News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. CONFERENCE 2016: A Correction Connection wraps in Vancouver
2. AGM: Minutes and summary coming soon
3. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Tom Vradenburg
4. CERTIFICATION: Your questions answered
5. MEMBER SERVICES: Exit survey and request for feedback
6. PARTNERSHIPS: Increased discounts for Editors Canada members
7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
8. KAREN VIRAG AWARD: Call for nominations has been extended
1. CONFERENCE 2016: A Correction Connection wraps in Vancouver
Earlier this month, Vancouver hosted the Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada) 2016 national conference. Over 250 people attended, merrily mingling, learning and sharing during the weekend. We’re told that’s more than any of our previous national conferences!
Keynote presentations from Mary Norris and Bill Walsh delighted and inspired us all, bookending a collection of sessions that ranged from copyright law to crowdfunding.
Here’s what we’ve heard to date:
“It was my first conference and it was amazing! So impressed.”
“Great sessions, especially the Great Apostrophe Debate. It was wonderful seeing people again, getting to know people better, and meeting new people.”
“#Editors2016 was magnificent, marvelous, and so much fun.”
“What a fantastic conference! Thank you for all the careful planning and sessions packed full of practical information. Thanks to everyone who warmly welcomed this first-time attendee.”
“I saw many, many smiling faces throughout the weekend as participants met new people and reconnected with old friends, learned new things, and enjoyed being in this beautiful city.”
Conference 2016 in pics
(Photos: Paul Cipywnyk)
For photos, photos, and more photos, visit the Flickr pages of our volunteer photographers: Paul Cipywnyk and Yannick Lepage. You can also search on Twitter—even if you don’t have an account—using the hashtags #Editors2016 and #Réviseurs2016. And the conversation continues on Facebook, so you can stay connected with editorial colleagues old and new alike.
Roundtables at the conference: minutes are available
The four roundtables at the conference were a great opportunity to meet and to share ideas. If you weren’t able to attend but would like notes from any of the roundtables, please email Margaret Shaw or Patricia MacDonald as follows:
- Roundtables for branch/twig leaders, Editors Prairie Provinces or remote members – Margaret
- Roundtable for in-house editors – Patricia
Thank you to everyone who attended, exhibited, volunteered, presented a session, or otherwise made the conference a success. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Editors Ottawa–Gatineau to host Conference 2017
Mark your calendars! Conference 2017 will take place June 9–11 at the Crowne Plaza Gatineau-Ottawa. Since 2017 marks Canada’s 150th birthday, the National Capital Region will be hopping. It’s the perfect setting for our fun-filled conference weekend. We look forward to seeing you there!
2. AGM: Minutes and summary coming soon
Our 2016 annual general meeting took place on Saturday, June 11. The national office will post the draft minutes of the meeting on the association website soon (members will vote on these minutes at the 2017 AGM). Editors Canada president Anne Louise Mahoney is drafting a note summarizing the main events of the meeting to share with members—watch for that in the next couple of weeks.
3. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Tom Vradenburg
Tom Vradenburg is being recognized for his years of active service with Editors Canada and for his work to revitalize Editors Ottawa–Gatineau. He joined the organization in 1993, selling books at branch meetings and seminars. He stayed because he enjoyed gaining experience with group decision-making, as well as helping fellow members develop as editors and leaders. While serving as chair of the Ottawa branch in the mid-nineties, Tom proposed to the national executive council (NEC) the idea of publishing the Directory of Editors as an online database. He found funding for the project through the Ottawa branch. As a result, the ODE exists today because of Tom’s innovative thinking and perseverance. Later, he helped in the push for the reform of membership policies, which were approved at the 2006 annual general meeting.
Tom returned as “temporary” chair a few years ago during a time when Editors Ottawa–Gatineau suffered from low member turnout at meetings and declining membership. He stabilized the executive, met with members of the NEC, and held town halls to consult with members. The consultations led to a shift to an earlier, more convenient meeting time and a shift in venue, which has yielded positive results. Tom has also doubled as program chair for the last year and a half. Today, the branch is starting to feel re-energized. The key reward, he says, is helping deliver good professional development for editors.
Tom has worked at Statistics Canada since 1995, doing copy editing for much of that time. He’s now running a small communications unit with IT, working on such projects as amassing content for a new intranet site and reconfiguring the architecture of an existing site. In his free time, Tom volunteers as an umpire for the local Little League organization, serving as a representative for the league and the game.
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.
4. CERTIFICATION: Your questions answered
Registration for this year’s proofreading and structural editing exams opens on Monday, July 25. Are you on the fence? You’re not alone. To help you decide, we’re opening the floor to your questions.
You asked us
Q: Do I have to pass all four tests before certification means something?
A: Depending on the work you do, one or two certifications may be just as beneficial as the full Certified Professional Editor credential. For example, if you work mostly as a copy editor, certification in structural editing may be of little value, unless you want to expand the kind of work you do. The goal of the program is not just to produce CPEs.
Q: How can exams be marked objectively?
A: The marking process is based on best practices for designing questions, preparing answer keys, and training markers. The markers consider a range of answers, and two people evaluate each completed test. If their assessments differ significantly, the exam is sent to a third marker. Finally, a marking analyst reviews all of the results.
Interested in learning more?
Contact the national office to arrange for a member of the certification steering committee to visit your branch or twig and answer your burning questions. You can also submit new questions to certification@editors.ca, and we’ll do our best to address them in future updates. Finally, the committee is hosting a free info session by webinar later this year. Stay tuned for the details.
5. MEMBER SERVICES: Exit survey and request for feedback
Editors Canada serves members from around the country as well as a few expats and international editors, and aims to provide the best services possible for all of its members. Currently, the member services committee is looking at ways to help new members become better acquainted with the benefits we offer, as well as ways to improve our services to student and in-house editors and to francophone members.
If you have any suggestions for improving our services, please contact Una Verdandi.
Additionally, the national office will begin distributing an exit survey to anyone who does not renew their membership. All responses will be kept anonymous and will be used to help us determine how we can better serve our members.
6. PARTNERSHIPS: Increased discounts for Editors Canada members
Editors Canada has a new partnership agreement in place.
The agreement is with Australia’s Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd).
- Editors Canada members can attend IPEd conferences at IPEd member prices and vice versa.
- Editors Canada members can buy IPEd online training at IPEd member prices (when this becomes available later this year) and vice versa.
Offering 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.
7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
Editors British Columbia member Nancy Flight is the editor of Tuco: The Parrot, the Others, and a Scattershot World by Brian Brett, which recently won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize. She also edited That Lonely Section of Hell: The Botched Investigation of a Serial Killer Who Almost Got Away by Lorimer Shenher, which was a finalist for the same award. Both were published by Greystone Books, of which Nancy is the associate publisher. For more information go to www.greystonebooks.com.
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.
8. KAREN VIRAG AWARD: Call for nominations has been extended
The call for nominations for the inaugural Karen Virag Award remains open, with an extended deadline date of Sunday, July 31.
The extension is in response to member concerns that the notification period for this new award was not long enough, and some interested nominees were unable to complete applications in time. See the Karen Virag Award for more information about how to nominate someone for this award, which recognizes efforts to raise the profile of editing.
Please help us spread the word about the award and the new deadline. Thank you!
Tamra Ross
Chair, Awards committee
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.