News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Only one day left to register!
2. UPCOMING WEBINAR SERIES: Practical Ebook Production
3. FRANCOPHONE CONFERENCE: S’inscrire dans le changement : une profession en prise sur son temps a great success!
4. #EDITORS20: Registration, volunteering and extended session proposal deadline
5. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Anne Fonteneau
6. STAND OUT: Add your volunteer activity to your ODE and/or Membership List profile
7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
8. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Mentorship
9. MEMBER DISCOUNT: Save 30% on PerfectIt
10. MEMBER SERVICES: Welcome Kit
11. GIVING BACK: Recognize the importance of editing this #GivingTuesday
12. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Only one day left to register!
Have you registered for the Copy Editing certification exam yet? Don’t delay! You have until Friday, October 18.
Exam date: Saturday, November 16, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., local time
Locations: Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa
Take advantage of Editors Canada expertise and resources as you study for the exams. A recording of a webinar on preparing for Editors Canada’s professional certification exams is available free of charge.
Two of the former co-chairs of the certification steering committee, Anne Brennan and Jeanne McKane, explain the exam format and answer questions about certification and how to prepare to take the tests. They also describe the program as a whole and provide test-taking tips from certified editors.
Want more tips?
Visit Preparing for Certification to find resources to enhance your studying, including links for ordering the study guides; lists of books on grammar, punctuation, editing and proofreading; and strategies for studying.
What do certified editors recommend? Study early and often, and practise, practise, practise! Consult the preparation checklist, and register today to join the growing roster of certified editors!
2. UPCOMING WEBINAR SERIES: Practical Ebook Production
Want to learn all about ebook production? In our three-part webinar series, Practical Ebook Production, publisher Meghan Behse shows us the steps needed to convert any Word file into an ebook and distribute it worldwide.
- Part 1: Editing Ebooks
- Part 2: Formatting Ebooks
- Part 3: Proofreading and Distributing Ebooks
Practical Ebook Production takes place on Thursdays October 24, October 31 and November 7. Register now.
Catch up on demand: Webinar recordings are available
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.
3. FRANCOPHONE CONFERENCE: S’inscrire dans le changement : une profession en prise sur son temps a great success!
Nearly 100 participants met in Quebec City on Saturday, September 28, to participate in the first French-only conference presented by Editors Canada. Attendees were delighted by the day of discovery and knowledge.
Conference events included a roundtable discussion, workshops, a spelling test presented by Antidote (very popular with the editors in attendance!) a conférence spectacle and a networking happy hour.
De belles rencontres, de beaux échanges se sont déroulés dans une ambiance de fête!
4. #EDITORS20: Registration, volunteering and extended session proposal deadline
From Papyrus to Pixels
The conference committee is hard at work on the International Editors Conference 2020, organized and hosted by Editors Canada. Registration is expected to open very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement sometime next week.
Join us!
Volunteering for the conference is an excellent way to learn new skills while building your international editing network. You’ll also get to work with an amazing team! We are currently looking for volunteers for the following key roles:
- Francophone social media coordinator
- Second speaker coordinator
- Sponsorship coordinator
To volunteer for one of these roles—or to learn more about volunteering for the conference—get in touch with our volunteer coordinator, Patricia MacDonald.
Session proposal deadline extended
A reminder that the deadline to submit a speaker proposal for the International Editors Conference 2020 has been extended to Friday, November 15. Learn more about the call for speaker proposals or take the plunge and submit your Speaker Proposal Form.
Social media
Join the conference Facebook group or follow us on Twitter to get all the latest information about the conference.
5. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Anne Fonteneau
After she received a master’s degree in modern literature at the Sorbonne and a doctorate in Québec literature at Université Laval, becoming a professional editor seemed natural to Anne Fonteneau. Drawn by the opportunity to engage with other editors, she joined Editors Québec 10 years ago. “Talking with professionals who live their passion on a daily basis is an invaluable plus,” she says.
Chair of the 2018–19 comité agrément et principes, Anne believes that being an editor is about more than “correcting” documents: it entails improving them while considering the client, the author, the reader and the editor. Editors Canada’s Programme d’agrément en révision linguistique (agrément) tests recognize these skills and highlight the professionals who deserve the title of réviseur agréé(e). “Agrément is the only program of its kind in the world,” she says.
“It is a privilege to contribute to the recognition of my colleagues.”
In addition to editing and volunteering for Editors Canada, Anne teaches part-time at Université Laval, co-directs a language services company and has written two editing-focused books, most recently 365 jours, 1000 fautes. She specializes in editing administrative and educational documents for public services.
She admits her main challenge is balancing all the various spheres of her life to produce the highest quality work while finding time for her family and for herself. But she’s quick to add that working with people who are new to editing increases her energy tenfold. She loves passing her hard-earned knowledge and skills on to her students, thereby participating in training the next generation of editors. It is “an incredibly rewarding experience,” Anne says.
“And collaborating with them after their graduation is proof that our profession has a future!”
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.
6. STAND OUT: Add your volunteer activity to your ODE and/or Membership List profile
We’re pleased to announce that new functionality has been added to the Online Directory of Editors (ODE) and Membership List, allowing members to add their Editors Canada volunteer activity to their profiles.
Learn how to add your volunteer activity to your ODE and/or Membership List profile.
