26 September 2019) I provide an overview of what research is, different types of research, what constitutes ethical conduct in research and what doesn’t. Part 3: Considerations in providing your personal data (posted 4 October 2019) offers tips and questions to consider if you are asked to provide your information.

If you’d like to comment on this essay, if you’d like some advice or coaching to guide your own work, or even if you spot an errant typo, please do get in touch.

Reference

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Research Council and Universities Australia. (2007). National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (updated 2018). Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Suggested citation:
Otmar, R. (2019). Researching and collecting data for and about editors. Part 1: A question of ethics, online essay. Viewed at https://reneeotmar.com.au/index.php/blog/.