National e-news update, April 21, 2016

News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada

In this issue:

1. CONFERENCE: Get involved and make the most of the conference
2. VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH: Joanna Bandziorowski and Anne Godlewski
3. EXTERNAL LIAISON: New discounts for partner conferences and online training
4. CERTIFICATION: Spotlight on the proofreading test
5. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
6. MEMBER SERVICES: Your personal access to the JSTOR digital library of academic journals
7. STAFF NEWS: Changes in the national office


1. CONFERENCE: Get involved and make the most of the conference

Logo for the 2016 Editors Canada Conference

Conference registration is open until Friday, May 27. Keep an eye on the conference website for updates as the conference draws nearer.

Volunteer coordinator and on-site volunteers needed

The conference committee is looking for a volunteer coordinator to help recruit, schedule and coordinate on-site volunteers. We are also looking for volunteers to take on the following roles during the conference:

  • session host
  • registration/information desk representative
  • vendor fair assistant
  • photographer

For more information, see the volunteer opportunities page or contact the conference co-chairs, Amy Haagsma and Lynn Slobogian.

Experience Vancouver!

The local experience committee welcomes Conference 2016 participants to Vancouver. We have booked a restaurant for dinner on Thursday, June 9, and organized several optional outings for Friday, June 10. We are also collecting a list of self-guided tours and stops of interest that will help you enjoy the best of Metro Vancouver. Further details will be on the website shortly! 

Speed mentoring

Going to the conference in June? Need advice on clients, projects, networking or other editing-related topics? Sign up for speed mentoring, a series of 15-minute consultations with some of the top editors around. More details will be on the website by the end of April.

2. VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH: Joanna Bandziorowski and Anne Godlewski

Headshot of Joanna Bandziorowski
Headshot of Anne Godlewski

Joanna Bandziorowski and Anne Godlewski are being recognized as Editors Canada volunteers of the month for their efforts in coordinating and promoting Editors Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph. When the coordinator positions became vacant last year, they stepped in to ensure that Editors Canada would continue to have a twig presence in the KWG area. They’ve worked hard to provide networking and educational events for local editors. They recently co-hosted a successful networking event with the Canadian Authors Association, and they’re currently planning more joint events and speakers for twig meetings. Joanna has also appeared on local television alongside Canadian Authors Association and Professional Writers Association of Canada members to promote Writing Wednesdays.

Joanna is an indexer, editor and writer with a varied background. Before editing professionally, she worked in public health, dental hygiene and digital radiography. She enjoys cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, gardening and fashion, and her knowledge in these topics has made her a great resource for her clients.

Anne joined Editors Canada in 2007 having already started her editing career. She worked as a biologist and a medical and technical editor before launching her own freelance editing and indexing business in 2013. When she’s not working on scientific and technical texts, Anne is following her love of nature and plants by studying herbal medicine.

The volunteer of the month highlights the dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. Volunteers are the backbone of the association. We are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed. Visit the Members’ Area for more information about actively participating in the association.


3. EXTERNAL LIAISON: New discounts for partner conferences and online training

Editors Canada members can now take advantage of professional development opportunities, including online training, at lower prices thanks to two new partnership agreements.

These agreements are with the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) and the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC).

  • Editors Canada members can attend ACES and CTTIC conferences at the member prices of those organizations, and vice versa.
  • Editors Canada members can buy ACES and CTTIC online training at the member prices of those organizations, and vice versa (when this becomes available).

Offering limited discounts, and getting discounts in return, increases options for our members and brings the association revenue that it would not normally receive. As well, members of other associations will see our name in their communications material, so that raises our profile—which could result in new members for Editors Canada.


4. CERTIFICATION: Spotlight on the proofreading test

Do you have an uncanny ability to spot and correct errors that would escape the untrained eye? Make this the year you earn your certification in proofreading: you’ll stand out from the crowd, improve your marketability, and even command higher fees.

Editors who have become certified in one or more of the disciplines covered by the exams (structural, stylistic, copy editing and proofreading) attest to these benefits. ”I received a call from a prospective client who chose me from the Online Directory of Editors because I was a certified proofreader,” says Certified Professional Editor Donna Dawson. ”This confirmed for me that certification matters to clients.”

Editors Canada’s proofreading test assesses your mastery of the Professional Editorial Standards (E1–18), as well as your knowledge of editing fundamentals (A1–12). You’ll write the exam on hard copy, using standard proofreaders’ marks. The test will be offered on November 19 in locations across Canada.

Try a sample question

Give two specific advantages to proofreading with a partner over proofreading solo.

Answer

Preparing for the test

Review Professional Editorial Standards to determine which standards you may need to work on—and practise, practise, practise. You’ll find relevant exercises in the Proofreading Study Guide and Meeting Professional Editorial StandardsOrder your copies of these valuable resources today.

Editors Canada also offers professional development seminars in proofreading. Visit the seminars page regularly to find out when they’ll be scheduled next at a branch or twig near you.


5. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!

On March 17, Alain Lafond, an author from the greater Montreal area, launched his latest book, Le forgeron du destin, the third and final installment in his supernatural thriller series. Sophie Pallotta (Editors Quebec/Atlantic Canada) had the pleasure of editing this book, and of presenting the author at the launch, as a friend and close collaborator. Along with the editing work, she has also begun working on the translation of the entire trilogy into English. For more information visit the Éditions Onirium website.

Do you have an achievement you’d like to share? Are you excited about a new project or opportunity that has come your way? We’d love to hear from you! Please send your stories to the member news coordinator. Each item will be posted on our website and will be included in the Editors Canada e-news updates.


6. MEMBER SERVICES: Your personal access to the JSTOR digital library of academic journals

With more than 1,900 journals, JSTOR is one of the world’s leading academic databases. Millions of users worldwide rely on JSTOR for research, fact checking and book reviews.

Editors Canada members and student affiliates save 25% on the annual JPASS plan, which provides personal access to the JSTOR archive. This fee includes unlimited reading access and 120 article downloads. JSTOR adds new titles every month so you’ll have a growing collection of the world’s leading peer-reviewed journals only a click away. Visit the JPASS collection for a complete title list.

To get your savings, visit the Editors Canada JPASS page.


7. STAFF NEWS: Changes in the national office

Ch-ch-changes! We’re sad to announce that our national membership coordinator, Grace Xing, stepped down from her post at the end of March. Grace, who joined the national office in January 2014, has moved on to an accounting position in another organization. We wish her well at her new job.

We are, however, thrilled to announce that Caitlin Stewart has joined the national office team. Many of you met Caitlin in Toronto last June when she served as coordinator for our Editing Goes Global conference. Caitlin has been working with the Vancouver conference committee for several months and we’re pleased she has now joined us full-time as our membership and conference coordinator. Welcome, Caitlin!


Possible answers:

(1) When there are many numbers to be checked in the copy.
(2) When a manuscript contains complex references that have been heavily edited.


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

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