Volunteering has many benefits for the association, as well as being beneficial to your career. We’re pleased to offer this new functionality that gives members the ability to promote the ways you’ve been engaged in the association and let you stand out from the crowd.
Learn how to purchase a profile in the Online Directory of Editors (a publicly searchable directory).
Learn how to activate your profile in the Membership List (a directory available only to Editors Canada members and affiliates).
7. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
Earlier this year, Editors Ottawa-Gatineau member Gael Spivak connected the International Plain Language Federation’s Standards Committee with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO committee that works on standards related to language is called the ISO Technical Committee 37: Language and Terminology. After she attended an ISO/TC 37 meeting in Ottawa, both committees requested that Gael join them to help further their work. The technical committee recently voted to approve work starting on an ISO standard for plain language. The expected publication date of the standard is October 2022.
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.
8. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Mentorship
There are countless examples of successful people who have been mentored by a trusted counsellor or guide. Mentorship can offer lasting life- and career-changing benefits to both mentors and mentees.
The mentorship program offered by Editors Canada now boasts an impressive list of some 25 mentors across Canada.
How it works
Once the mentee makes an application, a committee matches them with a mentor. When they’re matched, the mentor and mentee meet informally in person or virtually for a free two-hour cafe session (sort of like a first date) to determine if they’re compatible. If so, they proceed to work together by phone, email or Skype over a period of two months (or longer, if they wish).
To apply to be a mentor or a mentee, visit the John Eerkes-Medrano Mentorship Program page.
9. MEMBER DISCOUNT: Save 30% on PerfectIt
An annual subscription to PerfectIt, one of the most popular professional editing tools in use today, is available to Editors Canada members for 30% off the regular price (with free upgrades throughout the year).
PerfectIt is designed to help identify errors and improve consistency. It checks for:
- Consistent hyphenation and capitalization
- Abbreviation definitions
- Capitalization of headings
- List/bullet capitalization and punctuation
- International spelling variations
To claim your discount and purchase PerfectIt, use this link:
https://intelligentediting.com/buy-now/?coupon=EditorsCanadaMember
Looking for more Editors Canada discounts? Visit the Members’ Area today.
10. MEMBER SERVICES: Welcome Kit
The Welcome Kit for new members was recently updated and is available for download.
The Welcome Kit provides a brief overview of our services and resources, with links to the relevant pages on our website. It is a useful guide for existing members as well, and can be used as a quick reference for information on the website.
Special thanks to the member services committee for producing this wonderful resource and to Ellen Keeble for her design.
11. GIVING BACK: Recognize the importance of editing this #GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday is almost here! Every year—on the Tuesday following Black Friday and Cyber Monday—charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for their favourite causes. In 2019, GivingTuesday occurs on December 3, which is a perfect opportunity to recognize and support your favourite editing organization (hint: that’s Editors Canada!). In 2018, we raised more than $1,800 in support of Editors Canada’s national awards and scholarship, and we’re hoping to do even better this year. Here’s how you can help:
- Like, share and retweet Editors Canada’s #GivingTuesday social media posts when you receive them.
- Tell your employers, your clients and your educators about the importance of supporting and nurturing professional editing in Canada.
- Consider making a donation yourself.
- Participate in the #GivingTuesday communications and marketing campaign (and gain some skills and experience along the way). Email the committee chair.
12. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
I had the opportunity to chair my first NEC meeting in September, and I found it to be a valuable learning experience. It also gave me a chance to meet the new directors for the first time. While I’m aware that most editors do not start their careers as editors, but instead come to editing through other experiences, getting to know the members of the NEC was truly eye opening. I started out as a teacher of grade 7 social studies and grade 7 to 12 band, and I think there are a fair amount of former teachers who are now editors. But on the NEC alone, there are people who are or were musicians, photographers, statisticians and sports enthusiasts, as well as people who have worked in book and magazine publishing, corporate communication, website design and TV production, to name just a few. This is part of what makes being an editor and belonging to Editors Canada great—the wide variety of perspectives and experiences that our members have. There are endless opportunities for us to learn from each other, and I look forward to taking advantage of that as time goes by.
Correction: In the notes from the September NEC meeting, I neglected to mention that Janine Harker, the chair of the communications and marketing committee, is leading the GivingTuesday campaign. Thanks to Janine!
Heather Buzila
President
Welcome to Editors Canada!
Editors Barrie
Michele Litster
Editors British Columbia
Tara Avery, Lynna Schaldemose, Kathy Smith, Andrea Szilagyi, Heather Tekavec
Editors Hamilton-Halton
Celine Parent
Editors Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph
Lori Maddigan
Editors Manitoba
Amelia Wiens
Editors Nova Scotia
Nicole St. Denis
Editors Ottawa-Gatineau
Sara Carroll, Rowan Christie-Day, Heather Fardy, Louise Gagnon, Marie-Hélène Larrue
Editors Québec
Gabrielle Lesage, Tanya Mykhaylychenko, Danielle-Claude Bélanger, Anne-Marie Belle-Isle, Mylarie Fortin, Sophie Lamontre, Alex-Ann Lévesque
Editors Saskatchewan
Tiffany Wolf
Editors Toronto
Katie Beaton, Sally Christensen, Caitlin O’Brien, Lauren Rawson, Olivia Thompson-Powell, Norman Umali
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.