After getting her BA in English and music from Queen’s University in 2010, Julie Kay-Wallace was all set for graduate school when she came to a sudden realization: she hated writing essays. “In spirit, I’ve been an editor and a grammarian since I was very young,” she says, having helped friends and family with hobby writing and business communications. Tossing aside her plans, Julie pursued a publishing certificate from Ryerson University and interned at the media agency The Rights Factory in Toronto.
After several years amid agents and publishers, Julie longed to work directly with emerging authors to help them hone their craft. “I wanted to create a freelance career and work for myself on my own terms,” she says. She launched Julie Kay-Wallace Editing, focusing on fiction editing and full-stack web developing.
Julie joined Editors Toronto in 2012 and began volunteering as a greeter for meetings. She helped with the Editors Canada’s Volunteer Handbook and is currently the leader of the national website task force. “Sometimes it’s hard to balance my volunteer and work schedules,” she admits, “but being freelance means I can almost always find a way—even if that means a few late nights or early mornings!”
Editors Canada is “a place where I can grow professionally by being in contact with other professionals with different specialties,” Julie says. Julie, a devotee of handicrafts, old films and language studies, now lives in Stratford, Ontario, with her wife and their five cats. Although freelancing can feel “like being one person against the world,” Julie appreciates that Editors Canada offers her the opportunity to be “part of a thriving community of professionals that are every bit as dedicated to editing as I am.”
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.
Want to make a difference in your association? Find out more about volunteering for Editors Canada.
~S. Robin Larin