PENCON From the Eyes of a New Editor-Cristel Phelps

It has taken a year, but the new release by your favorite author is sitting on the store shelf. The cover is bright and shiny and calling your name. You take a moment to decide if you want the hardcover or the ebook. Hardcover, definitely! Its cost is hefty but well worth the price. Anticipation of a well written story is making you feel impatient. So after hurrying to the cash register, the next step is running home, brewing the coffee, and settling down in your favorite cushy chair. The aromas of the coffee and the brand new book are enough to put a smile on your face, and you start reading.

Things are going well until you run into your first typo. Really? In a hardcover book that cost almost half of a rent payment? Sigh. You decide to forgive your favorite author and realize that everyone is entitled to a mistake every once in a while, so you commence reading again. The story is everything you hoped it would be (once you forgot about the typo). The heroine is enjoying her life among the magnolias in South Carolina. Wait! Two pages earlier, she lived in Boston! What? Which is it?

Those are only two kinds of errors that a good editor looks for and corrects before a book goes to print. Whether a story, article, or marketing piece, the writer wants their publication to be presented with the highest impact on the reader. But even with the best intentions and excellent writing skills, ideas a writer tries to convey sometimes don’t come across as intended. That is when an editor comes alongside an author to enhance the finished product.

On May 4-6 in Atlanta, a community of  Christian editors met for their yearly conference, PENCON, hosted by The Christian Editor Network LLC. These special wordsmiths spent days focusing on training and encouraging each other. The mandate of the organization is to empower and equip editing professionals in the Christian market. They certainly met their objectives.

Best Selling Author Cecil Murphy at PENCON

Opening with keynote speaker Cecil Murphy, lovingly called “Cec” by his friends. Mr. Murphy has been in the industry as editor and author for over 40 years with more than 140 published titles. His friendly and engaging style started the event off on a high note. In addition to Cecil, the line-up of quality speakers included Amy Williams, Don Catlett, Karin Beery, Katie Morford, Kristen Stieffel, Linda Harris, Rachel Newman, Ralene Burke, and Cindy Woodsmall. Experts in their field, they shared their knowledge and love of books with those who attended. Many of the editors who taught sessions are also accomplished authors in their own right and were able to share their experience from both sides of the pen.

PENCON is a unique experience. It is a small, intimate group of friends who enjoy sharing their love of editing, writing, and the Christian book industry as a whole. The sessions were not the only place where learning was taking place, though. During breaks and late into the evening hours, one could find small pockets of conversations going on, comparing notes and editing techniques. The size of this conference helps foster individualized learning while allowing friendships and networking opportunities to grow. One specific element of PENCON that sets itself above many other conferences in the industry is the opportunity for the attendees to experience a one-on-one session with conference speakers, gleaning individual instruction directly from the experts!

As a relatively new editor, this was my first time at such a conference. There was so much to learn and share with others that at times I felt like I was drinking from a firehose. The other attendees instantly made me feel welcome and part of their editing family. To find out that I was learning from authors and successful industry professionals made my time in Atlanta much more valuable. Then to top it off, meeting one-on-one with Cecil Murphy and sharing his heart for his work and care for others was the highlight of the entire weekend for this newbie editor.

Should you have a passion for the Christian publishing industry and work as a writer or editor, consider joining us in Grand Rapids, MI, for next year’s PENCON conference in May. It is an investment you will not want to miss. You could also consider becoming a member of The Christian Pen and begin enhancing your skills today. Online training by industry experts is scheduled throughout the year. Membership is reasonable and you can start right away helping us save the world from books with typos and storyline errors. Friends don’t let friends read bad books! (Smile) See you next year!