The Professional Editors' Group (PEG) was launched in Johannesburg in 1993. Since then it has grown substantially and has been recognised by the South African publishing industry. Although primarily an interest and support group for editors in educational, academic and general publishing, editors in related fields, such as magazines, are also welcome to join. Among PEG's members are both freelancers and full-timers, working professionally in English (or any other language) as editors, writers, re-writers, proofreaders, translators, indexers, book-designers, book DTP specialists, etc. We also welcome those who are not yet editors, but who have an interest in the subject.
WHAT DO WE DO?
Regular e-mail communication keeps members informed of future meetings and activities. Past events have included visits to a repro house and a hand-printing works, a guided tour of the Southern African Printing College and a visit to the Brenthurst Library. Workshops have explored the skills of marketing oneself, and how freelancers decide on their fees.
PEG also invites experts in fields related to editing to speak at its meetings - topics have included copyright law, taxation and the freelancer, and how and why languages change. Our meetings are informal, encouraging the exchange of views and ideas. A small fee is charged for meetings to cover catering costs.
The group's quarterly publication, PEGboard, carries reports of PEG meetings and covers news, general trends and events related to editing and publishing in South Africa and beyond its borders. It includes information on training courses, new books of interest to editors, letters to the editor, language anecdotes, computers in editing, etc. PEG has ties with editors' groups overseas, and the right to reproduce occasional items of interest from their publications.
Paid-up members are also entitled to an entry in the annual Directory of Members' Services, which is circulated nationwide to publishers and other likely employers of freelance workers as well as appearing on the PEG Website. The directory is updated and produced early each year. Only members paid up for the current year qualify to be included (at an additional fee), and an updated entry has to be submitted each year.
An electronic discussion group enables members to interact with one another for purposes of professional support, to discuss problems and seek advice and to circulate information on job opportunities and training, among other things. All the above add up to valuable educational and networking opportunities for members - many of whom work from a home-based office.
MEMBERSHIP
The annual membership fees are renewable in January each year. The current (2008) membership fee for ordinary members is R130. Couples residing at the same address pay R185. Members overseas pay R175, plus R80 to cover bank charges if fees are paid from an overseas account. The fee for inclusion in the directory is R40 per entry. If paid by the end of January, this entitles members to inclusion in both the print and Web versions; after January the fee covers addition to the Web directory for the current year. Student membership is R65; proof of relevant student status is required (publishing studies or similar), and students are not eligible for inclusion in the directory.
Group membership is an option for editors working in-house for a single employer. Each member receives a 10-15% discount on the annual membership fee, depending on the size of the group, and newsletters for these members are posted to the nominated contact person. Complete an application form for each group member, with a covering letter indicating the contact details for the group.
The membership fee reduces by approximately 30% from 1 July and 50% from 1 October. Members joining from 1 October also have the option of paying up front for the following year at the rate for the current year, thereby avoiding the next year's fee increase. Contact the membership secretary for exact amounts if you join later in the year.
[This page was last updated on 19 December 2007]