Editors Canada is a national hub where members come together to support and assist one another, and to share professional insights and opportunities. Whether you work in-house or freelance, and whether you’re a student or a veteran editor, your community is here.
In this edition of the e-news update, you’ll find achievable goals to set you on the right track in 2023. And you’ll learn how Editors Canada can help, every step of the way.
In this issue:
1. DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS: Online learning, books and more
2. STAY CONNECTED: Network with other editors
3. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
4. GET NOTICED: Stand out from the crowd
5. GET HIRED: Find work in 2023
6. SAVE MONEY: Take advantage of Editors Canada discounts
7. PROTECT YOURSELF: Affordable insurance and free mediation support for Editors Canada members
8. BOOKMARK IT: Find Editors Canada benefits and services in one place
9. NATIONAL OFFICE: Thank you, Caitlin!
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS: Online learning, books and more
GOAL: Kick off your new year with new editing skills!
The start of the year is a great time to upgrade your skills. Make sure you’re keeping up with the times with professional development opportunities from Editors Canada! We offer webinars on various editing specializations, ways to improve text readability and accessibility, business and marketing strategies, and many other topics, always at 40% off for members and student affiliates. See our webinars page for registration and details.
Brand new webinars are heading your way in 2023! For example, check out Editing Manuscripts for Submission to a Scientific or Medical Journal with presenter Kelly Schrank, MA, ELS, which is coming up on Wednesday, February 1.
GOAL: Take part in branch and twig training opportunities
Many of our branches and twigs offer training online. Visit your branch or twig page to learn more.
GOAL: Get help launching your career with our Career Builder
Make launching your career a little easier. The Career Builder provides a roadmap for would-be editors, students and novice editors to improve their chances of successfully launching their editing careers.
Experienced editors created this four-page PDF to help guide new and would-be editors to create a personalized career-development action plan. It provides valuable information the creators wish they had when they started their careers.
Download the Career Builder for free now.
GOAL: Take part in Editors Canada mentorship
The John Eerkes-Medrano Mentorship Program offers a one-on-one mentor-mentee relationship available exclusively to Editors Canada members and student affiliates.
Mentorship is a method of offering professional development opportunities in a “community of sharing.” Mentors help other members of their profession to enhance their knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in a flexible, responsive and transformational environment. Coaching and confidence-building are important features of mentorship.
Learn more about the John Eerkes-Medrano Mentorship Program.
GOAL: Learn more about equity, diversity and inclusion in editing
Wondering how equity relates to our work with language? We have a web page for equity, diversity and inclusion resources, as well as a volunteer-compiled list of editing resources related to inclusivity.
GOAL: Hit the books
Whether you’re en route to becoming a certified editor or you’re brushing up on your skills, having the best resources is key. Editors Canada publications will help you on the path to excellence.
Professional Editorial Standards
What is editing? What do editors do? Professional Editorial Standards clarifies what is expected of Canadian editors and defines the criteria against which their knowledge, skills and practice can be measured.
Download Professional Editorial Standards for free now.
Edit Like a Pro
Edit Like a Pro is a series of four workbooks published by Editors Canada to help editors assess and improve their skills through hands-on editing practice.
Edit Like a Pro: Proofreading, Third Edition, is now available for purchase. The newest editions of the other volumes (Structural Editing, Stylistic Editing, Copy Editing) will follow.
From Contact to Contract: How Editors Get Clients to Work With Them
From Contact to Contract: How Editors Get Clients to Work With Them offers pearls of wisdom from a group of respected editors who have over two centuries of experience between them. Whether you’re new to the editing business or have a solid client base, finding and contracting work is always of interest. This is one book you’ll refer to again and again.
Editing Canadian English and Editorial Niches
What do expert editors from Editors Canada and beyond say about Canadianization, spelling, the editor’s legal and ethical responsibilities, copyright, bilingual text and more? Find out in Editing Canadian English, 3rd edition. It’s a reference guide you can depend on.
