News, events, tips and updates for members of the Editors’ Association of Canada
Happy New Year from the Editors’ Association of Canada!
Resolutions.
Love them or hate them, New Year’s resolutions are all the rage at this time of year. Whether or not you’ve pledged to become the very best version of you in 2012, the beginning of a new year serves as a great reminder to examine your goals and plan for the future.
In this edition of the e-news update, we’ll look at some realistic goals you can set for yourself, and how your EAC membership can help you achieve them.
In this issue:
1. DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS: Workshops, books and more
2. GET NOTICED: Stand out from the crowd
3. BUILD YOUR NETWORK: Connect with your fellow editors
4. GET HIRED: Find work in 2012
5. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
6. PROTECT YOURSELF: Affordable insurance options
1. DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS: Workshops, books and more
Goal: Attend branch and twig workshops
Give your skills a boost by taking part in branch and twig seminars and workshops. Expert instructors help beginning editors build strong foundations, and they help more experienced ones develop their expertise. Whether you want to know more about grammar, copy editing, copyright law or running a freelance business, there’s something for everyone.
For more information about workshops in your area, visit your branch or twig page.
Goal: Hit the books
Whether you’re en route to becoming a certified editor or brushing up on your skills, studying early and often is the key. EAC’s respected publications (many of which have been recently updated) will help you on the path to excellence.
Editing Canadian English
For years, this indispensable tool has been a staple in classrooms and for anyone who edits Canadian English. With its distinctive red cover, Editing Canadian English may be the first reference book you pull off the bookshelf when considering how to handle a prickly editing problem. While it may have been a little tricky to track down in the past, Editing Canadian English is now available for purchase directly from EAC.
Professional Editorial Standards
What do editors do? That’s a question most of us have been asked at one time or another, and it’s the question addressed by the 2009 edition of our cornerstone publication, Professional Editorial Standards, revised and updated to reflect the skills and knowledge required by editors today. Available as a free download.
Meeting Professional Editorial Standards
Whether you’re learning the craft of editing or an established professional looking to broaden your knowledge, this second edition, four-volume self-teaching and self-testing package is a must-have for any editor’s bookshelf. And we’re not the only ones who think so: Ryerson University’s Publishing Program has adopted the Stylistic Editing and Structural Editing volumes of Meeting Professional Editorial Standards as course textbooks. Available for purchase now.
Certification Study Guides
EAC’s recently revised study guides are the primary resources for anyone who wants to become a certified editor. Whether you use the guides for independent study or in a workshop setting, you will learn more about the knowledge, skills and judgment required to earn your EAC certification credentials. Available for purchase now.
Active Voice/Voix active
Published twice a year, EAC’s national newsletter is where you’ll find informative articles about editing and working as an editor. The Fall 2011 issue (including the online companion content) is now available as a free download. And don’t forget, you can download archived issues dating back to 2003 in the Members’ Area.
2. GET NOTICED: Stand out from the crowd
Goal: Get Certified
Make 2012 the year you join the ranks of editors certified by EAC’s landmark certification program. EAC’s certified editors benefit from official recognition of their high level of knowledge and skill—and a marketing advantage.
Registration for the 2012 tests will open this summer. For more information visit EAC certification online.
Goal: Tell the world about your achievements
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. Here are some of the things our members have been up to of late.
Lynn Coady (Prairie Provinces branch) is the 2011 writer in residence at MacEwan University. Her fourth novel, The Antagonist (House of Anansi Press), earned her a place on the 2011 long list of nominees for the Scotiabank Giller Prize alongside literary heavyweights such as Marina Endicott and Michael Ondaatje.
On October 25, 2011, Grammar Gals, Karen Virag and Virginia Durksen (Prairie Provinces branch), answered grammar questions on CBC Radio’s Alberta at Noon program (one of their regular appearances on CBC over the past several years). The Gals and a crowd of 30 or so editors also appeared at the Great Big Grammarfest later that night, at Mount Royal University, Calgary. CBC host Donna McElligott moderated both the show and the evening event.
Gilles Vilasco (QAC branch) edited the manuscript for a book that will be published by Presses de l’Université du Québec under the title Le Québec APRÈS Bouchard-Taylor – L’identité religieuse de l’immigration. The book, which will be in stores February 15, was published under the direction of Louis Rousseau, Professor of Religious Studies at UQAM. Rousseau also wrote the introduction and conclusion. The book contains eight chapters written by teachers and researchers Mathieu Boisvert, Frederic Castel, Anne Letourneau, Jean-Rene Milot, Louis Rousseau and Raymonde Venditti.
