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. Tickets are on sale now!

Five Sessions New Editors Won’t Want to Miss

Conferences are a great time for new editors to learn more about the ins and outs of editing, how to start freelancing, and network. The Red Pencil Conference is no exception with sessions designed to inform, engage, and teach attendees about what it takes to be a professional editor, both freelance and in-house. 

With a packed schedule it can be tricky to figure out which sessions might be most useful for newer editors who want to expand their knowledge and learn more about the tools of the trade. Here are some of the top sessions new editors interested in freelancing or simply just gaining more knowledge may want to attend: 

1. Finding Work as a Freelancer
   Join experts Melissa Haskin, Lee Hornbrook, Lynne Pearson, Shannon Roman, Crystal Shelley, and Nicole Guenther for a panel discussion on how to find freelance work. Session goers will learn about sources of freelance work and strategies for getting those projects. Experts will share tips about what works, what might be a waste of time, and how to use your network to get more business.

2. Building Bridges: Networking for Freelancers
   In this workshop from Linda Ruggeri, new editors—and editors new to freelancing—will learn why intentional networking is important to create a sustainable business model. They will be given a booklet to work on, and by the end of the workshop, they will walk away with: a simple networking plan, a crafted elevator pitch, and conference connections.

3. Intro to Plain Language
   After this session from Kristen M. Clark, attendees will better understand what plain language is and why it's a globally accepted standard for communication; be more aware of reader behaviors and how to help writers tailor content to their readers' needs; and be able to better support their writers in expressing a clear, compelling message that achieves simple without simplistic.

4. The Editor’s Toolkit: Do More in Less Time
   Jess Stampe will dive into practical strategies for delivering high-quality documentation, even when clients want it done better, faster—and preferably yesterday. You’ll learn how to get more out of core applications like Microsoft Word and PerfectIt to speed up revisions, ensure consistency, and boost overall productivity. I’ll also highlight powerful Word features such as macros, shortcuts, templates, and track changes that are especially useful for editors and writers. And finally, the elephant in the room: AI. How can you use it to make the tools you use every day even more effective?

5. Up Your Query Game: Build Client Loyalty with Declarative Language and Empathy
   In this session with Gina Wassyng, discover the impact that thoughtful, collaborative querying can have on your client’s experience in the editing process. This session will explore how declarative language, empathy, and providing your clients with options can create a more positive experience for them and, in turn, increase their loyalty. Editors will discuss positive ways to query authors, learn about the differences between declarative and imperative language on our nervous systems, and learn how using an open communication style will help your clients solve tough problems and decrease frustration. 

Five Sessions Experienced Editors Won’t Want to Miss

Experienced editors won’t want to miss this year’s Red Pencil Conference, which has been designed to empower editors during a time of rapid change. Whether you’re looking for ethical ways to incorporate AI into your workflow or wondering how to advocate for human skills and experience in an industry suddenly overrun by automation, here are 5 breakout sessions sure to help seasoned editors thrive in this pivotal moment for professional editing. 

1. OK Computer: Advocating for Human-Powered Editing in a Technical World
   This session will tackle a conundrum that editors have faced since even before AI started knocking on our door—how to convince your stakeholders, clients, leadership teams, or colleagues that a skillfully executed, human-led editorial process matters. Led by Rebecca Brinbury and Jen Koogler, this session will explore how to mitigate the risks to your job from AI, how to use tools (AI and otherwise) to scale your work, and how to harness metrics and data to measure the difference your editorial experience makes.

2. Red Pen, Green Light: How to Use AI Without Using Client Text
   Seasoned editors should take note of this fast, focused, high-energy session from Erin Servais, which explores how freelancers can use AI to level up their editorial and business workflows while keeping client work 100% private. Designed for editors who are cautious but curious, this session offers a straightforward path to using AI in your practice—securely, responsibly, with you in control. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of what’s safe, a set of practical prompts and ready-to-use tools, and renewed confidence in your ability to stay current without compromising your standards.

3. Trends in the Book Publishing Industry as They Impact Freelancers
   As the industry continues to evolve in surprising ways, experienced editors won’t want to miss this timely session exploring recent trends in book publishing. Led by Ingrid Emerick and Katherine Richards of Girl Friday Productions, this timely session will explore shifts in traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing, including the trends of specializing versus generalizing in editorial work, the rise of cultural relevancy reads and cold reads, the growth of book coaching as both part of and separate from developmental editing work, and the pros and cons of working with agencies versus directly with clients. 

4. Sensitivity or Censorship: How Editors Address Bias
   Part of our jobs, as editors, is helping our clients identify and adjust biased language. This practical session from Brittany Yost will explore strategies to navigate these challenging conversations with authors, who don’t always see the need for (and sometimes outright resist) using conscious language. Editors will discuss strategies to engage authors in constructive conversations about biased language, learn practical techniques to encourage thoughtful revisions rather than defensive reactions, and learn how to navigate author resistance while maintaining professionalism.

5. The Writing Coach: Boost Your Business and Nurture Aspiring Writers
   Led by editor, author, and writing coach William Kenower, this practical session shows editors how to increase their value to clients by offering an editing-adjacent service that’s in high demand. In this class, editors will explore the differences between working as an editor or book doctor and a writing coach, and learn how to use their knowledge of craft to teach authors what they need to learn to grow and improve and become the best writers that they can be. Furthermore, William Kenower will share some powerful techniques that have helped thousands of writers overcome procrastination, writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and much more.

This is just a sampling of the timely topics that will be explored at this year’s Red Pencil Conference, taking place Saturday, November 8, at the Lynnwood Event Center and online. View the full list of topics on our presentations page. Tickets are on sale now. Reserve your spot today!