News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. WEBINAR RECORDINGS: Catch up on demand
2. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Test yourself!
3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Mentorship
4. FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Becky Noelle
5. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
6. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
7. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. WEBINAR RECORDINGS: Catch up on demand
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). 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.
2. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Test yourself!
Want to expand your skills? How about trying your hand at a little stylistic editing? Below you’ll find a sample of the kinds of questions included on the Stylistic Editing professional certification exam, currently still slated for November 2020.
Visit the Editors Canada Professional Certification page to learn more about this year’s exam, including the criteria for applying to write the exam remotely. Sadly, we won’t be able to offer our certification preparation session at the Editors Canada conference this year, but you can still watch our free informative webinar.
Sample stylistic editing question
The following excerpt is from “Sex and the Elderly,” which will become a pamphlet intended for students in a practical nursing program who will be working in retirement homes. You have been asked to do a stylistic edit.
Together and apart, aging men and women in the last decades of life face many common or gendered stereotypes concerning their expected sexual lifestyles. These kinds of stereotypes have led to misinterpretations of how the older generations view how they should take part or even if they should be involved in sexual activity. Men and women also face the traditional “definitions of physical and sexual attractiveness in our society, which are closely tied to youthful appearance” (Griffit, 1981, p. 312). This can cause either men or women to become unresponsive to their male or female partner. They may have a personal sense of unattractiveness and not feel their own appeal to themselves or the opposite (or same) sex.
What is the main stylistic problem with this excerpt?
a. inadequate documentation
b. inconsistent tone
c. poor organization
d. redundancy
More quizzes!
Psst…Can’t get enough of editing quizzes? Here are some more:
ACES
New York Times, “Copy Edit This!” series
ProProfs copy editing test
(Disclaimer: none of these are vetted by your certification steering committee, but if you’re a word nerd, you may enjoy them!)
3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Mentorship
The Editors Canada mentorship program now offers two levels of mentorship.
Level 1
- designed primarily for student affiliates and those who have a small, clearly defined topic they want to discuss
- 4–5 hours over one month
Level 2
- designed for a more in-depth mentoring experience
- 10–20 hours over two months
- can be extended up to 6 months
Visit the John Eerkes-Medrano Mentorship Program page for more details and to apply to be a mentor or a mentee.
Testimonials
“My first mentorship term was a wonderful experience! My mentor was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and inspiring. She tailored our conversations to my needs and was very generous when answering questions and recommending resources. Working with her over these last two months has given me many different perspectives on my editing career. Thank you so much to Editors Canada for making this possible.”
– Sarah Jefferies, PhD
“What a great opportunity to learn collegially and to benefit from the experience of a senior editor: we’re lucky to have a program like this. Thanks so much for this opportunity!”
– Claire Wilkshire
4. FEATURED VOLUNTEER: Becky Noelle
Little did Becky Noelle know when she became a student affiliate that she would soon be a vital Editors Canada volunteer. Becky joined Editors Canada in early 2019, seeking editorial connections and opportunities. In June she travelled from her hometown of Okotoks, Alberta, to the Halifax conference. There she met Robin Larin, student relations co-chair, and before she knew it, she had joined the team.
Since then Becky has assisted with the committee’s successful advocacy for student participation in Editors Canada’s mentorship program and the revival of the student affiliate Facebook group. She regularly contributes posts to help create “a space where student affiliates can connect and feel supported.” Currently she’s helping prepare “a larger scale information-sharing project for the Facebook group” and is excited to see how it turns out.
This past year Becky also completed her Professional Editing Certificate at Mount Royal University in Calgary and launched her own freelance editing business. With a background in elementary school teaching and a degree in science, Becky focuses on educational and academic editing. “I’ve really enjoyed helping students in the pursuit of their degrees,” she says.
Her love of teaching informs her work on the student relations committee, too. “I saw some areas for improvement, like how we organized and shared our files, so I started coaching others in how to access, share and use files in Google Drive.”
“Becky is meticulous, organized and team-focused—the ideal committee member,” says her nominator Robin Larin.
Amid her busy life, Becky puts aside time for travel and hiking. She loves the outdoors and encourages other editors to counter the often stationary and solitary work of editing by joining her in the #StetWalk movement. “You’ll feel connected,” says Becky. “Not just to nature, but to your fellow editors, too.”
S. Robin Larin
Volunteer of the Month program name changed to Featured Volunteer program
Volunteers are the backbone of the association and we are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed. In our efforts to continue to recognize our volunteers’ contributions throughout the year, we are changing the name of the program from Volunteer of the Month to Featured Volunteer. This allows us to highlight our volunteers right through the year, rather than just in a particular month. If you have someone in mind that you would like to recognize, please email the volunteer management committee.
5. BOOST YOUR RESUMÉ: Get involved
Insurance task force
The insurance task force is looking for a task force lead or co-leads to complete phase 2 of the task force mandate. The task force has researched various options and is now is poised to analyze the data and present it to the national executive council in a final report that includes recommendations for moving forward.
Contact Heather Ross for more information.
6. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
Editors Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph member Sue Archer self-published her debut novel, Fortune’s Shadow, on April 26. It’s a paranormal/urban fantasy that was edited by Editors Canada member Maggie Morris and proofread by member Jess Shulman. For more information please visit Sue’s website.
Editors Ottawa-Gatineau member Beverly Ensom is retiring from the House of Commons. After 12 years in a great workplace, editing interesting material and working some strange hours, she’s decided that her next chapter will include more volunteer work, sports and friends/family. But Beverly hasn’t retired from editing. She still has contracts with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information, plus other “regulars.”
Beverly served on the national executive council and Editors Ottawa–Gatineau executive, as well as volunteering with the certification steering committee and providing volunteer copy editing for Editors Canada documents.
Editors Toronto member Joanne Haskins edited a book that has won the gold medal in the UK’s Self-Publishing Review Book Awards. The book is The Woeful Wager from the new dark fantasy series “The Race to the Blackened Nevers” by Douglas Bain.
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.
7. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
One of the most common inquiries the national executive council (NEC) receives from members is about the status of the association’s rethink.
As a quick refresher, the invitation to “rethink” Editors Canada went out to members on May 1, 2019. This included a document of ideas written by one of our directors and an email address for members to submit comments. Suggested categories included standards, educating and evaluating editors, connecting editors with people who need editing, and building community. Member comments were compiled on a spreadsheet that is available for members to view at any time.
The engagement from members on the rethink has been outstanding and has resulted in many good ideas. The NEC spent the last year considering all input and prioritized the member comments based on how quickly they could be accomplished and began working to implement some suggestions.
We’ve made good headway in several areas, including achievements such as revising the mentorship program to allow for two levels of mentorship and creating a wider range of webinars that appeal to both non-editors and editors.
Moving forward, the directors will reevaluate the remaining tasks and reprioritize them so we can continue to carry out member suggestions.
Heather Buzila
President
Answer
d. redundancy
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.