News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. CONFERENCE: Registration is now open
2. PARL: Congratulations to Editors Canada’s first réviseurs agréés
3. CLAUDETTE UPTON SCHOLARSHIP: $1,000 award for a promising student editor
4. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Chrissie Mains
5. CERTIFICATION: Spotlight on the structural editing test
6. GET INVOLVED: Help us develop an award for francophone editors
7. FIND WORK: The National Job Board has moved
8. MEMBER NEWS: Promote yourself
9. ACTIVE VOICE: Print or digital edition? It’s your choice!
10. EXTERNAL LIAISON: Your invitation to participate in the SfEP conference
11. PRESIDENT’S AWARD: Recognizing Editors Canada’s stellar volunteers
12. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. CONFERENCE: Registration is now open
Registration is now open for the Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada) 2016 national conference. We are pleased to share new information on the conference website to help you plan your visit, including session descriptions and speaker bios, the preliminary schedule, and more. Take advantage of the early-bird rates and register today!
Billeting
Interested in attending the national conference in Vancouver but worried about the cost of accommodation? Worry no more! Beds for Eds is putting out the call for billetees and billeters for accommodations during the conference in June. Billeting with a local editor is a great way to stay in Vancouver at no cost, and you get to make a new edi-buddy! Please contact billeting coordinator Arlene Prunkl if you need accommodation, or if you are willing to host an editor. We’re also matching editors who are looking to share a hotel room.
Speed mentoring
Here’s another good reason to attend the conference: the ever-popular speed mentoring returns! If you’re an editor who would like advice from the pros, or if you’re an experienced editor who would like to share tips with others, this series of quick one-on-one mentoring conversations is for you. Contact speed mentoring coordinator Frances Peck for more information.
2. PARL: Congratulations to Editors Canada’s first réviseurs agréés
Félicitations! Bravo! Encore félicitations!
More than 50 people have become the first réviseurs agréés or réviseures agréées after passing the examen d’agrément général of our new Programme d’agrément en révision linguistique – Réviseurs Canada (PARL). In the coming days Editors Canada will issue an official news release announcing the names of these editing professionals who have taken a historic step— a step that will no doubt allow them to advance their careers and be recognized for their work.
The Comité Agrément/Principes thanks all of the candidates who took part in the first test administration. The committee is now developing the examen d’agrément en révision comparative, which will be administered in the fall of 2016.
For more information, visit the PARL website.
3. CLAUDETTE UPTON SCHOLARSHIP: $1,000 award for a promising student editor
Calling all Editors Canada student affiliates! The application deadline for the Claudette Upton Scholarship is fast approaching.
This is a $1,000 scholarship to help support continuing professional development in editing. The recipient is encouraged to use the prize to attend our national conference, purchase Editors Canada publications or attend association seminars. The recipient will be acknowledged at the banquet of the Editors Canada conference in Vancouver on June 11, 2016.
How to apply
Visit the Claudette Upton Scholarship page for this year’s essay topic and other application requirements. Application packages must reach the national office by April 4, 2016.
Spreading the word
If you know a student who is not an affiliate of Editors Canada and who would be interested in this opportunity, please pass along this message and encourage them to join us. We have significantly reduced the annual fee for students to join Editors Canada. Our student affiliate rate is now just $50.
4. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Chrissie Mains
Chrissie Mains has been a member of Editors Canada for two years, and she joined the Calgary twig at its inception in February 2015. As one of Editors Calgary’s coordinators, she helps oversee twig activities and shares social media responsibilities—she currently looks after the Gmail list and the blog. Last fall she proposed a workshop on style sheets and looks forward to being involved in future workshops. Chrissie views her volunteer experiences as a way to build a community for editors. “We talk about becoming a part of something when we join a group,” she says. “But it’s volunteering that makes that really true.”
Chrissie began her editing career as an editorial assistant for a campus research group. She worked as a fiction editor for a while and then focused on teaching, which included essay writing instruction. She’s recently returned to fiction and academic editing and plans to start her own business this year. Like many editors, Chrissie enjoys how editing allows her to look at both the writer’s ideas and small details like punctuation.
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.
5. CERTIFICATION: Spotlight on the structural editing test
Are you the type of editor whose forte is the content, organization and presentation of an entire text? Make this the year you earn your certification in structural editing. The test will be offered on November 19, 2016, in locations across Canada.
Editors Canada’s structural editing test assesses your mastery of the Professional Editorial Standards, B1–12, as well as your fundamental knowledge of editing (standards A1–12). These essential skills apply to editing all types of text, from books and magazines to corporate and government writing.
Try a sample question
Which of the following is not a structural editing task?
(a) Recasting descriptive material into a table or diagram
(b) Removing digressions and repetition
(c) Establishing a consistent tone and level of formality
(d) Identifying quotations that will require permissions
The Substantive Editing seminar can help you prepare
The association’s professional development seminars offer you an ideal opportunity to prepare for the certification exams, and Editors Toronto is hosting a Substantive Editing seminar on April 9, 2016. It outlines the basic steps in substantive editing, gives you tips on ways to win writers’ and clients’ confidence, and provides realistic class exercises. Visit the seminars page to register and to see the other offerings in your area.
