News, events, tips and updates for members of the Editors’ Association of Canada
In this issue:
1. CERTIFICATION: Last chance to register for EAC’s 2009 certification tests
2. STUDY GUIDES: Pilot testers wanted
3. CLAUDETTE UPTON SCHOLARSHIP: Submit your application
4. CONFERENCE 2010: Save the dates!
5. MEMBER NEWS: Your achievements on the EAC website
6. WEBSITE: Receive National Job Board postings by email
7, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: NCR and QAC volunteers wanted
8. EAC ONLINE: EAC linked in and tweeting
9. SURVEY: The situation and needs of Canadian senior artists
10. SHOP EAC: New products
1. CERTIFICATION: Employers are talking about certified editors
Still thinking about becoming an EAC-certified editor? Don’t wait! The registration deadline to write the 2009 tests is just days away.
Why certification?
By becoming a Certified Professional Editor, Certified Proofreader, Certified Copy Editor or Certified Structural and Stylistic Editor, you earn official recognition of your high level of skill.
You’ll also:
- promote and maintain high professional standards of editing,
- help editors develop professionally,
- enhance the status of editing as a profession in Canada.
How does certification help me professionally?
Certification sets you apart from the crowd. Many certified editors have found it pays to mention their credentials when communicating with prospective clients. And more employers are contacting the national office about hiring a certified editor. By earning your EAC certification, you also earn a respected and powerful marketing tool.
Should I wait until 2010 to write the certification tests?
You can wait, but EAC is rolling out new Professional Editorial Standards in 2010. As a result, there are changes ahead for the certification program. While the tests based on the new standards will not differ significantly from the current tests, there are some advantages to writing tests in 2009.
- Earn the combined Certified Structural and Stylistic Editing credential by passing the Structural and Stylistic Editing and Elementary Knowledge of the Publishing Process tests this year. November 2009 is the last time the combined Structural and Stylistic Editing test will be offered. Starting in 2010, separate Structural Editing and Stylistic Editing tests will be offered, giving test-takers the opportunity to become a Certified Structural Editor or a Certified Stylistic Editor.
- Complete your certification credential this year. Already partway through the certification process? Register for the 2009 test that allows you to complete your credential and start reaping the rewards of your new marketing advantage.
For more information about the 2010 changes to the certification program, requirements and transfer credits, read the certification FAQ.
Register now
To learn more about EAC certification and to register online, visit the certification website. Registration closes on Monday, October 26, 2009, at 1 p.m., Eastern Time. Remember: As an EAC member, you benefit from discounted pricing on the certification tests—plus extra savings if you register for more than one test.
Test dates
Saturday, November 21, 2009
- Proofreading (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Monday, November 23, 2009
- Structural and Stylistic Editing (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Elementary Knowledge of the Publishing Process (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
The Copy Editing test will not be offered in 2009, but will be offered again in 2010.
Test locations
The following test locations are planned, demand and resources permitting: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
We look forward to congratulating the newest EAC-certified editors at the 2010 annual general meeting in Montreal.
2.STUDY GUIDES: Pilot testers wanted
The changes ahead for certification mean that EAC is publishing new study guides in June 2010. Practice tests have now been developed for the Proofreading and Copy Editing study guides and volunteers are needed to try them out.
(For information about the changes to certification, please visit www.editors.ca/certification/changesahead.html)
If you live in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Toronto, Ottawa or Halifax, you can volunteer to pilot the Proofreading or the Copy Editing study guide practice test. The piloting of these study guide practice tests will take place in the same locations and times as the writing of the 2009 certification tests: Saturday, November 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Monday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Taking part in piloting will not affect your eligibility to write any of the actual certification tests in 2009 or 2010, but please note that pilot test results don’t count toward certification.
Here’s what you gain by piloting a study guide practice test:
- an opportunity to assess your skills and readiness for writing an actual certification test,
- a chance to study the new Professional Editorial Standards that come into effect in January 2010,
- two free volumes of the current EAC Certification Study Guide: volume 1 and either volume 2 (Proofreading) or volume 3 (Copy Editing), depending on the practice test you write (you will need to prepare using two volumes because each new test includes questions about the publishing process and a passage to proofread or copy edit),
- a free copy of whichever guide you choose (value up to $75) when the new Proofreading and Copy Editing study guides are available in June 2010,
- notification of whether you passed,
- a hand in fine-tuning the practice tests to ensure that the new study guides will be excellent learning tools.
To take part in piloting, you need:
- five or more years of experience proofreading or copy editing,
- EAC membership in good standing,
- ability to commit yourself to writing the pilot test (last-minute drop-outs affect test validity),
- willingness to study and prepare thoroughly, as if you were writing a real test.
Note: Preparation to pilot a practice test will include reviewing EAC’s new Professional Editorial Standards and using two volumes of the current EAC Certification Study Guide (provided). It will also mean familiarizing yourself with the slightly revised format of the certification tests, as described in the “After January 1, 2010” section of the Tests page on the EAC website (www.editors.ca/certification/tests.html).
Interested?
If you’d like to volunteer to write a study guide practice test, please email helena.aalto@editors.ca by October 30, 2009, and indicate:
- your name, email, telephone and mailing address,
- which test you’d like to write: Proofreading or Copy Editing,
- which city you live in,
- how many years of experience you have in proofreading or copy editing,
- what kinds of materials you usually edit,
- whether you work mostly in-house or freelance.