The ebook contains all of Editing Canadian English and the companion volume, Editorial Niches.
Learn about a wide variety of editorial niches from editors who are experts in their field. Niches include online materials, corporations, not-for-profits, associations, government, educational materials, poetry, plays, screenplays, cookbooks, magazines, science, technology, medicine and more.
Certification Test Preparation Guides
If you want to be ready for Editors Canada Professional Certification, you’ll need the most current prep tools available. Editors Canada’s Test Preparation Guides are the go-to resources for anyone who wants to become a certified editor.
The Test Preparation Guides are available for purchase directly from Editors Canada.
Principes directeurs en révision professionnelle
These French-language editorial standards are a tool for anyone just starting in the field and for established editors. They’re also a reference for anyone who hires editors. Download Principes directeurs en révision professionnelle for free now.
2. STAY CONNECTED: Network with other editors
GOAL: Connect with other editors
The Editors’ Vine and la Vigne des réviseurs
Members of Editors Canada who face barriers to attending branch or twig meetings have another option: a virtual meeting. We’ve named this group the Editors’ Vine because a vine grows in and among branches and twigs.
The Editors’ Vine meetings usually happen on the first Thursday of the month and the Saturday that immediately follows. If you would like to join us, please email vine@editors.ca. The Zoom link will be sent out during the week of the meeting.
If you are interested in participating in our monthly French-language online meeting, la Vigne des réviseurs, please contact Badou Bousso.
National, branch and twig events
What is your local group up to? Check with your branch or twig to find out about professional development opportunities and social events. And be sure to check our national calendar for events across the association.
Our members-only Facebook groups are private places where we can talk, share information, and ask and answer questions about editing and whatever else people want to discuss.
We also have a student affiliates Facebook group to support the next generation of editors.
Are you an in-house editor? Join the Editors Canada in-house editors Facebook group today.
Of course, you can also like and follow the official Editors Canada Facebook page.
Get the latest Editors Canada news by following us on Twitter @EditorsCanada.
Many of our branches and twigs and our national conference have their own accounts on Twitter as well. You’ll find all of these accounts on our Editors Canada groups list.
Looking for Editors Canada on LinkedIn? Follow our company page.
We’re on Instagram, too! Follow @EditorsCanada.
Mastodon
We’re also on Mastodon. Find us @EditorsCanada@mastodon.world.
Editors Canada membership list
Trying to get in touch with a fellow member? Want your fellow editors to be able to find you? Stay connected with the Editors Canada membership list (in the members’ area of the association website).
Not listed in this opt-in service yet? Why wait? Visit your Online Profile to list yourself in the membership list for free today (select the option to “Update my ODE profile”). The more of us who opt in, the more valuable this list becomes.
Learn more about creating or updating your membership list profile.
GOAL: Attend the national conference
Have you ever attended an editing conference? If not, 2023 is the year to check off that goal on your list!
The Editors Canada conference countdown is on! We’re in the midst of prep and planning for the in-person event happening June 17–18 in Toronto, Ontario, so we want to remind everyone about the volunteer positions available in the conference committee. We have hands-on roles for people who want to show off the city, like on the local experience team, and remote positions, such as the social media coordinators. The time commitment for positions fluctuates (anywhere from five to ten hours per week) and we endeavour to have at least two people in each role.
If you have some time to devote to the conference, we are happy to find a role for you that matches your skills or puts you in a position for growth. Volunteers get a discount on the conference, as well. Email conference_chair@editors.ca to get involved.
Are you a Torontonian? We are once again looking for people to provide billeting! Let us know if you’re open to sharing your residence with fellow editorial travellers converging on the city by emailing billeting@editors.ca.
Registration for the conference will open in February and it is limited—only 150 tickets!
Suzanne Bowness and Maylon Gardner
Editors Canada conference co-chairs for 2023
3. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
GOAL: Add work experience and achievements to your resumé
Want to stand above other contenders? Consider volunteering for Editors Canada. Volunteering has many benefits for the association, and it can be beneficial to your career as well. Engaged members and affiliates work with influential members of the publishing and communication industries, learn new skills (at any experience level), expand their portfolios and enhance their career options.
