National e-news update, October 28, 2021

Date Posted: Wednesday October 27, 2021 News type: Members-only news , National e-news update

News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada

In this issue:

1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada
2. CONGRÈS DES LANGAGIERS ET LANGAGIÈRES: Reserve your spot
3. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Study tips
4. STUDENT RELATIONS: Upcoming events
5. TWIG NEWS: A new lending library in Editors Barrie and an upcoming Editors Kingston meeting
6. WHY VOLUNTEER? A message from the volunteer management committee
7. FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Tere Mullin
8. GET INVOLVED: Volunteer opportunities
9. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council

1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada

A grey laptop with the Editors Canada on the screen alongside an open book with a red ribbon bookmark.

Are you looking for training opportunities online? Check out our upcoming webinars.

Don’t forget: Editors Canada members and student affiliates register at discounted rates.

Upcoming webinars

Catch up on demand: Webinar recordings are available

Did you miss an Editors Canada webinar? Many of our webinars have been recorded and are now available for purchase (and some are even free).

Recently added

When you buy a webinar recording, you’ll receive a video file to watch at your leisure on your computer or mobile device. The file is yours to keep, so you can watch it again and again.

Visit our webinar recordings page to see what’s available now. We’re adding new recordings regularly, so be sure to check often.

The word "Canada" with the Canadian flag over the last "a."

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

2. CONGRÈS DES LANGAGIERS ET LANGAGIÈRES: Reserve your spot

Logo for the 2021 Congrès des langagiers

There are only a few days left to register for the second Congrès des langagiers et langagières, with the theme Une langue en constante (r)évolution. You can choose between two ways to virtually participate: live on November 6, 2021, or at a later date that’s convenient for you. Your registration gives you access to links to the recordings of every session, which will be valid until January 31, 2022.

The day will start with a round-table discussion that will cover—among other topics—the evolution of the language and editing as well as various strategies for progressing in your career. It promises to be a stimulating debate!

This discussion will be followed by six sessions from which attendees can choose. We will explore issues related to standards and usage, gender inclusive and non-binary writing, web accessibility, as well as neurodiverse and culturally diverse vocabulary and terminology.

Jean-Benoît Nadeau, author of a dozen books and some 1,500 articles, and the recipient of two dozen awards for journalism and literature, will give the closing keynote. Passionate about the French language and its history, who better to conclude this enriching day, in the lively, colourful style for which he is known?

You can follow all the information about the congrès by subscribing to our Facebook group. 

To discover the program and register, please visit https://bit.ly/3wsdgAQ.

3. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Study tips

A yellow ribbon with the Editors Canada logo in the centre.

Registered for the Structural Editing or Proofreading professional certification exam? The exams take place Saturday, November 20, 2021, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., local time.

Take advantage of Editors Canada expertise and resources as you study. The webinar Are You Certifiable? Preparing for Editors Canada’s Certification Exams is available on the website free of charge.

Want more tips?

Visit Preparing for Certification to find resources to enhance your studying, including links for ordering the study guides; lists of books on grammar, punctuation, editing and proofreading; and strategies for studying.

What do certified editors recommend? Check out the following dos and don’ts:

Do:

  • Familiarize yourself with the reference books you plan to use. You’re allowed a dictionary and style guides. Know your way around them!
  • Order and work through the updated Certification Test Preparation Guides.
  • Practise your test-taking skills, including speed (time yourself).
  • Have a general knowledge of the standard proofreading symbols, or know where to look them up.
  • Budget your time. Look at the marks allotted per question and spend more time on the ones worth the most.
  • Follow the instructions!

Don’t:

  • Don’t assume you don’t need to practice because you’re a professional editor.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to begin studying.
  • Don’t begin writing when you’re rushed, flustered, hungry or tired.
  • Don’t stray outside the scope of the skill being tested. If you’re taking the Proofreading exam, don’t start rewriting or reorganizing the text.
  • Don’t leave questions unanswered. Keep an eye on the time so you don’t run out.

Think you’re ready? Try your hand at these sample questions!