3. CLAUDETTE UPTON SCHOLARSHIP: Submit your application
Student members of the Editors’ Association of Canada are invited to submit an application for EAC’s newest national award, the Claudette Upton Scholarship.
This is a $1,000 scholarship to help support continuing professional development in editing. The winner is encouraged to use the prize to attend EAC’s national conference, purchase EAC publications or attend association workshops. The winner will be acknowledged in person at EAC’s national conference, Reflections: Editing Content and Culture, in Montreal, on May 29, 2010.
Visit the Claudette Upton Scholarship page for application instructions.
Deadline: The application package must reach the national office by November 30, 2009.
4. CONFERENCE 2010: Save the dates!
Make sure to mark your calendar from May 28 to 30, 2010, because you won’t want to miss the Editors’ Association of Canada’s national conference in Montreal.
Join us for a weekend packed with career development, networking and fun. You’ll be engaged by our speakers, entertained by shopping and sightseeing tours, and enriched by vibrant, beautiful Montreal. Conference registration opens in early 2010. See you in Montreal!
5. MEMBER NEWS: Your achievements on the EAC website
What’s the largest document you’ve edited this year, or the smallest? Oddest subject matter? Greatest number of languages? Shortest turnaround time?
The Marketing and Public Relations Committee plans to use the EAC website to tell the world about our members’ outstanding and wide-ranging skills and talents. This website feature will serve two purposes. It will:
- encourage and recognize individual editors, and
- enhance the profile of our association in the eyes of potential clients, members and others who are interested in the language industry.
Prairie Provinces branch member Marguerite Watson (Edmonton) has volunteered to collect brief notes about members’ achievements and compile a regular listing for the national office to post. So take off that “modest and retiring editor” hat for just a moment, and let Marguerite know what noteworthy things you have done lately. Or keep your own hat on, and shine a light on the special achievement of a fellow member. Perhaps you haven’t won an award or prize—although we want to know about that as well. But think about the other amazing things you do, then take a moment to bask in the admiration of your peers.
Thanks to national executive council member Barbara K. Adamski for suggesting this initiative.
For more information contact Marketing and Public Relations Committee chair Anita Jenkins or communications manager Michelle Ou. Or simply send your news to the member news coordinator, Marguerite Watson.
6. WEBSITE: Receive National Job Board postings by email
Job hunting just got a little easier! EAC members can now receive National Job Board postings by email.
To receive job postings by email, follow the steps below to subscribe to the National Job Board.
- Log onto the National Job Board using your EAC website username and password.*
- At the top of the National Job Board home page, click on the “Forum Subscriptions” link.
- Check the box next to “National Job Board” under “New subscriptions.”
- Click on “Subscribe selected.”
*If you can’t remember your username and password, click on the “Forgot your password? Click here” link on the Members’ area login page and follow the instructions to have your username and password emailed to you.
Emails will be sent to the primary address EAC has on file. If you’d like to update your email address, please contact the national office.
Thanks to Website Committee chair Ken Weinberg for upgrading the National Job Board to make email subscriptions possible.
7. MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: NCR and QAC volunteers wanted
In the interests of regional representation, the Marketing and Public Relations Committee is looking for members from the NCR and QAC branches to join current members Amanda Grondahl (Vancouver), Marni Schaetti (Calgary) and Andrea Kennedy (Toronto). The committee is led by the chair, Anita Jenkins (Edmonton) and the national communications manager, Michelle Ou.
Our goal is to raise the profile of the Editors’ Association of Canada. As a committee member, you will have the opportunity to suggest ways to promote EAC and our many worthwhile initiatives and services. You might also write and review copy for the website, news releases, ads, brochures, newsletters, etc., and work with branch representatives to support local public relations initiatives.
For more information, contact Anita Jenkins or Michelle Ou.
8. EAC ONLINE: EAC linked in and tweeting
EAC is linked in! If you have a profile on the online professional networking site LinkedIn, join the EAC group to start connecting with your fellow editors today.
To find the EAC group, log into LinkedIn, select “Groups” and search for “Editors’ Association of Canada.”
Please note that the EAC group on LinkedIn is an open forum that is not limited to the EAC membership. Anyone with a LinkedIn profile may join.
Follow us on Twitter! Get the latest EAC and industry news by following us on the microblogging site, Twitter. Find EAC @eac_acr.
9. SURVEY: The situation and needs of Canadian senior artists
To find more ways to support Canadian artists age 65 and over, several Canadian arts organizations have united to develop the Senior Artists’ Research Project. Artists age 60 and over are invited to participate in a survey and town hall discussions about their needs and interests in areas such as artistic activity, health care, housing, retirement, financial issues, community connections and social networks.
To take the survey or for more information about the Senior Artists’ Research Project and the organizations involved, visit www.SeniorArtists.ca.
10. SHOP EAC: New products
Check out EAC’s stylish new gear!
“I’m not obsessed” hoodie
Just in time for winter, a pullover hoodie that keeps you warm whether you’re editing, exercising or hanging out on the couch after a long day of word wrangling. This sweatshirt is a 90/10 cotton/polyester blend with spandex trim.
“I’m not obsessed” messenger bag
Carry all the tools of your trade with this handy messenger bag that lets everyone know you’re obsessed with words, including the restaurant owner whose menu you just corrected while waiting for your meal. The bag has an inside pocket in the main compartment and an adjustable clasp closure on the front.
The hoodie and messenger bag are available for sale only until November 30, so hurry over to EAC’s CafePress shop to make your secure online purchase today.
The EAC national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.