News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. CONFERENCE: There’s still time to register for Editors 23 in Toronto
2. TRAIN ONLINE: Missed any of our recent webinars? It’s not too late!
3. PARTNERSHIPS: Editors Canada partners with the Indigenous Editors Association
4. MEMBER SERVICES: Discounts for Editors Canada members and student affiliates
5. AGM 2023: Call to meeting
6. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Jaime Miller
7. GET INVOLVED: Benefits of volunteering
8. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: A Solid Structure: Spotlight on the Structural Editing Certification Exam
9. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Mentorship
10. MEMBER NEWS: Tell the world about your accomplishment
11. SHOWCASE YOURSELF: Become a volunteer host on Editors Canada’s LinkedIn page
12. FACEBOOK GROUP: Keeping our info up to date
13. EXTERNAL LIAISON: Do you know the average salary for your position as a copy editor or writer?
14. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. CONFERENCE: There’s still time to register for Editors 23 in Toronto
Editors 23: Editors in Real Life is fast approaching! The conference takes place on June 17 and 18, 2023, at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Editors 23: Editors in Real Life is an in-person conference that follows local health and safety guidelines. Editors Canada is focused on hosting a safe and healthy conference and is adhering to all provincial health mandates, as well as providing sanitation stations outside of session halls and at group events. We will have hand sanitizer and masks for attendees.
Act fast because registration is strictly limited to 150 attendees.
Visit the conference website to register now!
For those who cannot attend in person, we will be uploading all sessions to PheedLoop after the conference. They will remain available for purchase for three months.
2. TRAIN ONLINE: Missed any of our recent webinars? It’s not too late!
If you missed any webinars from our winter/spring lineup, you’re in luck—they’re still available as recordings!
Are you interested in learning about editing art-based stories, like picture books or manga? Want to know more about creating a persuasive website for your business or making Microsoft Office documents accessible?
You can find the latest tips and tools for all of these topics in recent Editors Canada webinar recordings that are available for purchase (at 40% off for Editors Canada members and student affiliates) to watch at your leisure. And that’s just a sneak peek! Check out our webinars page for our full selection.
3. PARTNERSHIPS: Editors Canada partners with the Indigenous Editors Association
We’re pleased to announce Editors Canada has partnered with the Indigenous Editors Association (IEA)!
With this new partnership, members of Editors Canada can register for IEA webinars and online training courses and other mutually agreed training and development services at the same price as IEA supporters. In return, members of IEA can register for Editors Canada conferences, webinars and online training courses and other mutually agreed training and development services at the same price as Editors Canada members.
IEA discount instructions for Editors Canada members
Editors Canada members can visit the IEA website to find events.
To register, select the “EC Partner” category and use the registration code EC20230404.
About the IEA
The Indigenous Editors Association is a membership organization that was formed by Indigenous editors and publishing professionals in lands claimed by Canada as a mutual support network. We are here to carry out the vision of our early organizers and to create professional development and networking opportunities.
Our purpose is to:
- Strengthen relationships among Indigenous editors, storytellers, and publishing professionals;
- Create opportunities for training and professional development for Indigenous editors;
- Promote Indigenous editors in the publishing industry; and
- Create educational opportunities for the mainstream publishing industry to learn about working with Indigenous editors.
Indigenous stories and knowledge systems must be approached with Indigenous community-focused editing practices, employed with care by Indigenous editors. The IEA connects Indigenous people who work with stories with each other. In our diverse roles—as editors, proofreaders, knowledge keepers, Indigenous language and culture experts, designers, publishing professionals, and more—we will strategize, share, and learn together. We will take part in publishing and storytelling on our terms and with the needs of our communities in the centre of the circle. We hope to share our stories in a good way with each other and the world—the stories that created us and the ones that heal us.
4. MEMBER SERVICES: Discounts for Editors Canada members and student affiliates
Looking for savings on training opportunities and resources? Editors Canada is pleased to offer great discounts to members and student affiliates.
Did you know you get FREE access to the following resources through our website?
- The Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps and Spelling
- The Chicago Manual of Style Online
- The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Online
- The Oxford Reference Online Premium Collection (including The Canadian Oxford Dictionary)
Editors Canada also offers discounts on the tools and services editors want most, like professional liability insurance through APOLLO Insurance, partner conferences, PerfectIt, academic journals and University of Chicago Press imprint books.