Which of the following tasks is not performed by a structural editor?

a. Eliminating digressions and repetition
b. Reworking number-heavy text as a table
c. Strengthening transitions between sections
d. Establishing a consistent and audience-appropriate tone

Answer

Which of the following describes a proofreading best practice?

a. Work through the entire text in one sitting.
b. Fact check all details using standard research methods.
c. Focus on ensuring smooth transitions between paragraphs.
d. Whenever possible, proofread the material in its intended medium.

Answer

4. STUDENT RELATIONS: Upcoming events

The student relations committee is happy to be co-hosting the second meeting of the student book club and is excited to announce a visit from the author!

  • Our November meeting will continue with discussion of part two of The Subversive Copy Editor, 2nd edition. Author Carol Fisher Saller will be joining the discussion.
  • The meeting will be on Sunday, November 7, at 1 p.m., PST/4 p.m. EST, via Zoom.
  • We meet monthly for one hour; attendance at every meeting is not mandatory, though, so drop in when you can. 
  • Find more information, updates and the Zoom link for the meeting closer to the date on the Editors Canada student affiliates Facebook group. 

Hope to see you there!

5. TWIG NEWS: A new lending library in Editors Barrie and an upcoming Editors Kingston meeting

Editors Barrie

Editors Barrie has just launched a lending library of books! Check out the Editors Barrie Facebook page for a list of items and further information.

Editors Kingston

On Tuesday, November 16, Kingston author Ying Lee will join Editors Kingston for the latest in our “Authors Talk Editing” series. Ying’s debut novel was The Agency: A Spy in the House, about a girl detective in 1850s London. It won the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s inaugural John Spray Mystery Award in 2011 and was the first of four books in her Agency series. Come hear Ying talk about her books, the young adult genre and her experience of being edited. The meeting runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., EST. It’s free, and everyone is welcome.

What is your local group up to? Check with your branch or twig to find out about virtual professional development opportunities and social events. And be sure to check our national calendar for events across the association.

6. WHY VOLUNTEER? A message from the volunteer management committee

As a volunteer-run organization, Editors Canada relies on the active involvement of its members. At any given time, hundreds of volunteers are working to keep our organization running and to support editors across the country. Our members serve on national and branch executives, organize our conferences and webinars, serve on committees and task forces, develop publications and maintain our professional certification program. In short, volunteers are essential for Editors Canada to function.

If you currently volunteer or have in the past, thank you. If you have never volunteered, please consider doing so. Volunteering lets you give back to your editing association while developing skills you can use in your career. It’s also an excellent way to network and make new friends. There are opportunities to volunteer at the national and local levels. Many tasks can be done from home, so where you live isn’t a limiting factor. To find the right project for you, contact your local branch or twig, send an email to the chair of the volunteer management committee, or check out VolunteerConnect, our resource for matching volunteers to tasks.

In the coming months we’ll highlight some benefits of volunteering and explore some volunteer resources.

7. FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Tere Mullin

Headshot of Tere Mullin

Tere Mullin never expected the COVID-19 pandemic to lead to her perfect career. Over the years, she worked as a dental laboratory technician, ESL instructor, antique furniture finisher and bookstore clerk. She accumulated several degrees, including a BA in psychology, a BFA in painting, and a diploma in Library and Information Technology (LIT). But when her LIT work placement was cancelled during the 2020 pandemic lockdown, she took a remote position indexing for a non-profit organization and loved it. By fall 2020, she had completed the University of California Berkeley indexing course and found her niche.

Based in Aspotogan, Nova Scotia, Tere joined Editors Canada in 2020 to connect with other members of the editing and indexing communities. Tere, who is also a member of the Indexing Society of Canada, focuses on history, ethics and social justice issues. “I draw on my work and educational experiences,” she says. “But I also enjoy researching topics I’m not as familiar with.”

Shortly after joining the volunteer management committee, she helped to create a volunteer directory that would allow Editors Canada members to sign up for opportunities directly from the website. Now live, VolunteerConnect lists the time requirements and learning opportunities associated with respective roles. 

“We hope to make it easier for members to see how they can get involved,” Tere says. “[The Editors Canada community] has been welcoming and collegial. Volunteering has been a wonderful opportunity to expand my skill set while contributing, and I’ve gotten to know some lovely people while doing it.”

In her spare time, Tere loves to paint, walk in the woods, collect ghost story anthologies and knit sweaters. After all, she says, “You can never have too many cardigans!”

