News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
- WEBINARS: Train to stay on the cutting edge of your craft
- RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT: Submit a nomination for one of Editors Canada’s national awards
- PARTNER DISCOUNT: Toronto Indie Author Conference
- CONNECT: Editors Canada Google Groups
- MEMBER SERVICES: Committee update
- MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS: Moving to Bluesky
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Editing Essentials
- BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
- MEMBER NEWS: Tell the world about your accomplishment!
- NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. WEBINARS: Train to stay on the cutting edge of your craft
The editing field is always evolving, and training with Editors Canada can help you stay on top of industry developments and keep your skills sharp. Don’t miss our upcoming webinars:
- April 2: Managing “Squirrel” Edits: Avoid Losing Your Way Chasing Global Edits (Claire Fossey)
- April 10: Peeking Through Your Fingers: An Introduction to Editing Horror (Molly Cernik)
- April 15: From Chaos to Control: Streamlining Your Editing Agency Operations (Erin Brenner)
- April 17: Academic Research Grants: Understanding the Peer Reviewers’ Perspective (Letitia Henville)
- April 23: Arc of Life: Narrative Arc in Creative Nonfiction (Lynne Melcombe)
- May 13 (free webinar): Bon en français, bon en révision ? Oui, mais… de la bonne façon ! (Valérie Myriam Manseau)
See more on our webinars page!
Plus, at SFU, build your skills while you work
Fully online courses offer a convenient way to fit upskilling into your schedule. Our friends at Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies offer a number of flexibly paced courses for communication professionals. Check out what’s coming up this spring:
- Plain Language Principles
- Technical Writing and Editing
- Document Design and Production for Editors
- Stylistic Editing
- Media Relations
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. PARTNER DISCOUNT: Toronto Indie Author Conference
Editors Canada members receive $20 off a full weekend ticket for the Toronto Indie Author Conference (TIAC).
Date: April 26 to 27, 2025
Location: Beeton Hall, Toronto Reference Library
About TIAC
Empower yourself with Canadian-specific education, expert speakers and invaluable networking. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, gain the tools and insights to succeed in indie publishing. Don’t miss this must-attend event for Canadian authors!
Get the discount
Visit the member services section of the website to get the discount code.
4. CONNECT: Editors Canada Google Groups
Are you looking for a way to connect with Editors Canada members and student affiliates? Our dedicated Google Groups are exclusive spaces where anyone who belongs to the association can participate in courteous and respectful discussion by email, a web interface, or both.
We’re pleased to offer three Google Groups.
- Editors Canada Forum
- Food Editors
- Forum francophone de Réviseurs Canada
Visit the Editors Canada Google Groups page to learn more about each forum and to join today.
5. MEMBER SERVICES: Committee update
The member services committee has worked diligently on a review of the Welcome Kit to make it more useful for new and returning members. We’re now ready to submit a first draft to the national executive council (NEC).
The committee is also at the testing stage for our Editors Canada purpose-built Discord server as a method for virtual connection, including networking, resources and support, and all manner of social engagement you could expect in an office. Yes, there will be pets.
Finally, we’d like to revive the concept of a Social and endeavour to bring interesting, integrative events to members, both virtually and in-person.
For more information about these projects or to get involved, contact the chair of the member services committee.
6. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS: Moving to Bluesky
Editors Canada is moving from X to Bluesky! This shift of social media platforms will be done over the next several months and will contain a few steps. They include:
- merging the Professional Editing Standards X account into the national Editors Canada X account;
- activating the Editors Canada Bluesky account; and
- guiding our followers from X to Bluesky with regular and engaging content (our usual jam).
By August 2025, we’ll have moved the conversation fully onto Bluesky, but our X account will remain inactive, as a static archive.
Fun facts: there are several benefits for you, the user, in this move.
- Bluesky has more transparent content moderation, with decentralized tools.
- Bluesky is a safer, user-controlled environment, meaning you can build your feed the way you want.
- Overall, Bluesky is a more transparent platform built on open-source protocols so you can more easily see the how and why while interacting with it.
We’re excited for this next step in nurturing our online community with you!
If you have questions, reach out to marketing and communications committee chair Sarah Higgins.
7. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Editing Essentials
New to the editing profession? Looking to stand out from the crowd?
Check out the Editing Essentials test offered by Editors Canada!
The Editing Essentials test is a great way to boost your confidence and demonstrate to others that you’ve got what it takes to work as an editor. Based on a selection of standards from the 2016 edition of Professional Editorial Standards, the test evaluates basic competence in:
- structural editing,
- stylistic editing,
- copy editing, and
- proofreading.
The hour-long, 45-question multiple choice test is offered online and can be taken anywhere, anytime! Results are available as soon as you complete the test, and you need a score of at least 75% to pass.
The cost is $75 for Editors Canada members and $100 for non-members.
Visit the Editors Canada Editing Essentials page for more information.
8. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
L’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs, à la recherche de nouveaux sujets
Avez-vous une idée, une connaissance que vous souhaitez partager avec les lecteurs francophones et francophiles, je vous invite à participer à notre blogue l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs, afin de nous en faire bénéficier. Veuillez communiquer votre intérêt avec Gaby Balan, la rédactrice en chef du blogue.
Looking for more volunteer opportunities?
If you want to volunteer for Editors Canada, check out VolunteerConnect, our resource for matching volunteers to tasks. You can use this searchable tool to
- find opportunities of interest to you, and
- list yourself as a potential volunteer.
Volunteering lets you give back to your organization, but you also receive so much in return: experience, skills, contacts, friendships and a wonderful sense of accomplishment. For more information about volunteering in Editors Canada, email the chair of the volunteer management committee.
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 February NEC meeting covered a range of topics including project updates, staying relevant on various social media platforms, strategic planning, and awards and scholarship procedures. The next NEC meeting is scheduled for April 27, 2025, and a summary will be provided in the May e-news update.
As we enter spring, the NEC will be busy reviewing the Strategic Plan and preparing for a final member consultation before we finalize the plan and enter the implementation phase. Please stay tuned for more information on when this consultation phase will take place. We look forward to hearing for you, our valued members. If you would like to join the NEC, we are still looking for a director of volunteer relations so please get in touch if you want to help make a difference!
The President’s Award is open for nominations so please be sure to send in your nominations for deserving volunteers. Award information and the nomination procedure can be found on the Editors Canada website.
Kaitlin Littlechild
President
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.