Visit the member services section of our website to learn more about discounts and other benefits you don’t want to miss.
Is there a service or discount you’d like Editors Canada to offer? Email the member services committee and let us know so we can keep adding to the benefits our members want!
5. AGM 2023: Call to meeting
Our annual general meeting (AGM) of members takes place on Saturday, June 24, 2023, on Zoom. Earlier this month, we sent members the call to meeting, proxy form and online registration instructions. Look for the subject line “Call to Meeting—AGM 2023” in your inbox.
For meeting details, including the agenda, supporting documentation and instructions for student affiliates to register to attend the meeting by phone, please visit the Annual General Meeting 2023 page in the members’ area.
6. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Jaime Miller
Jaime Miller may not have moved from Australia to Canada specifically to join Editors Canada, but our national editing association has certainly benefitted from her decision. Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Jaime lived “down under” from 2000 to 2010, becoming an accredited editor with the Institute of Professional Editors in Australia in 2008.
Combining this accreditation with her honours bachelor’s degree in European Studies and English from the University of Guelph, Jaime set off on her editing career. In 2005, she began helping out author friends and working in house for an Australian pension and investment company before deciding to freelance.
“I edit anything from annual reports to children’s fiction!” Jaime says. “I don’t specialize in a particular type of editing, but I enjoy editing and learning about many topics.” Her leisure-time activities also reflect her wide-ranging interests: reading, travelling, skiing and being outdoors.
In 2010, Jaime returned to Canada, joining Editors Calgary and turning her expertise to volunteer work. She began with the training and development committee, assisting with the launch of webinars and creating reports from the feedback given by participants.
Later, Jaime moved to the certification steering committee as an exam shepherd, managing the process from exam setting to post-exam administration. She also volunteered as co-chair for two years, setting agendas, answering queries and working to improve the Editors Canada Professional Certification program.
“One of the biggest challenges was adapting to COVID-19 restrictions and making the certification exams fully on-screen,” Jaime says. That hard work was rewarding, though. Jaime says that the best part of being an Editors Canada volunteer “is getting to know other wonderful editors who are amazing at their jobs. I have learned so much from them and value their skills and friendship.”
~S. Robin Larin
The featured volunteer recognizes the contributions of our dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. 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.
7. GET INVOLVED: Volunteer opportunities
The certification steering committee is looking for volunteers
The certification steering committee has an immediate vacancy for a co-chair to oversee the Editors Canada Professional Certification program. This is an urgent appeal for a volunteer who will join the committee as co-chair, learn the ropes, and assume the more experienced co-chair position after one year.
The committee is also recruiting an exam shepherd to help set up and finetune the exams.
Requirements
Experience in the academic field, either as an instructor and/or administrator, is preferred, but is not strictly necessary. Certification steering committee members may not take the exams during their time on the committee and for two full years afterward.
Do you want to add panache to your resumé and participate in running Editors Canada’s landmark professional certification program? Email Saleh Waziruddin or Arija Berzitis for more information about these positions.
Join the student relations committee
Would you like to volunteer with Editors Canada, but aren’t sure where to start? The student relations committee is seeking enthusiastic students to assist us in our mission to engage and support student affiliates. It’s a great introduction to the inner workings of Editors Canada, a fantastic networking opportunity, and it can help build your resumé. Please email the chair of the student relations committee to inquire.
Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering for Editors Canada helps our association, but there are benefits for you too!
- Volunteering will help you develop skills that can contribute to your career. Some of the skills that volunteering can give you or help you improve include editing, writing, communications, interpersonal skills, leadership skills and organizational abilities.
- If you’re new to editing, volunteering can help you explore and learn about this profession.
- Volunteering is a great way to network with members of the association and may lead you to opportunities to expand your editing business.
- If you work from home, volunteering can provide you with much-needed social time and allow you to learn from others.
- Volunteering is a way to give back to the association and can give you a sense of accomplishment.
There are many volunteer roles to choose from, so select an activity that will provide you with the skills, experiences and opportunities you want to gain.
To find a volunteer opportunity, contact the chair of the volunteer management committee. You can also search our volunteer directory.
8. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: A Solid Structure: Spotlight on the Structural Editing Certification Exam
Structural editing involves organizing a manuscript into shape prior to the finessing stage of stylistic editing and the more detailed work of copy editing. Structural editing is bigger picture work. Some sample tasks that a structural editor might perform include:
- assessing the overall structure of material and reorganizing as necessary;
- making necessary additions and deletions to content;
- recasting material as needed;
- selecting visual elements and creating or securing appropriate supplementary or reference material; and
- determining when permissions are necessary.
If you have a flair for these tasks, make 2023 the year you obtain professional certification in Structural Editing. The exam, scheduled for Saturday, November 18, 2023, will assess your mastery of the Editors Canada Professional Editorial Standards for structural editing (B1–B12) and the fundamentals of editing (standards A1 – A12). These essential skills apply to editing all types of print and digital materials, from books and magazines to corporate and government writing. The Proofreading exam will also be offered in 2023 and will be highlighted in a future e-news update.
Exam registration will open in July 2023, but it’s never too early to start preparing! In the meantime, why not try a sample structural editing question:
You are editing a book in which the author has included a large volume of information on a subject outside the main topic. The author has spent significant time researching the material and is vigorously opposed to cutting it.
How should you handle this issue?
a) Remove the extra material anyway, and tell the author he or she can include it in some future book.
b) Rewrite the material in plain language to reduce the word count.
c) Include the extra material in an appendix.
d) Weave the extra material into other chapters so that it doesn’t stand out so much.
9. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 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 1 month
Level 2
- designed for a more in-depth mentoring experience
- 10–20 hours over 2 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
10. 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.
11. SHOWCASE YOURSELF: Become a volunteer host on Editors Canada’s LinkedIn page
Attention members! We are looking for volunteers who would like to participate in our new LinkedIn hosting initiative. The initiative will start with a three-month trial, but we can only make it a success with your help.
What is the hosting initiative?
A participating member will volunteer to temporarily host Editors Canada’s LinkedIn page. The host will create engaging posts about language and editing, freelancing and anything else that can be related to Editors Canada.
What’s in it for the volunteer hosts?
Volunteer hosts will get to feature themselves on Editor Canada’s LinkedIn page. This will be a great opportunity to showcase your skills, promote yourself, and increase your visibility as an editor and a member of Editors Canada.
How long will hosting last?
The volunteer host will create content and post on the Editors Canada LinkedIn page for a period of one month.
Are there guidelines for the initiative?
Volunteer hosts will receive a Host Guide with basic rules and tips for on-brand, professional content posting, and access to a branded image library.
How do I sign up?
Email Tali Ijack to express your interest in becoming a host. Please include the month that you would be able to host the LinkedIn page.
12. FACEBOOK GROUP: Keeping our info up to date
We need your links! Those of you who run Editors Canada–affiliated or related groups are invited to send updates for your links as they appear in the Facebook members-only group description.
To update your information, message Joanne Haskins on Facebook or send an email. And consider setting a calendar reminder for yourself so members can stay current on the work you’re doing.
13. EXTERNAL LIAISON: Do you know the average salary for your position as a copy editor or writer?
The following is an invitation from one of our partner organizations, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD).
Do you know the average salary for your position as a copy editor or writer?
Creative Earners, Canada’s comprehensive salary report for creative communications professionals, will tell you. The new Creative Earners survey is now collecting responses. Contribute to salary transparency in the creative industry by completing the anonymous survey today.
14. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
Spring is always a busy season for everyone at Editors Canada, and there is a lot of activity all around the association.
The national executive council (NEC) met on Sunday, April 23, 2023, to discuss some of these springtime activities:
- The training and development committee began accepting proposals for the 2023 spring–winter cycle. The deadline for proposals is today.
- The annual audit is well underway. As every year, the auditor’s report will be included as part of the annual report.
- The annual conference is nearing, so the office staff and conference committee are hard at work preparing for an exceptional conference weekend.
- The website task force continues to be hard at work on the new website.
We were joined by David Breme, the new chair of Editors Québec. When we met in April, David was planning Editors Québec’s first in-person event since the start of the pandemic.
Due to director availability, the NEC will not meet in May and will meet next on June 11, 2023. June will be a busy month at Editors Canada: the conference will take place June 17 and 18, 2023, and the AGM will take place the following weekend, on June 24, 2023.
Maria Frank
President
Answer
c) Include the extra material in an appendix.
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.