National e-news update, July 29, 2021

Date Posted: Wednesday July 28, 2021 News type: Members-only news , National e-news update

News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada

In this issue:

1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada
2. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
3. CONGRÈS DES LANGAGIERS ET LANGAGIÈRES : réservez votre place
4. EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Task force wrap-up
5. PUBLICATIONS: Edit Like a Pro: Proofreading now available
6. STUDENT RELATIONS: New Facebook series
7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
8. PARTNER CONFERENCE: Registration for CIEP 2021 is now open
9. NEC: Notes from your national executive council

1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada

A grey laptop with the Editors Canada on the screen alongside an open book with a red ribbon bookmark.

Are you looking for training opportunities online? Check out our upcoming webinars.

Don’t forget: Editors Canada members and student affiliates register at discounted rates.

Upcoming webinars

Catch up on demand: Webinar recordings are available

Did you miss an Editors Canada webinar? Many of our webinars have been recorded and are now available for purchase (and some are even free).

Recently added

When you buy a webinar recording, you’ll receive a video file to watch at your leisure on your computer or mobile device. The file is yours to keep, so you can watch it again and again.

Visit our webinar recordings page to see what’s available now. We’re adding new recordings regularly, so be sure to check often.

The word "Canada" with the Canadian flag over the last "a."

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

2. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved

Join the webinars team

The training and development committee is looking for volunteers to support Editors Canada’s webinars program. We’re looking for volunteer webinar hosts—training will be provided.

Some of the benefits of becoming a webinar host include

  • acquiring a very specialized and useful new skill;
  • attending the webinar for free and receiving a recording and any supplementary materials, as well as a modest honorarium; and
  • helping the association, the instructor, and your fellow members in a very critical and meaningful way.

Want to help publicize our stellar webinars program? We’re also looking for snappy writers with social media savvy to create promotional copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more information, please email training@editors.ca.

The Editors’ Weekly is looking for a French editor

The Editors’ Weekly is pleased to welcome Laura Bontje as the new proofreader/social media contributor for the blog. Many thanks to Adrineh Der-Boghossian who held the position this past year; in addition to her weekly contributions, Adrineh delivered upgrades such as a new style guide and enhanced tagging.

We continue to search for a French editor for the blog. Contact Lucy Payette if interested.

3. CONGRÈS DES LANGAGIERS ET LANGAGIÈRES : réservez votre place

Registration is now open! Reserve your spot for the second Congrès des langagiers et langagières. The theme is « Une langue en constante (r)évolution », and the conference will once again be held entirely in French. It’s all happening online on November 6, 2021. 

A dozen experienced and knowledgeable presenters will be leading a variety of sessions and roundtable discussions. Join us for a day of learning about the linguistic, social and technological trends that are transforming written communication. We’ll begin with a roundtable debating the role of language professionals during this time of change. This discussion will be followed by six workshops of your choice, and a keynote presentation will close the conference on a high note. A quiz will then test participants’ knowledge and give then a chance to win a prize.

Keep up to date with all congrès-related information by subscribing to our Facebook group (in French only).

To find out about the program schedule or to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3wsdgAQ. The early bird rate ends on September 24, 2021, so don’t miss out!

Please note that while everyone is welcome to attend the Congrès des langagiers et langagières, the event will be held entirely in French.

4. EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: Task force wrap-up

In 2020, the national executive council (NEC) struck an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) task force. Over the last year, the task force has accomplished a number of EDI-related tasks, including

In June, the task force sent the NEC its final recommendations for concrete and ongoing ways in which to implement the Statement of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion that members ratified in 2019.

Recommendations from the task force are as follows:

  1. Diversify the NEC.
  2. Create partnerships with organizations that promote diversity in publishing/editing.
  3. Prioritize creating an equitable and accessible website and Online Directory of Editors.
  4. Increase EDI-related webinar offerings.
  5. Offer anti-racism/anti-oppression/unconscious bias training to people in leadership roles.
  6. Support EDI-related activities at the branch and twig level.
  7. When issuing statements of solidarity, for example on Indigenous solidarity, follow up with concrete action to demonstrate commitment to equity.
  8. Ensure the accessibility of all Editors Canada events with consultation from disablity, neurodiverse, and/or chronically ill communities.
  9. Ensure accessibility for non-English speakers.

After this letter is accepted and any questions or ensuing conversations are addressed, the task force will dissolve.

5. PUBLICATIONS: Edit Like a Pro: Proofreading now available

Cover of Edit Like a Pro, Third Edition by the Editors' Association of Canada

Our newest publication, Edit Like a Pro: Proofreading, is now available for purchase on the association website!

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.

Each book will contain exercises based on realistic scenarios, with sample answers and detailed commentary focusing on one type of editing—structural editing, stylistic editing, copy editing or proofreading—as described in Editors Canada’s Professional Editorial Standards.

6. STUDENT RELATIONS: New Facebook series

The student relations committee has recently launched a Facebook series to share tips and recommendations on how to build a successful accountability or mastermind group. Topics include defining the purpose of your group, identifying what is required of group members, selecting members and more.

Are you a student affiliate who wants to connect with like-minded colleagues to start a group of your own? Learn more in the Editors Canada Student Affiliates Facebook group.

7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!

In May 2021, Gael Spivak (Editors Ottawa–Gatineau) gave a presentation at the Access for All plain language conference. She spoke about the work of the localization and implementation committee, which she chairs on behalf of the International Plain Language Federation. This committee is helping countries around the world to plan for adopting and localizing the ISO plain language standard after it is published in the fall.

The Federation has links to Gael’s May presentation, as well as others given on the standard in October 2020.

Editors Canada Member News is where we share information about members and affiliates who win awards, publish books and make their marks 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.

8. PARTNER CONFERENCE: Registration for 2021 CIEP is now open

Registration for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s 2021 conference is now open. The conference will be held online via Zoom webinars September 11–14, 2021.

The conference will feature informative and entertaining sessions on a variety of subjects, including developing a marketing mindset, using Word styles, career development for freelancers and how to be a LinkedIn leader. There will also be opportunities to socialize and network, including a quiz.

Editors Canada members receive a 20% discount on CIEP’s non-member rates to attend the conference. To register, visit the 2021 CIEP website, select “Editors Canada Member” from the dropdown list and then “Book now.”

Please note that CIEP’s terms and conditions, including the refund policy, will apply to any Editors Canada member.

9. NEC: Notes from your national executive council

The NEC met on Sunday, June 27. Here is an overview of some of the things that were discussed:

  • The incoming directors attended the meeting as observers and were able to ask questions, but not vote. There was an orientation for the new directors in early July.
  • The Editors Canada conference, which took place on June 12 and 13, was a success, with 306 registered attendees. A preliminary look at the budget shows that the conference made well over its intended revenue target.
  • The proofreading volume of Edit Like a Pro (ELAP) is ready to be sold. The ELAP subcommittee is next turning its attention to the structural editing volume.
  • The NEC voted to approve all the incoming committee chairs and co-chairs. Thank you to everyone who volunteered or continues to volunteer.

Once the new directors are in place, we will decide on NEC meeting dates for September to December 2021.

Finally, I’d like to recognize the outgoing NEC directors and thank them for all the time and knowledge they have shared with Editors Canada. They deserve a huge round of applause: Gael Spivak, Michelle Waitzman, Caitlin Coote, Berna Ozunal, Anne Brennan, Greg Ioannou and Patricia MacDonald.

Heather Buzila
President

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

To top