After an impressive tenure of 28 years at UC Press, Director of Editing, Design, and Production Scott Norton will retire at the end of June.
Norton’s relationship with the press started in November 1992, when he heard that he had passed the freelance copyediting test. While working as a freelancer Scott helped to pilot the press’s first electronic editing system in XyWrite, before joining as a full-time senior project editor in April 1995. In 1997, Norton was promoted to assistant managing editor. In that role he also created the press’s first Electronic Manuscript System and built its first live schedule database.
During the same period, Norton wrote more than 50 developmental plans for authors, which became the source material for his later Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers, published in 2009 by University of Chicago Press. He also contributed two chapters to Beth Luey’s Revising Your Dissertation: Advice from Leading Editors, 2004.
Before becoming EDP director in 2009, Norton helped oversee the press’s new science program, and provided production services for Sierra Club Books, which were then being distributed by the press. Between 2009 and 2012, Norton restructured EDP in response to the 2008 financial crisis – a major and challenging undertaking that involved streamlining book production, reducing production schedules, consolidating composition and printing, and helping reduce inventory. In 2011, Norton also assumed oversight of production for the Journals Group.
Norton also served on the board of the Publishers Professional Network, taking on the role of program chair for five annual, full-day conferences in spring 2013 through 2018, and of president of the board in 2016 and 2017. He also helped launch PPN’s successful One Day Immersion program for aspiring publishing professionals, and was recognized by PPN with the Distinguished Service Award in 2019.
It’s an understatement to say that Scott will be greatly, dearly missed by all at UC Press! We wish him a most excellent retirement (and perhaps this will give Scott time to consider writing another book). Cheers Scott!
