News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
- TRAIN ONLINE: More new webinars ahead!
- RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT: Submit a nomination for one of Editors Canada’s national awards
- MEMBER BENEFITS: Access The Chicago Manual of Style Online via editors.ca at no additional charge
- MEMBER SERVICES: Exploring Discord
- ACADEMIC EDITING: Join the book club!
- STUDENT RELATIONS: Upcoming social
- FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Lucy Payette
- THE EDITORS’ WEEKLY: Market your skills while sharing your knowledge
- MEMBER NEWS: Tell the world about your accomplishment
- NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. TRAIN ONLINE: More new webinars ahead!
If you haven’t yet had a chance to look at our new selection of winter/spring webinars, there are still plenty of professional development opportunities to come! Don’t miss these sessions coming up in March:
- March 13: Four Basic Structures for a Science Article Aimed at the General Public (Kathryn Jepsen)
- March 18: Quick Wins for Editors: Essentials of a Professional Online Presence (Derrick Boddie)
- March 20: L’IA au service de la révision (Joachim Lépine)
- March 27: Generative AI for Editors: Friend, Foe or Flunky? (Catie Phares)
See more on our webinars page!
Plus, expand your skills into PR work at SFU
Put your communication skills to work in the in-demand PR field. Our friends at Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies offer fully online public relations courses and a certificate program. Register now for their next courses:
2. RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT: Submit a nomination for one of Editors Canada’s national awards
Each year, Editors Canada presents several awards recognizing excellence in editing and service to the organization. There’s still time to submit a nomination or application for some of the association’s national awards.
Karen Virag Award
We are now accepting nominations for the 2025 Karen Virag Award. This award was created in memory of long-time association member Karen Virag, and in recognition of Karen’s many contributions to the profession. The Karen Virag Award recognizes the efforts of an editor or an organization to raise the profile of editing in their community. A cash award of $400 is made possible by Editors Canada and its generous donors
The deadline for nominations is April 4, 2025. Visit the Karen Virag Award page for more information.
Claudette Upton Scholarship
The application period for the 2025 Claudette Upton Scholarship is now open. This annual national award of $1,000 recognizes a promising student affiliate from Editors Canada.
If you’re a student affiliate, or if you know someone who should be, visit the Claudette Upton Scholarship page for more information. The deadline for applications is April 4, 2025.
Equity Fellowship
This annual fellowship is designed to support editors who have traditionally been excluded by the publishing and editing industries, including editors who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour), 2SLGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and disabled.
The Equity Fellowship provides the following to up to three successful applicants each year:
- membership in Editors Canada for one year;
- registration for the annual conference or the congrès des langagiers et langagières (in French only) of Editors Canada;
- three Editors Canada webinars;
- one copy of the book Editing Canadian English (and Editorial Niches);
- one copy of the ebook From Contact to Contract;
- one copy of each of the four Certification Test Preparation Guides; and
- a listing in the Editors Canada Online Directory of Editors for one year.
Each fellowship is valued at $1,250.
The deadline for applications is April 4, 2025. Visit the Equity Fellowship page for more information.
President’s Award
Editors Canada does a lot of amazing work. We work on branch and twig activities, a national conference, publications, services, professional certification and so many other important things. And these are conceptualized, organized, coordinated and implemented by volunteers.
The Editors Canada President’s Award for Volunteer Service is one way we thank our volunteers for outstanding service to the association. From the nominations received, one outstanding volunteer will receive the Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award.
The deadline for nominations is April 4, 2025. For complete nomination instructions and other information about the award, visit the President’s Award page.
3. MEMBER BENEFITS: Access The Chicago Manual of Style Online via editors.ca at no additional charge
One of Editors Canada’s most popular benefits of membership is access to The Chicago Manual of Style Online (CMOS Online) through editors.ca. CMOS Online features the 18th edition of the Manual. It is completely searchable and easy to use.
Ready to check out this reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers and publishers? Visit the member resources section of our website to start using CMOS Online now.
Need help logging into the website?
Visit the member portal and click the “Click here if you forgot your password” link.
Looking for tips for using the Editors Canada website? Here are some of the most common issues and workarounds.
4. MEMBER SERVICES: Exploring Discord
The member services committee would like to share that we’ve been working on an Editors Canada Discord server to serve as an amalgamation of our various communication spread over our social media. The server will also be a space for members to have casual chats, seek mentorship and ask those difficult editing questions. We feel a need to have a separate entity that can survive apart from social paradigms like Meta and hope to polish this project over the next month or so, before submitting to the national executive council for review.
