Djed Press is created on the colonised lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Sovereignty has never been ceded. This land has always been, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

2021 Editorial Mentorship program

 

We live, work and play on stolen Aboriginal lands. Sovereignty was never ceded: this land has always been, and always will be, Aboriginal land.


The Djed Editorial Mentorship program is a 10-week comprehensive overview of editing and publishing, aimed at training an aspiring editor with little to no experience in the field. 

Please note that Djed Press works exclusively with Blak (First Nations) and Black creatives and other creatives of colour. Only Bla(c)k creatives and other creatives of colour are eligible to apply to this program. 

We’re looking for someone with a real love of words, a passion for editing, an inquisitive mind, and a good sense of social justice! If that sounds like you, make sure you read through all the info below, then hit the link at the end of the page to apply. Applications close 29 March and you can be based anywhere in Australia (but you must be over 18 years old to apply – unfortunately we’re not currently set up to work with minors).

If selected, you’ll be required to:

  • Sign a Code of Conduct, outlining appropriate behaviour for Djed editors
  • Attend and actively participate each week, and complete any work set by the presenters in each of the editing intensives
  • Edit and publish at least 1 piece in each genre; by the end of the program you will have worked on a minimum of 4 pieces (you can do more, but we’re capping the pieces you can work on to 8 in total)
  • Undertake a minimum of 3 professional development activities independently
  • Complete an evaluation in Week 10 to confirm you’ve successfully met all the requirements of the program

What’s in it for you?

  • 1-on-1 training with industry professionals
  • Paid, hands-on, practical editing experience ($75 payment for each piece edited and published)
  • Sponsored professional development opportunities, to the value of up to $750
  • Cost of any materials required to successfully complete the program covered, to the value of up to $250
  • Access to the industry-standard Macquarie Dictionary online, or a print copy if you prefer
  • An additional $500 payment upon successful completion of the program, and a formal letter of recommendation

The Program

All sessions will be held online.

12 Apr: Week 1 – Intro to Djed (approx. 2 contact hours)

19 Apr: Week 2 – Intro to editing  (approx. 5 contact hours)

  • Editing 101 with Hella Ibrahim
    Hella is the founder and Editorial Director of Djed Press, among many many other things.
  • Editing Ethics Masterclass with Dr. Tresa LeClerc
    Tresa is a writer and academic; she teaches in the writing, publishing and editing program at the University of Melbourne, and lectures in pop culture at RMIT.
  • Accessibility Matters Masterclass [guest presenter TBC]

26 Apr: Week 3 – Editing Intensive 1 (approx. 3 contact hours)

  • Language foundations with Adolfo Aranjuez
    Adolfo has over a decade of experience in publishing and editing; he is the Publications and Content Manager at Melbourne International Film Festival, Publications Editor at Liminal magazine, and Specialist projects producer at Arts Access Victoria.

3 May: Week 4 – Editing Intensive 2 (approx. 3 contact hours)

  • Editing fiction with Khalid Warsame
    Khalid is a prolific writer, editor and arts worker. He previously coordinated and worked with the West Writers Group at Footscray Community Arts Centre and was the Fiction Editor at The Lifted Brow.

10 May: Week 5 – Editing Intensive 3 (approx. 3 contact hours)

  • Editing non-fiction, Part 1 with Jinghua Qian 

17 May: Week 6 – Editing Intensive 4 (approx. 3 contact hours)

  • Editing non-fiction, Part 2 with Jinghua Qian
    Jinghua is a writer and editor with experience in both literary and news media settings. Ey was head of news at Sixth Tone (an English-language media outlet in Shanghai) and has edited for Djed Press, Peril, Mascara, Hyphenated and Dude magazine, among others.

24 May: Week 7 – Editing Intensive 5 (approx. 3 contact hours)

  • Editing poetry with Evelyn Araluen
    Evelyn is a poet, educator and researcher working with Indigenous literatures at the University of Sydney. She is the Co-Editor of Overland Literary Journal and her work has won the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize, and a Wheeler Centre Next Chapter Fellowship.

31 May: Week 8 – Commissioning writers, illustrators and other stakeholders with Hella (approx. 2 contact hours)

7 June: Week 9 – Permissions, contracts, copyright, libel and other legal issues with Hella (approx. 4 contact hours)

  • MEAA and Your Rights At Work with Marisa Wikramanayake
    Marisa is a writer, editor and journalist. She works freelance covering science, politics, business, arts and lifestyle news, and edits books for publishers and award-winning authors. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Federal Councillor and delegate for the union MEAA and sits on its Ethics Committee and the National Freelancers Committee. She has also previously sat on WA’s State Literary Board.

14 June: Week 10 – Wrapping up! (approx. 2 contact hours)

You will also have a choice of optional electives, including an overview of education publishing, overview of trade publishing, multilingual editing, journalism and news media [TBC].

 

To apply, fill out the form before March 29: Application Form

Can’t wait to hear from you!

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