6. GET INVOLVED: Help us develop an award for francophone editors
Editors Canada is committed to recognizing excellence in editing and outstanding contributions to the editing community in Canada. Our national awards are just one of the ways we celebrate excellence in and dedication to our profession. We want to ensure the awards we offer are representative of our association. That’s why our awards committee is looking into creating an award for francophone editors. If you’re interested in joining us to develop this new award, contact committee chair Tamra Ross.
7. FIND WORK: The National Job Board has moved
The software we are using for the National Job Board has reached the end of its life and is no longer being supported. We will of course continue to share job leads with our members. Here are your three options for finding out about job postings from across the country.
- Visit the new job board in the Members’ Area of the association website here: www.editors.ca/jobboard. Please update your bookmarks and be sure to visit often.*
- Like Editors/Réviseurs Canada on Facebook.
- Follow @editorscanada on Twitter.
*You must be logged into the Members’ Area of the association website to access the new job board (visit www.editors.ca/user/password if you have trouble logging in). The good news is you will no longer need to use a separate username and password just to access board. As long as you’re logged into the Members’ Area, you can reach the job board at the National Job Board.
A new website is on the way!
As you know, we are building a new association website and National Job Board. Stay tuned for updates about our progress on our new home online. While we upgrade, email notifications from the job board are temporarily suspended.
8. MEMBER NEWS: Promote yourself
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.
9. ACTIVE VOICE: Print or digital edition? It’s your choice!
Have you thought about opting out of the print edition of our national magazine, Active Voice? Choosing digital helps to save environmental and financial resources. Contact Grace Xing at the national office if you’d like to opt out.
10. EXTERNAL LIAISON: Your invitation to participate in the SfEP conference
Booking is now open for the 27th annual SfEP conference, “Let’s talk about text,” at Aston University, Birmingham, September 10–12, 2016. The SfEP is pleased to invite Editors Canada members to attend the conference at a special discounted rate.
Highlights include Susan Greenberg, author of Editors Talk about Editing, as Whitcombe lecturer; workshops and seminars on a range of topics, from using macros to analyze text to development editing; and “speed” and “live” sessions, including speed mentoring and a live critique by the author, editor and director of the National Academy of Writing Richard Beard.
Editors Canada members are eligible for a £50 discount on the resident non-member rate of £510, or a £20 discount on the non-resident non-member rate of £205 (per day). If you book and pay in full by April 22, 2016, you will also receive the early-bird discount of £40 or £12 respectively. To find out more, go to the SfEP conference website, where you will find the provisional program, pre-booking information and other useful links.
Editors Canada discount codes
eaccvhmr16 (£50 discount on the resident non-member rate of £510)
eaccvhmnr16 (£20 discount on the non-resident non-member rate of £205)
11. PRESIDENT’S AWARD: Recognizing Editors Canada’s stellar volunteers
The Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada) does some pretty amazing things. From literally setting the standards for editing in Canada to blazing the trail in our profession with Editors Canada certification and Programme d’agrément en révision linguistique – Réviseurs Canada (PARL), we accomplish so much. And it’s thanks in large part to our dedicated volunteers.
Among other things, we publish books, a blog, a magazine and newsletters on editing, and host an annual conference. From chairing committees to staffing registration desks, our volunteers keep things running from start to finish.
The Editors Canada President’s Award for Volunteer Service is one way we thank our volunteers for keeping this organization functioning. We’re really proud that volunteers drive this association—many of the services we provide exist because our volunteers pitch in to do the work.
We’re now accepting nominations for the President’s Award. From the nominations received, one outstanding volunteer will receive the Lee d’Anjou Volunteer of the Year Award.
Any member or affiliate of the association can be nominated for the award. To nominate someone for the President’s Award, send a letter (100 to 300 words) describing the candidate’s volunteer service. The letter must be signed by at least three Editors Canada members or affiliates (an acceptable substitute is an email with every nominating member copied on it). For complete guidelines, please visit the President’s Award page.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 8.
Send your nominations to president@editors.ca (subject line: Nomination: President’s Award for Volunteer Service), or mail or fax them to
Editors Canada
President’s Award for Volunteer Service
505–27 Carlton St.
Toronto, ON M5B 1L2
Fax: 416 975-1637
12. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
The national executive council (NEC) is gearing up for its next quarterly meeting, which will take place in Toronto on April 9–10. We are looking forward to connecting with local members on Friday evening (for drinks) and Saturday evening (for dinner).
Here are some of the items that are on our to-do list these days:
- Collecting input on the draft strategic plan for 2017–21
- Putting together the 2015 annual report
- Working with members of Editors Prairie Provinces on future directions (the branch has been on hiatus since 2014)
- Revising the Consultation Policy and Confidentiality Policy based on member feedback
- Planning spring webinars
- Keeping in touch with branches and twigs
- Dreaming of the June conference in Vancouver!
It will soon be time to think about nominations for 2016–17 for the NEC and Editors Canada’s many committees. Think about putting your name forward in a leadership role. You’ll expand your network, develop new skills and have some fun!
Answer
(c) Establishing a consistent tone and level of formality
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.