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 member news coordinator, Marguerite Watson.
Goal: Receive an EAC award
Each year EAC presents several awards recognizing excellence in editing and service to the organization. While nominations for the Tom Fairley Award are now closed, the season for EAC’s other respected awards has only just begun.
Claudette Upton Scholarship
This annual, national award of $1,000 recognizes a promising student editor from among our membership. If you’re a student member, or if you know someone who should be a student member, visit the Claudette Upton Scholarship page for more information. The deadline for submissions is February 15.
Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award and the President’s Award for Volunteer Service
The President’s Award recognizes outstanding service to the organization, at the branch, twig or national level, by member volunteers. From among the nominations received for the President’s Award, one volunteer is selected to receive the Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award. Visit the President’s Award page for more information.
Goal: Get a branded email address
Show people what you do with an @editors.ca email address, available exclusively to EAC members. Your @editors.ca address tells people what you do and identifies you as a member of EAC.
3. BUILD YOUR NETWORK: Connect with your fellow editors
Networking is essential for building and maintaining a successful career and for keeping up on industry news. Whether you work in-house or as a business owner, you’re learning about editing or you’re a veteran editor with years of wisdom to impart, networking is one of the primary benefits of belonging to EAC. As a member of the association, you’re connected with 1,600 editors and communications professionals across the country.
Goal: Connect with other EACers online
If you’re already on the world’s largest social networking site, “like” the Editors’ Association of Canada on Facebook.
What’s your favourite dictionary? What’s your opinion on the Marist Poll’s most annoying word of 2011? What do you do when a good client asks you for a discount? These are just some of the recent topics of discussion in EAC’s LinkedIn group.
Get the latest EAC and industry news by following us on Twitter. Find EAC @eac_acr.
Flickr
Who says editors are all about words? EAC photos can now be found in one place on EAC’s Flickr page. Check out national executive council meeting photos and pics from recent conferences.
EAC Email List
How do you explain the permissions process to authors? How might the Random House acquisition of McLelland & Stewart affect editors? How would you punctuate this sentence? Can we prove the (etymological) existence of “hooligan fish”? These are some of the January discussions on EAC’s popular email list. Whether you’re looking for tips on the business of editing or a virtual water cooler, the email list has something for you. Join the discussion today!
Interactive Voice
Email not your thing? Check out the web-based, threaded discussion on Interactive Voice (also the home of EAC’s National Job Board).
EAC Membership List
Trying to get in touch with a fellow member? Stay connected with EAC’s online Membership List. Not listed in this opt-in free service yet? Why wait? Visit your Online Profile to list yourself in the Membership List today.
Goal: Attend more branch and twig meetings and social events
If you’re itching to get out and meet with other editors face to face, commit to attending more of the regular meetings and socials hosted by your branch or twig. Each branch and twig offers a variety of local programs for members and non-members alike.
Goal: Attend EAC’s 2012 conference in Ottawa (June 1–3)
Get 200 editors and communications professionals together for a weekend and something great is bound to happen. Conferences set the stage for conversation, inspiration and innovation. So many conference goers return year after year to tap into the collective wisdom of a group of their peers and to share valuable insights at meals, between sessions and beyond. Make 2012 the year you join us!
Registration for the 2012 conference, The Landscape of Canadian Language: Word Nerds Gone Wild, opens on February 23.
Conference Update: Word Nerds Gone Wild conference swag
Bring in the New Year in style. CafePress is where the wild things are: the fiercely stylish Conference 2012 logo is available on t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and more. But get it while you can…after 2012, EAC conference-specific logos will be extinct. Visit www.cafepress.com/eac_acr/8398948 to order your swag today.
Planning to attend the conference in Ottawa on June 1–3? Why not volunteer? We’re looking for photographers to shoot us in our natural habitat, session hosts, registration desk staff and more. Visit the volunteer page to find out how you can help.
Don’t forget: early-bird conference registration is from February 23 to April 11. The early-bird fees are $350 for EAC members ($290 for student members). After April 11, the fees increase to $430 for EAC members ($370 for student members). For non-members, the fee is $600 ($550 for students). See the registration page for details.
