News, events, tips and updates for members of the Editors’ Association of Canada
In this issue:
1. EAC CERTIFICATION: Let certification give you a boost
2. MEMBER SERVICES: New online dictionary (free trial and discount for EAC members)
3. CONFERENCE 2014: Join the Toronto conference team
4. PUBLICATIONS: Recruiting Editing Canadian English volunteers
5. TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT: Help promote EAC’s reference and study materials
6. MEMBER SERVICES: Help us find new member benefits
7. HAMILTON-HALTON: Twig events and updates
8. QUEBEC/ATLANTIC CANADA: Now accepting nominations for branch executive
9. PROMOTE YOURSELF: Member news
10. EXTERNAL LIAISON: EAC members invited to register for DesignThinkers Conference at discounted rate
1. EAC CERTIFICATION: Let certification give you a boost
Registration for EAC’s 2013 certification tests is open. This year tests are being offered in Copy Editing and Stylistic Editing. Registration runs until October 25, but don’t delay! Put yourself one step closer to achieving your professional goals.
The Copy Editing and Stylistic Editing tests will be offered on Saturday, November 16 in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. The discounted fee for EAC members is $425 to write one test or $800 to write both tests.
Wondering if EAC Certification is right for you? Getting certified displays ongoing commitment to your work and demonstrates to employers and colleagues the breadth of your professional abilities. If you have at least five years of experience, consider challenging yourself by earning official recognition through certification, and give yourself a professional marketing advantage. Certification is bound to boost your career prospects, and your confidence!
Discover how EAC Certification can help your career. Register today.
2. MEMBER SERVICES: New online dictionary (free trial and discount for EAC members)
Usito: Because French never stopsTM
Style and usage guides, grammar books, thesauri, phraseologies and dictionaries fill the actual and virtual bookshelves of editors, writers and other language professionals. Of special interest to those who proofread, edit, translate—or just plain adore—French is Usito, a new French language dictionary that sets the standards of the French language in a North-American, Canadian and Quebec context while connecting it with other varieties of French from the French-speaking world.
Led by professors at the University of Sherbrooke, this “living,” participatory electronic dictionary is updated daily, has more than 60,000 entries, 100,000 definitions (of which 10,000 are pure Quebecois), 5,500 conjugation tables, and 36,000 quotations from Quebec literary works. Alongside other tools of the word-workers trade, Usito promises to help you make enlightened linguistic decisions at the click of a mouse while you edit, revise and translate.
Free trial/discount offer
Until August 12, 2014, EAC members can take advantage of a one-month free trial of Usito. At the end of the trial, Usito will provide instructions to purchase a paid subscription for one year at a 5% discount.
Learn more about the Usito free trial/discount offer for EAC members.
3. CONFERENCE 2014: Join the Toronto conference team
Conference committee positions are filling up, but we’re still looking for a few key people to join our team and help make the Toronto conference a success.
We are particularly keen to fill the following positions:
Web Coordinator
We’re looking for a web-savvy volunteer to join the team as a web communications coordinator. If you enjoy working with a diverse team and know your way around web publishing, we want to hear from you! Working in tandem with our other communications coordinator, Tammy Burns, the web coordinator will perform the following tasks:
- participate in weekly conference call meetings;
- assist in planning monthly and weekly communications;
- prepare and plan the best online delivery of the content provided by Tammy; and
- act as conference webmaster or assist in recruiting a volunteer to fill the role.
Sponsorship Coordinator
The sponsorship coordinator is a vital new role for 2014. We’re looking for someone who is willing to take charge and promote the benefits of sponsorship to secure new and returning sponsors. The sponsorship coordinator’s responsibilities are as follows:
- review the current sponsorship package and tailor it for the Toronto conference;
- lead the team to generate a list of potential sponsors; and
- contact possible sponsors and track their responses.
If either of these positions appeals to you, or if you would like to volunteer for the conference in any other way, please contact the conference committee co-chairs .
Conference 2014—Tracking Change: e-Merging Methods and Markets will be held at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, from June 6 to June 8, 2014. See you in Toronto!
4. PUBLICATIONS: Recruiting Editing Canadian English volunteers
The publications committee is looking for experienced editors to help draft subcategories for the new Editing Canadian English table of contents.
If you’re interested in taking on one or more categories between now and September 9, please contact committee co-chair Elizabeth Macfie for more information. We anticipate this is a job you could do rather quickly based on your experience of the industry.
5. TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT: Help promote EAC’s reference and study materials
The training and development committee wants to help increase the use of EAC’s reference and study materials in educational institutions. The committee is planning a direct-mail campaign to editorial educators across Canada and is looking for a volunteer to make follow-up calls. There is no selling involved; the volunteer will be calling to find out if the letters were received and if the educator wants more information. This is a good opportunity to exercise your networking skills while helping EAC with one of its strategic goals. Please contact committee chair committee chair Emily Dockrill Jones if you are interested in helping with this project.
6. MEMBER SERVICES: Help us find new member benefits
Do you love EAC? Want to help spread the love among your fellow members?
The member services committee is looking for creative, enthusiastic volunteers to help review and implement new services for members.
Whether you work freelance or in-house, in French or English (or both) your voice is an essential part of EAC. Come advocate for your colleagues and your peers—and gain some valuable volunteer experience in the process. If you’re interested, please contact committee chair Suzanne Purkis.
7. HAMILTON-HALTON: Twig events and updates
Upcoming Hamilton-Halton (HH) events
| Sunday, September 8: | Barbecue Social |
| Thursday, October 10: | Tara Isard, Manager of Content Enhancement with CCH Canada, will speak about the role of editors in legal publishing. |
| Thursday, November 14: | Word Professionals Meet-up A general gathering of workers-with-words from the Editors’ Association of Canada (EAC), the Canadian Authors Association (CAA) and the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). Open to the public. |
The HH twig website has been updated to include information about who we are and where we meet.
The following members were elected to executive positions at the twig’s May AGM.
Sarah Hipworth and Breanne MacDonald: Co-coordinators
Cat Haggert: Treasurer
Trudi Down: Communications
Cathy Tell: Events
Julie vanTol: Member-at-large
HH also reports its monthly noon-hour Koffee Klatches, organized by Cat Haggert, are a success. The get-togethers offer members from the twig’s large geographic area the opportunity to meet, chat and network in local restaurants throughout the region. All EAC members are welcome to attend and bring guests.
The twig also congratulates the following HH members for passing the 2012 EAC Certification exams.
Cat Haggert, Waterdown (Certified Proofreader)
Leanne Rancourt, Milton (Certified Professional Editor, CPE)
Shelly Stevenson, Carlisle (Certified Structural Editor)
8. QUEBEC/ATLANTIC CANADA: Now accepting nominations for branch executive
Make the most of your branch membership!
Do you want to develop great leadership skills, build new skill sets, gain useful career knowledge, and meet people from EAC and related associations? Here’s your chance!
The Quebec/Atlantic Canada branch (QAC) is back on the recruiting trail and has a few volunteer positions to fill on its executive committee.
By volunteering, you’ll be part of the branch plan to engage members, encourage participation, attract new members, solidify relations with existing members and help to ensure the continuity of branch services.
Here are the key positions that need to be filled.
Vice-chair: You will help run the branch with the branch chair, coordinate the activities of the branch executive, and maintain communications with the rest of EAC. After serving in this position for at least one year, the vice-chair takes over as branch chair.
Newsletter/internal communications editors: You will communicate the professional and personal interests of branch members with industry-related articles, listings of industry-related events and event reviews. This may also include fun and informative articles on language and communication, tips and tools for editors, and writers and translators. The format can be an online or a print publication (or both).
Internal web page coordinator: You will ensure the QAC branch web pages are up to date and accurate, and notify the respective executive committee member of any necessary changes.
Coordinators: You will work with the professional development, program or membership chair to learn the ropes and share the workload. Possibilities include organizing a branch social event, meeting or workshop, or helping the newsletter/internal communications editors.
Requirements
- A minimum one-year commitment
- Enthusiasm, initiative, creativity, accountability
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Desire and ability to contribute to a collective effort
The branch also welcomes volunteers who want to lend a hand at a specific project or event.
Interested or want to know more? Please contact the QAC branch administrator.
Wondering what’s happening in your neck of the woods? Visit your branch or twig page to find out about events in your area.
9. PROMOTE YOURSELF: Member news
EAC Member News is where we share information about EACers who win awards, publish books and make their mark on the communications world in other important ways. Do you have a recent achievement? Let EAC help tell the world about it on EAC’s Member News page. If you have member news to share, contact EAC’s member news coordinator, Kerri Niblett.
10. EXTERNAL LIAISON: EAC members invited to register for DesignThinkers Conference at discounted rate
The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) has invited EAC members to register for its 14th annual DesignThinkers Conference in Toronto (November 6–7, 2013). EAC members may register at the discounted “Group/Org Member” rate. DesignThinkers is billed as Canada’s largest annual communications design conference and one of the most respected in the world.
For more information, visit the DesignThinkers Conference website.
The EAC national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.