Looking for volunteer opportunities?
Check out VolunteerConnect, our resource for matching volunteers to tasks. If you want to volunteer for Editors Canada, you can use this searchable tool to
- find opportunities of interest to you, or
- list yourself as a potential volunteer.
Listing yourself as a volunteer will showcase your skills, identify skills you would like to learn and provide other relevant information to people searching for volunteers.
4. GET NOTICED: Stand out from the crowd
GOAL: Get certified
Make 2023 the year you join the ranks of editors certified by our landmark professional certification program. Certified editors benefit from official recognition of their high level of knowledge and skill, and a marketing advantage.
Visit the Professional Certification section of our website for more information on preparing for the exams.
GOAL: Get your Editors Canada Editing Essentials qualification
Are you a recent graduate or new editor ready to launch your editing career? Wondering how to let employers know you’ve got what it takes?
Editors Canada Editing Essentials is a test to assess knowledge of the basics of editing and to provide a qualification for entry-level editors.
Unlike Editors Canada Professional Certification, which recognizes highly experienced editors who are already the masters of their craft, Editing Essentials is intended for editors at the beginning of their careers.
Editing Essentials is a timed, multiple-choice test that’s offered online. Take the test anywhere, anytime. There are no membership, education or experience prerequisites.
Pass the Editing Essentials test and you’ll receive an official letter from Editors Canada confirming you’ve earned the Editors Canada Editing Essentials qualification. It’s that simple!
Learn more about Editing Essentials, including how to take the test now.
GOAL: Get a national byline
Are you looking for a byline on a national platform and published pieces for your portfolio?
The Editors’ Weekly, the official blog of Editors Canada, has room for new authors. Blog articles are typically 300 to 500 words, but they can be longer or shorter. We welcome one-off opinions, mini-series or regular (monthly or bimonthly) series. If you have your own blog you can cross-post to it, and you can link to your own website and Twitter accounts. You do the writing, and Editors Canada will do the promoting through its social media channels.
Interested? Submit your proposal to the blog’s managing editor.
GOAL: Tell the world about your accomplishments
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.
What have our accomplished members and student affiliates been up to lately?
Iva Cheung, Editors British Columbia member and previous recipient of the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence, the President’s Award for Volunteer Service and Karen Virag Award, has compiled her 10-year archive of monthly cartoons about editing and publishing in a print book, available in hardcover and paperback. Visit Iva’s website to learn more. One dollar from each book sold will go to the Indigenous Editors Association.
Editors Toronto member Tania Pattison recently published Reflect, a textbook for advanced learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Reflect is published by National Geographic Learning for its six-level Reflect series in reading and writing. Tania is currently writing more material for National Geographic.
Editors Ottawa-Gatineau member Virginia St-Denis was promoted to interim editor-in-chief at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) on December 21. She has been CCSA’s associate editor since July 2021, updating their style guidelines, including revamped sections on plain language and accessibility.
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.
GOAL: Be nominated for an Editors Canada award
Each year, Editors Canada presents several awards recognizing excellence in editing and service to the organization.
Karen Virag Award
We are now accepting nominations for the 2023 Karen Virag Award. This award was created in memory of long-time association member Karen Virag, and her 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. The recipient will receive a cash award of $400.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 24. Visit the Karen Virag Award page for more information.
Claudette Upton Scholarship
The applications period for the 2023 Claudette Upton Scholarship is now open. This annual national award of $1,000 recognizes a promising student affiliate from Editors Canada.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday, April 6. If you’re a student affiliate, or if you know someone who should be, visit the Claudette Upton Scholarship page for more information.
Equity Fellowship
We are now accepting applications for the 2023 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+, neurodiverse 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 Thursday, April 6. For complete application instructions and other information about the fellowship, visit the Equity Fellowship page.
