CEO Jane Fraser answers FAQ about how to join the editorial team at Fremantle Press
Look what we got in the post today! It’s the Slovenian edition of The Hole Story by Kelly Canby. Reading the back cover blurb I can see it’s peppered with carons, also known as inverted circumflexes or inverted hats, which are used to change the way the letter is pronounced.
Though I’ve no knowledge of the language myself, as an editor I immediately notice all those inverted hats and I want to know how they function. Great editors have an eye for detail, a curiosity about language, a mind like a steel trap, an instinct about grammar and the ability to pull back and see the bigger picture.
We always welcome the chance to consider freelance editors and proofreaders at Fremantle Press, and have a strong pool of talented freelancers that we regularly call upon. Some have come from recommendations from authors or other publishers, others we have discovered via our tertiary internship program. Still others have found us by sending us a letter of interest and a CV, outlining their experience to date. You can imagine that these documents are closely scrutinised for typos, expression, correct use of the en rule, etc.!
We are particularly keen on considering freelancers who already have experience in working on book-length projects, but some have gained editing experience via journalism, or an arts degree, or because they have always had an aptitude and facility for language. We look for applicants who have undertaken editing and professional writing courses at university, or who are active members of Editors WA (http://editorswa.com/), and those who have gained voluntary experience on newsletters or other publications, even if these are not book-related. We prefer our freelancers to come from Western Australia, but some come from interstate too. Each freelance applicant who contacts us is sent a proofreading test to complete, and we then let them know when suitable projects arise.
Interested freelancers should send a CV and a cover letter outlining their experience to date and particular areas of interest to admin@fremantlepress.com.au.
Tertiary students who are successful in applying for an internship with Fremantle Press complete their 100 hours as a professional placement unit. These internships are highly competitive and applicants come recommended by their unit coordinator. Our particular focus is not just on applicants who love reading, or who wish to be writers, but those with a genuine vocational desire to become an editor.
One of those tertiary students with an editorial vocation was the recipient of the three-year Minderoo Editorship, Armelle Davies. Thanks to the Minderoo Foundation, she’s been able to go from student intern to fully fledged editor and is now an invaluable member of the Fremantle Press team. This has provided a wonderful opportunity for an early-career editor to stay in WA in support of the local publishing industry.
On Monday, Minderoo’s co-founder Nicola Forrest was named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours as an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to the mining sector and philanthropy. We congratulate her, along with Fremantle Press Champion of Literature and friend, Lindy Roberts, and local literary doyenne Delys Bird on receiving recognition for a lifetime of wonderful work.
Till next time, Jane