~S. Robin Larin

The featured volunteer recognizes the contributions of our dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. Volunteers are the backbone of the association, and we are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed.

8. GET INVOLVED: Volunteer opportunities

VolunteerConnect

It’s October and despite the fourth wave of the pandemic, we’re getting back to work. This includes volunteers! To match volunteers with suitable volunteer positions at Editors Canada, the volunteer management committee created VolunteerConnect, an expansive spreadsheet that offers volunteer opportunities to help you develop your skills and support our association. VolunteerConnect features tabs for task forces, committees, executive positions, translation and much more. If you haven’t had a look at it yet, please find it here and on the volunteer resources page for Editors Canada members. If you would like to add your name to the volunteer list, please see the “Register to Volunteer” tab.

The career builder committee is looking for members!

We’re driving initiatives to help all Editors Canada members further their careers and improve their incomes. Here are some of the things the committee has done in the last two years.

  • We’ve begun working on a Career Builder hub for the new website, which will help connect Editors Canada members with new and existing educational, networking and job-finding resources.
  • We’ve presented two conference workshops: Adventures in Editing Self-Published Authors and Building Your Career: How to Find Your Community, Grow Your Skills and Expand Your Portfolio.
  • We’ve begun working with the marketing and communications committee to implement an in-depth plan for developing Editors Canada’s social media presence.
  • We’ve created a two-pronged plan for the Online Directory of Editors (ODE), including how members can optimize the effectiveness of their current ODE listing, and how Editors Canada can optimize the ODE’s effectiveness on the new website.

The career builder committee meets monthly on Zoom on Mondays at 7 p.m., Eastern Time. Core committee members should expect 1–3 hours of effort per week. We also need volunteers who can take on smaller tasks as we work toward developing our larger initiatives.

If you’re interested in participating or you’d just like more information, please send a note to careerbuilder@editors.ca. Thank you!

Lynne Melcombe
Chair

9. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!

Editors Québec member Agnès André is pleased to announce the publishing of her first translation, Seasons: Desert sketches, a collection of short radio essays by Utahn nature writer Ellen Meloy (Torrey House Press). The book, with a foreword by Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), is a sharp and humorous criticism of our relationship with nature and a celebration of her natural habitat–the American Southwest. The book is available from Hobo Diffusion or éditions blast.

Editors Atlantic member Claire Wilkshire has published her second book, a collection of short fiction. Warm, funny and stylistically savvy, the stories in The Love Olympics follow an interlocking set of characters around St. John’s. The book is about various forms of love—the ways love grips us, shakes us, releases or envelops us. The Love Olympics explores the aspirations, fears and vulnerabilities of people who feel both familiar and surprising; it celebrates their generosity and desire for connection, their willingness to see past flaws and appreciate other human beings in all their complexity. The Love Olympics is available from Breakwater Books.

Editors Canada Member News is where we share information about members and affiliates who win awards, publish books and make their marks in other important ways.

Do you have an achievement you’d like to share? Are you excited about a new project or opportunity that has come your way? Let us tell the world all about it! Please send your stories to the member news coordinator.

10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council

NEC meeting

The national executive council (NEC) met on September 19, 2021, for the first meeting of the association year. Because there are many new directors on this year’s NEC, we spent part of the meeting doing introductions and going over how meetings run and what people’s roles are. We also spent time discussing Q3 reports and requests submitted by committees, task forces, advisers, and branches and twigs, as well as what those groups are currently working on.

The NEC met again on Sunday, October 17. A report on that meeting will be in next month’s e-news. The next meeting is on Sunday, November 21, at 2 p.m., EST.

Decision log

Gael Spivak recently volunteered her time to go through all of the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) minutes and created a decision log outlining decisions made by members at AGMs. This log is now linked on our website. This document will be useful to the NEC and to all members as a way to see what decisions have been made in the past by members and therefore cannot be overturned without a member vote.

We are missing AGM minutes for 1996 and 2001. If you have copies of these minutes, please send them to president@editors.ca so they can be included in the decision log.

Heather Buzila
President

Which of the following tasks is not performed by a structural editor?

Answer:
d. Establishing a consistent and audience-appropriate tone

Which of the following describes a proofreading best practice?

Answer:
d. Whenever possible, proofread the material in its intended medium.

The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.

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