Virtual Workshop Series: The Craft of Science Editing

As an editor, how do you decide whether to assign or reject a pitch from a freelancer? How do you work with writers to shape story ideas and to support their reporting? How do you identify what’s missing in a draft and figure out what revisions will make a story sing? How do you communicate your edits effectively and build collaborative relationships with writers? How do you edit with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind? How do you handle difficult conversations with writers when tricky situations arise?

Science editors have few formal opportunities to learn these skills. To help fill this critical gap, The Open Notebook is offering a series of virtual, interactive workshops that will give emerging and established editors the skills and confidence to work with writers on selecting and sharpening story ideas, planning and carrying out reporting, anticipating and troubleshooting problems in the reporting and writing process, and crafting accurate and compelling stories.

These workshops are for editors at any career stage, staff or freelance, who want to improve their skills in key technical areas of editing and to sharpen their coaching skills.

Note: Workshops in this series will mostly focus on editing the work of journalists and other professional science writers. Much of the focus will be on editing print features, though many principles covered are also relevant to news and other story formats such as op-eds, essays, or audio/multimedia/graphics, as well as to editing the work of academics and experts.

Format

Each workshop in the series is 90 minutes long. The program for each workshop will include planned presentations, interactive discussions, and opportunity for discussing or workshopping real-life editing challenges and solutions. Participants are welcome to take part with cameras on or off. Workshops will be recorded and made available to registered participants for one month following each workshop.

(See below for information about one-on-one editing consultations.)

Instructor

Siri Carpenter, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Open Notebook, created these workshops in partnership with TON managing editor Rachel Zamzow, and Carpenter will be the principal instructor for all workshops in the series. Siri is an award-winning science journalist and editor whose writing and editorial work has appeared in The New York Times, Science, Discover, Scientific American, bioGraphic, Science News, Science News for Students, and many other publications. She was a features editor at Discover magazine and has worked as a contract editor for several other publications. Of the hundreds of stories she has edited, a number have gone on to win prestigious awards. Siri is also the editor of The Craft of Science Writing, published by The Open Notebook in 2020. She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers.

Registration Fees

The registration fee is $90 per workshop. 

Note about discounted rates: Our goal at The Open Notebook is to support the advancement of science journalists around the world. In particular, we want to ensure that the resources we provide are accessible to those who have experienced higher-than-average barriers to entry in our field. Discounted registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis to individuals who are members of communities that have historically been underrepresented in science journalism or whose economic circumstances would make the full cost of the workshops a financial strain. To use this discount, add the promo code TON_70DISCOUNT for a 70 percent discount. (The promo code box is above the workshops listing on the sign-up page.)

Workshop Descriptions

One-on-One Editing Consultations

If you’re an editor or aspiring editor seeking advice about some aspect of your work or career development, consider booking a 60-minute phone or Zoom call with TON editor-in-chief Siri Carpenter. In this private and confidential session, we can discuss editing craft, ethical considerations, skill-building opportunities, and strategies for your career growth. In addition, we can talk over any challenges you may be facing with specific projects or in your career progression.

The fee for a one-hour consultation is $150.

Our goal at The Open Notebook is to support the advancement of science journalists around the world. In particular, we want to ensure that the resources we provide are accessible to those who have experienced higher-than-average barriers to entry in our field. If you are a member of a community that has historically been underrepresented in science journalism or if your economic circumstances would make the full cost of a consultation a financial strain, we invite you to select the option for a 70 percent discount ($45 fee) when signing up for a consultation.

Schedule a 60-minute consultation at the regular cost ($150).

Schedule a 60-minute consultation at the discounted cost ($45).