Red Pencil Conference 2025
On Saturday, November 8, over 300 editors gathered in Lynnwood and online for the Northwest Editors Guild’s 2025 Red Pencil Conference! This year’s hybrid event, Framing our Futures: Perspectives on a Changing Industry, drew 185 in-person attendees, 131 online attendees, and 24 panelists and speakers (11 of whom were Guild members). The program included 15 empowering sessions exploring everything from working with authors to AI to freelancing. “This conference was the boost I needed to re-energize and refocus,” wrote one happy attendee. “I have so many notes and ideas to think through. The professional development from this day is going to help me be a better editor.”
Red Pencil 2025 Day-of Conference Details
It’s finally here! Read on for everything you need to know about Red Pencil Conference 2025: Framing Our Future: Perspectives on a Changing Industry. See you in Lynnwood or online! Read on for details about the in-person conference.
Can’t Wait for Red Pencil 2025? Meet Our Keynote Speaker Jane Friedman
Psst… the Red Pencil Conference is just three weeks away! Whether you’re joining us online or in person at the Lynnwood Event Center, we’ve got an exciting conference planned for you on Saturday, Nov. 8!
No matter which type of ticket you choose, all of this year’s conference attendees get to start the day with an inspiring keynote by publishing expert Jane Friedman, who will discuss how AI is already transforming the editorial process and offer a clear-eyed assessment of both the opportunities and threats that AI presents to editors and writers alike. This thoughtful take by an industry veteran will begin at 9:30 a.m. PST at the Lynnwood Event Center, where it will also be livestreamed and recorded for virtual attendees.
We’re so excited about Jane’s keynote that we’ve asked her for more information about her long career and topics she may explore during her keynote address—Editing in the Age of AI: Protecting and Advancing the Craft of Writing—which you can read below. Don’t miss out on Jane’s full keynote address at this year’s Red Pencil Conference on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025! You’ll also be able to buy a copy of her book, The Business of Being a Writer, at the Third Place Books table at the conference.
Red Pencil Is for Every Type of Editor
Whether you’re brand-new to editing or have thirty years of experience, Red Pencil 2025 has been designed for all kinds of editors. This year’s conference—taking place on Saturday, November 8, at the Lynnwood Event Center and online—will offer inspired and empowering sessions for editors at every stage of their career.
What's in Store for Red Pencil 2025?
The Northwest Editors Guild's 9th biennial Red Pencil Conference will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025! This year's theme is Framing Our Future: Perspectives on a Changing Industry. The 2025 Red Pencil conference will explore how editors can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our industry during this time of rapid change.
With an inspiring keynote and a full day of sessions led by experts in our field, we'll examine the myriad challenges and opportunities facing editors today. These include the dizzying growth of AI, rising censorship and intellectual property theft, and preserving the diversity and value that is vital to our industry.
Editors Katherine Moore and Alex Crawley on the Seasons of Their Careers
Don’t forget, the Northwest Editors Guild’s Red Pencil Conference is May 6! In line with the theme of “Seasons of an Editing Career,” I spoke with Katherine Moore and Alex Crawley, students at the University of Washington’s Certificate in Editing program, about their thoughts on where they are in their professional journeys, what kind of resources they wish were available to them, and what’s the best part about where they are in their careers right now.
Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just starting out, Red Pencil has something to offer. There’s still time to sign up for virtual, in-person, or hybrid options through our registration page here. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other professionals in the editing industry! But hurry! Registration closes for good at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 30.
Keynotes and Copyediting Fiction with Amy J. Schneider
Red Pencil is back after a four-year hiatus, and we’re pleased to announce that Amy J. Schneider, a veteran editor and author of the new book, The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s conference. If you haven’t registered yet, the deadline for the Early Bird registration has been extended to March 13, so don’t miss out! Read on to hear from Amy about her keynote, staying current in the publishing industry, and how her StetPet, “Alice the Land Shark,” helps her work.
Presenting at Red Pencil with Joanie Eppinga
The deadline for submitting presentation proposals and ideas for Red Pencil 2023 has been extended to Sunday, October 16, so if you’ve got something you want to share with the editing community (or you have an idea you want to suggest someone else share, especially if they’re local!), please get in touch with our conference planning committee. In case you’re nervous about speaking in front of a large group, we want to assure you that Red Pencil is just about the friendliest group you could start with! I sat down with Guild member and past Red Pencil conference and ACES presenter Joanie Eppinga to chat with her about her experiences and advice about presenting.
Building Relationships: A Post-Conference Conversation
To all the editors who participated in the Northwest Editors Guild’s Red Pencil Conference 2019 in September, we’d like to say once more—thank you for joining us! It was a day full of new perspectives, new ideas, new skills, and new voices. It was also a day for celebrating editors and our commitment to creating bridges between writers and readers.
We would also like to thank once again the many supporters who stepped up to make the Guild’s first scholarship program a reality this year. Six Voice & Voices scholarships were awarded to encourage six editors to attend their first Red Pencil Conference. We hope they will continue to add their voices to our growing editorial community.
Red Pencil Conference 2019: Access to Learning
Accessibility can mean many things. Everyone’s needs and experiences are different. In the writing and editing world, plain language is defined as language that allows users to find, understand, and use the information they need. This definition focuses on the end result—it’s about people getting what they need. Along those lines, my current definition of accessibility is an environment that allows each of us to find and use the space we need to participate and to learn. That includes physical, mental, emotional, and even social space.