Stay tuned for news about speakers and sessions. There will be around 35 sessions centred on five general streams (editing, language, career building, tools and tips, and legal issues) as well as some wonderfully wild pre-conference workshops.
Happy New Year!
Christine LeBlanc and Gael Spivak, Conference Co-Chairs
conference@editors.ca
The Secret Bench of Knowledge at Library and Archives Canada: a favourite resting spot in the Ottawa habitat of Fox and Squirrel.
Photo: Gael Spivak
4. GET HIRED: Find work in 2012
Goal: Give your career a boost
Online Directory of Editors
The Online Directory of Editors (ODE) is a searchable online resource that helps employers find the right editor fast. Editors who list in the ODE can attract new clients by creating personalized listings that rank high in online searches. A well-written ODE listing can pay for itself many times over. Learn more about your ODE listing.
National Job Board
The National Job Board is where you’ll find notices of full-time, part-time, contract and freelance opportunities from across the country.
Hotlines
Many branches offer free job announcement services through their hotlines. For more information visit your branch page.
5. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
Goal: Make your resumé more impressive
Want to stand out from the crowd? Consider volunteering for EAC. Volunteering has many benefits for the association, but it can be beneficial to your career as well. EAC member volunteers work with influential members of the publishing and communications industries, learn new skills, expand their portfolios and boost their career options.
Two of EAC’s valued national volunteers have recently stepped down. As a result, a national executive council and a committee chair position are now open.
Melva McLean has resigned as vice-president of the national executive council to spend more time on her screenwriting and to produce her second short film, titled Chopin’s Heart, which she adapted from the short story “In-Sook” by Emily Givner. She continues to be a huge supporter of EAC and hopes to work on small projects when she has the time.
Lisa Manfield has resigned as chair of the website committee to focus on other commitments and to allow someone to who can give the position the time and energy it deserves to step in.
If you’re member a member with voting privileges and you’re interested in stepping into either of these positions, contact EAC’s past president, Michelle Boulton, for more information. You can also find out more about the roles by reviewing the following documents.
National Executive Council Roles and Responsibilities (1.47 MB)
National Committee Mandates (32.67 KB)
National executive council update
Wondering what your national executive council (NEC) has been up to? You’ve seen the pics, but don’t forget to check out the meeting minutes to get the full scoop on NEC business. Minutes from the Q4 meeting are now available.
More volunteer opportunities
Active Voice/Voix active
The editorial team for EAC’s national newsletter, Active Voice/Voix active, is looking for a volunteer to write about social media and its impact on professional editing and writing. The team is especially interested in hearing from French editors who have already started exploring social media as a means of written communication. If you are interested in writing this article, or if you can suggest someone who would be an ideal resource, please contact the French newsletter editor at voix.active@reviseurs.ca.
The Active Voice/Voix active team would also like to honour International Mother Language Day (February 21, 2012) by publishing an article about the various languages that EAC members work in. If you work in a language, or a combination of languages, other than English or French, or if your mother language is something other than one of the two official languages of Canada, we would like to learn more about your work, what inspired you to work in another language, some of the difficulties you encounter working in a less common language, etc. We invite you to answer a few open-ended questions that will provide background for our article. Please respond by email to active_voice@editors.ca before January 31, 2012.
6. PROTECT YOURSELF: Affordable insurance options
Goal: Protect yourself, your family and your ability to earn an income
EAC is pleased to offer several affordable insurance options for EAC members.
Errors and omissions insurance
Professional risks go hand-in-hand with the editing industry. E&O insurance protects you against lawsuits arising from allegations of negligence or wrongdoing, thereby protecting your assets. For a client who has suffered damages, E&O insurance ensures there are adequate funds for compensation.
Health and dental insurance
These enhanced health-care plans can supplement your provincial government’s coverage and help protect you against unexpected health and dental expenses.
With a complete product package that spans term life insurance, permanent participating life, universal life, disability, critical illness and long-term care, these plans can offer you personal peace of mind, regardless of what the future might bring.
Automobile and property insurance
This program offers you competitive group rates and quality insurance coverage for your car, home, home-based business, condominium, apartment, cottage, seasonal home, jewellery, fine art and other valuables. As a member, you could potentially save up to 60% on your insurance premiums. NEW: Second Medical Opinion coverage enhancement is now available for eligible automobile and property insurance policyholders
For more information visit EAC’s Member Services page.
The EAC national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.