President’s Award for Volunteer Service
The President’s Award recognizes outstanding service by member and affiliate volunteers to the organization, at the branch, twig or national level. 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. Nominations open soon. Visit the President’s Award page for more information.
GOAL: Get your own Editors Canada logo
Want to promote yourself as a member or affiliate of the association? Download the Editors Canada member logo or student affiliate logo for your website, business card and other promotional material.
5. GET HIRED: Find work in 2023
GOAL: Use Editors Canada’s services and learn how to use them well
Looking for work? Editors Canada offers members and affiliates a number of services that can help with your job search.
Online Directory of Editors (ODE)
The ODE is one of the most popular services Editors Canada offers. A listing in the ODE is a benefit available only to Editors Canada members for an annual fee of $80. Many members with an ODE listing generate enough income from their listing to pay for their membership and the listing itself many times over. Learn more about listing in the ODE.
Write a profile that gets noticed
What’s the secret to writing an online profile that attracts clients? Watch our free webinar Getting work with the Online Directory of Editors on YouTube now.
Tell the world about findaneditor.ca
Telling clients and employers about the ODE is a cinch thanks to our snappy URL. If you know someone who’s looking for an editor, send them to findaneditor.ca.
National Job Board
The National Job Board is where you’ll find notices of full-time, part-time, contract and freelance opportunities.
Posting on the National Job Board is free!
If you know someone who’s hiring an editor, invite them to post their job ad on our National Job Board and reach editors across Canada. It’s free!
Networking
Networking is one of the greatest benefits of membership. Editors will often subcontract work to or recommend a colleague if they can’t take a job. Get involved in the association and get to know your fellow members: attend online meetings, volunteer, and sign up for the association Facebook groups. The bigger your network, the better your chances of finding job opportunities.
GOAL: Get more resources for in-house editors
Don’t forget, networking isn’t just for freelancers. In-house editors need to network to stay on top of their game, too. Learn more about Editors Canada benefits for in-house editors.
And be sure to check out The Editors’ Weekly for features about in-house editing.
GOAL: Become a Peerwith expert
If you edit any kind of scholarly text—health sciences and medicine, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities, earth and planetary sciences—there are researchers around the world looking for experts like you. A partnership agreement between Editors Canada and Peerwith.Expert will make it easier for them to find you.
6. SAVE MONEY: Take advantage of Editors Canada discounts
Did you know belonging to Editors Canada gives you access to discounts on many of the resources editors use most? And some are even free!
GOAL: Explore the history of the English language at no charge
NEW! In case you missed it, The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Online is now free for Editors Canada members and student affiliates.
A personal subscription to the OED Online costs US$100/year, but you can now access it free of charge via the Editors Canada website.
The OED is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history and pronunciation of more than 600,000 words, past and present, from across the English-speaking world.
Ready to start using this renowned resource? All you need is your editors.ca member login. Visit the members’ area to start using the OED Online for free now.
GOAL: Access over 500 Oxford titles for free
The Oxford Reference Online Premium Collection is also free for members and student affiliates.
Oxford Reference Online is one of the world’s most trusted reference products, featuring the contents of Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias.
Visit the members’ area to access over 500 Oxford titles for free through editors.ca.
GOAL: Get popular resources from The Canadian Press at no additional charge
NEW! The Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps and Spelling are now free for Editors Canada members and student affiliates.
An individual subscription to the Canadian Press (CP) Online Stylebook and Caps and Spelling Bundle costs $76.50/year, but you can now access it free of charge via the Editors Canada website.
All the advice on writing, editing and commonly misspelled words in the print editions of The Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps and Spelling are available as a web-based, fully searchable version.
Visit the members’ area to start using the Online Stylebook and Caps and Spelling for free now.
GOAL: Stop paying for that CMOS subscription because you get it free with your membership
We’re proud to offer The Chicago Manual of Style Online (CMOS Online) as a free benefit of membership. CMOS Online features the 17th and 16th editions 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 members’ area to start using CMOS Online now.