For more information about the project or to get involved, contact the chair of the member services committee.
The committee is also updating the Editors Canada Welcome Kit and working on outreach and template generation with the career builder committee, branches and twigs, and more.
5. ACADEMIC EDITING: Join the book club!
Love to read and geek out about academic editing? Interested in low-cost, high-value professional development? Then join us for a meeting of the Editors Canada / Editorial Freelancers Association academic editing special interest group book club! 📚 This is a great space for professional education and community-building. Still not convinced? Letitia Henville, book club co-chair, shared some of the benefits of our book club and details on upcoming events (which are free and open to everyone!) in a recent post for The Editors’ Weekly.
Next up:
- February 21: Black Feminist Writing, author Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Evans, hosted by Dana Johnson | RSVP | use code SAEB25 for 30% off online orders from SUNY Press
- April 4: Elements of Indigenous Style, lead editor Q&A with Warren Cariou, hosted by Kaitlin Littlechild | RSVP | order online for 20% off (password: editors2025)
Events take place on a Friday at 10 a.m., PT / 1 p.m., ET.
6. STUDENT RELATIONS: Upcoming social
On Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m., EDT, the student relations committee will host a virtual student social. Join us to meet other student editors and chat about getting started as an editor. Visit the student affiliates Facebook group for event details, or email the committee chair.
7. FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Lucy Payette
After living for 20 years in Toronto and working in print journalism, marketing and digital communications, it was Lucy Payette’s move to Winnipeg that drew her into Editors Canada. “I wanted to be part of a professional organization that would support my credentials and offer a network,” she says.
Editors Canada quickly provided those connections. After joining in 2019, she volunteered as a proofreader for The Editors’ Weekly. Within two years, she was managing editor. “It was a true editing workout,” says Lucy, who enjoyed the breadth of the weekly topics. “Anyone who wants to work in publications or in a creative role would benefit from working on the blog.”
Since joining the association, Lucy has volunteered in other capacities as well. She has been secretary of the marketing and communications committee and project owner of the ambassador program, reaching out to venues across Canada to present on the editing profession. She has also test-driven the Editors Canada Copy Editing professional certification exam.
Although Lucy has loved volunteering, she hungers for the days when people met in person and misses her fellow volunteers when they move on to other roles and new challenges. Still, she says, what she enjoys most about Editors Canada is “the opportunity to continue learning from expert editors and to try out new skills.”
Today, Lucy works as a technical editor at StandardAero. During her downtime, she enjoys cycling, running, skating and skiing the winter trails. “I like the heat,” she says, “but since moving to Winnipeg, I’ve learned to appreciate winter—even when it’s -20, it can be gloriously sunny. It can be hard to get out there at first, but once I do, I find it invigorating.”
~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.
Want to make a difference in your association? Find out more about volunteering for Editors Canada.
8. THE EDITORS’ WEEKLY: Market your skills while sharing your knowledge
If you’re looking for new ways to increase your visibility as an editor online, why not share your insights with your peers? The Editors’ Weekly is seeking posts for spring publication. Do you work in a niche you don’t see discussed as often? Do you have accessibility tips or conscious language advice for editors? Is there an aspect of your business practice that you think others would benefit from considering? Submit your idea any time to blog@editors.ca!
9. MEMBER NEWS: Tell the world about your accomplishment
Editors Canada Member News is where we share information about members and affiliates who win awards, publish books and make their mark 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
The first national executive council (NEC) meeting of 2025 took place on Sunday, January 12. During this meeting, we welcomed El Horner as the new director of publications. This meeting included a thorough review of ongoing work by the NEC and its committees, including our strategic planning process, and a discussion on nomination procedures for Editors Canada awards.
A summary of the February 9, 2025, NEC meeting will be shared in the March e-news update. We are still looking for someone for the director of volunteer relations position. If you want to join the NEC, we would love to hear from you!
Strategic planning update
After extensive member consultation in the development phase, the strategic planning working group and the national executive council are reviewing the draft strategic plan presented by the consultant. We want to thank everyone who took the time to engage in the many opportunities to have their voices and perspectives heard. We are grateful for the open and collaborative nature of the work. The timeline and budget for the strategic plan make it a challenging but timely project that will ultimately help shape Editors Canada moving forward.
Kaitlin Littlechild
President
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.