Speakers
Session 1 – breakout (running concurrently)
Not who you know but what you know: how your experiences, hobbies, studies and passions can elevate your editorial approach and strengthen your business.
This session is all about how what you know, and what you’ve learned, in your life can be used to elevate your editing style, define your approach, and strengthen your business. It will focus on how transferable skills, terms and understandings can bolster an editor’s business, using an existing consultancy as a case study.
Sometimes we can get trapped by the lingo of the industry, confined by the training we undertake, and can forget that what makes us different is what makes us stand out. No matter your level of experience, whether you’re just starting out or are an established editor, this session will provide valuable insights and reflection points about your business goals and editing style.
Led by an editorial consultant who designed a business that offers bespoke services and uses a unique editorial approach, you will hear about how and why that business was created, what problems it solves, and how individuality can lead to growth, specialisms and positive mindset shifts.
Heather Ivatt is a former academic editor and change manager who, after being diagnosed with a chronic illness in 2024 and made redundant in 2025, started her own business – the Ivatt Editorial Consultancy. Specialising in fantasy fiction, she offers bespoke services that have been created using her academic research and professional expertise gained from two separate industries.
She exhibited at London Book Fair 2026 and is currently planning a non-fiction guide that focuses on her business journey and editorial approach, providing handy tips to polish complex manuscripts.