How to join

How to join

As an introduction to Editors WA, you could come to one of our regular meetings as a guest. If you decide to apply for membership, on your application form you will be asked about your qualifications, experience and reasons for wanting to join. Your application must be endorsed and seconded by two current members. (You can contact a committee member to discuss your application if you do not know any members.) Once your payment is received and your application approved at a committee meeting, the membership officer will contact you to confirm your membership and welcome you to the society.

Download an application form here.

Common questions and answers

How do I become an editor?

There is no set path to becoming an editor, and at present there is no national system of accreditation for editors — although such a scheme is currently in an advanced stage of development (see IPEd's website for more information). Most editors have at least one university degree and many editors have years of experience working for organisations that produce publications, where they have generally reaped the benefits of in-house training. Some editors have specific qualifications in language, linguistics, writing or editing.

The best way to investigate editing as a career is to come as a guest to a meeting of Editors WA.

If you live somewhere other than Western Australia, we encourage you to contact your local society of editors.

Formal courses or units in editing (at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level) are offered by the following tertiary institutions:

Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia <www.curtin.edu.au>
Edith Cowan University, Western Australia <www.ecu.edu.au>
Murdoch University, Western Australia <www.murdoch.edu.au> (units in professional writing)
Deakin University, Victoria <www.deakin.edu.au>
Griffith University, Queensland <www.gu.edu.au>
Macquarie University, New South Wales <www.ling.mq.edu.au>
Monash University, Victoria <www.monash.edu.au>
RMIT University, Victoria <www.rmit.edu.au>
University of Southern Queensland, Queensland <www.usq.edu.au>

You can approach these institutions directly for more details.

If you are thinking about starting up as a freelance editor, we advise that you get some training and some reliable business advice, and become an active member of your local society of editors to avoid the professional isolation faced by many freelancers.

Why should I join Editors WA?

Benefits of membership include:

professional development opportunities at meetings run as workshops or with guest speakers
networking at meetings and through the online (email) mailing list
listing in the online freelance register to increase employment opportunities
involvement, through Editors WA's membership of IPEd, in national initiatives affecting the editing profession.