GOAL: Save money on products, services and training opportunities
Looking for savings on products like PerfectIt, University of Chicago Press titles, scholarly journals and registration for partner conferences? Editors Canada is pleased to offer many great discounts to members and affiliates.
Visit the members’ area to take advantage of these discounts.
7. PROTECT YOURSELF: Affordable insurance and free mediation support for Editors Canada members
GOAL: Protect your business
Did you know that Editors Canada members have access to affordable professional liability through APOLLO Insurance? Through APOLLO, you will have access to the best rates for your business insurance, including coverage for:
- Errors and Omissions (E&O) up to $2 million
- Privacy Breach up to $2 million
- Optional Commercial General Liability (CGL) up to $5 million
- Contents coverage up to $100,000
- Free legal advice
Download the product flyer to learn more.
Purchase your business policy today through our easy-to-use online platform and get coverage in minutes. It’s professional liability insurance made effortless!
Visit APOLLO’s site for Editors Canada members to get a free custom quote.
This product is available in all Canadian provinces and territories, except Quebec. Editors Canada will continue to look for a product for members in Quebec.
GOAL: Resolve conflicts
Are you having a conflict with a client over your services? Experiencing difficulty resolving a dispute with another member?
Free mediation support is available to members of Editors Canada and their clients who wish to resolve an issue with the help of a neutral third-party mediator. Free coaching support is also available for Editors Canada members who simply wish to discuss how best to move forward to resolve the situation on their own.
Please email Jane Kidner, certified mediator and coach, to schedule a time to chat by phone.
8. BOOKMARK IT: Find Editors Canada benefits and services in one place
GOAL: Remember where to find all these benefits and services
Your Editors Canada membership comes with so many benefits that it can be difficult to keep track. Fortunately, we have resources that organize our benefits and services in useful ways to help you get all the info you’re looking for quickly.
Welcome Kit
The Welcome Kit is available for download.
The Welcome Kit provides a brief overview of our services and resources, with links to the relevant pages on our website. It is a useful guide for existing members as well, and can be used as a quick reference for information on the website.
Pathways to Success with Editors Canada
Once you’ve plotted yourself on our bilingual Pathways to Success infographic, you’ll see what Editors Canada benefits and services are available at your career level so you can continue on the path to the next level.
Download Pathways to Success now.
9. NATIONAL OFFICE: Thank you, Caitlin!
We’re sorry to let you know that our wonderful training and development manager, Caitlin Stewart, has submitted her resignation to Editors Canada. Her last day will be Friday, February 10. The national office search for a new training and development manager is underway.
Caitlin has been part of the national office team since March 2016 and, as anyone who has connected with Caitlin knows, she’s an absolute pleasure to work with. She has also played a pivotal role in organizing Editors Canada’s national conference, our renowned webinars program, and so many other projects and tasks that keep our association running smoothly.
We’re sad to see her go, but we’re grateful for everything she has done for us for nearly seven years. Please join us in saying “Thank you, Caitlin! Best wishes in your future endeavours.”
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
I hope that you all had a happy and restful holiday season and that the new year is off to a strong start!
January is a time of year when many people are energized and motivated to set goals for the year. If your goals for 2023 include volunteering, engaging with editing peers and colleagues, and pursuing professional development, I would encourage you to consider volunteering for Editors Canada in whatever capacity fits your schedule. It is because of our dedicated volunteers that Editors Canada is able to offer so many fantastic services to its members.
The NEC met for its first meeting of 2023 on Sunday, January 29. The next NEC meeting will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2023.
Other important dates in 2023 include the following:
- Editors Canada Conference 2023: June 17–18, 2023
- Editors Canada annual general meeting: Saturday, June 24, 2023
More information for each of these events will be sent out in the near future.
I look forward to another exciting, productive year at Editors Canada.
I wish you all a wonderful 2023!
Maria Frank
President
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.