Editors BC

EVENT LISTINGS: May 2013

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

May 11, 2013: Editing Workshop … For Writers Too

This workshop will also be held June 8, 2013, on Salt Spring Island; July 13, 2013, in Nanaimo; and August 17, 2013, on Salt Spring Island.

This summer, editor Cheryl Cohen will be offering four sessions of her hands-on editing workshop, which she describes as an “intensive, fun encounter.” Topics will include: substantive editing; copy editing; proofreading; the editor–writer relationship; and tips on how to become a professional editor. Each participant will receive an 18-page handout.

About the instructor: Cheryl Cohen is an experienced freelance editor who has worked on many high-profile books, including Miriam Toews’ widely read novel A Complicated Kindness, which won the 2004 Governor General’s Award for English Fiction. Cheryl spoke about the state of the publishing industry—and how writers should adapt—at the Professional Editors Association of Vancouver Island (PEAVI) May 13, 2013, meeting.

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May 13, 2013: PEAVI meeting: How Bright is the Future of Editing?

Editor Cheryl Cohen will be talking about the state of the publishing industry—and how writers should adapt—at the Professional Editors Association of Vancouver Island (PEAVI) May 13, 2013, meeting. Says Cheryl: “The traditional book publishing industry is in chaos; newspapers are in chaos; an increasing number of authors are wading into self-publishing. The world as editors knew it is changing fast, which means this might be the perfect time for editors to reinvent themselves too.”

About the speaker: Cheryl Cohen is an experienced freelance editor who has worked on many high-profile books, including Miriam Toews’ widely read novel A Complicated Kindness, which won the 2004 Governor General’s Award for English Fiction. She is also a singer/songwriter and former senior editor for The Globe and Mail.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Location: Church of Truth, 111 Superior Street, Victoria
  • Registration: at the door

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May 15, 2013: EAC-BC elections, book exchange, and networking event

Note: because there will be a wine and cheese social at the May meeting, there will be no Editors’ Pub Night beforehand; these popular pre-meeting gatherings at Elephant & Castle will resume in the fall.

The theme for EAC-BC’s May 15, 2013, meeting is “Elect. Exchange. Enjoy.” Elect: May is election month in BC, doubly so for editors. This meeting will be your chance to vote for the 2013–2014 branch executive. If you’ve thought about getting involved, consider standing for an executive position yourself or joining one of the many branch committees. Elections cheat sheet. Exchange: more shades of grey than you know what to do with? Bring along any books you’re finished with and swap them for new (to you) titles at the book-exchange table. It’s a great chance to stock up on summer reading. Enjoy: this is our last meeting until September 2013, so indulge in wine and cheese, toast a successful season, and catch up with fellow editors.

Bonus: enter the draw at the meeting for free admission to one of EAC-BC’s professional development seminars.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00 (elections start at 19h30)
  • Cost: free for EAC members, non-members, and students
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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EVENT LISTINGS: April 2013

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

April 7, 2013: EAC-BC seminar: Grammar Boot Camp

Want to flex your grammar (and punctuation and usage) muscles? This intensive seminar will put you through the paces. Focusing on high-level errors—the ones that make it past editors and proofreaders and into print—this one-day session will help you identify and fix the most puzzling mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and usage. We’ll look at errors from a range of publications, discuss up-to-date approaches to correcting them, and run through a series of challenging editing exercises. Feel free to bring along any difficult examples you’ve encountered on the job.

About the instructor: Frances Peck has been working with words for more than two decades, whether writing them, editing them, or teaching people about them. Author of Peck’s English Pointers (available through the Language Portal of Canada) and a co-author of the popular HyperGrammar website, she teaches editing at Douglas College and Simon Fraser University. She is a partner with West Coast Editorial Associates and a member of the EAC-BC executive.

  • Time: 9h00–16h00
  • Cost: $100 for EAC members who register by March 22, 2013 (after: $120); $160 for non-members who register by March 22, 2013 (after: $180)
  • Location: University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road (Ring Road), Victoria
  • Registration: closes March 29, 2013, at 17h00

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April 13, 2013: EAC-BC seminar: PubPro 2013: An Unconference for Managing Editors and Publication Production Specialists

Publishers often meet to discuss sales, marketing, and digital strategies, but very rarely do the people who actually make the publications happen get to gather and brain share. This EAC-BC seminar will offer managing editors and production specialists the opportunity to meet others in their role and learn from one another.

Whether you’re interested in finding out how others approach freelancer recruitment, training, and scheduling or have a success story to share about streamlining workflow or project management, PubPro will be your forum to air your production-related questions and triumphs. FAQs. PubPro 2013: Behind the scenes with Iva Cheung.

  • Time: 9h30–16h30 (check-in starts at 9h15)
  • Cost (includes lunch): $40 for EAC members who register by March 22, 2013 (after: $55); $50 for non-members who register by March 22, 2013 (after: $65)
  • Location: SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
  • Registration (closes at midnight, April 5, 2013)
  • Event hashtag: #PubPro2013

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April 17, 2013: EAC-BC meeting: The Good, the Bad, and the “That Could Have Gone Better” about Subcontracting

Subcontracting is a great way to farm out work when you’ve got too much due at the same time. For new editors, it’s a chance to get started in the business. How do you venture into subcontracting, and what pleasures and pitfalls might you encounter along the way? Join three editors—Patricia Anderson, Amelia Gilliland, and Eve Rickert—for a lively panel discussion of what works and what doesn’t, no matter which side of the subcontract you’re on. Moderated by Frances Peck, EAC-BC programs co-chair, the panel will end with general Q&A, so bring along those questions you’ve always meant to ask.

About the panellists: Patricia Anderson, Ph.D., is a cultural history and publishing studies scholar, book author, and editor of fiction and nonfiction. Her editing and literary consulting business, Helping You Get Published, has been online for 14 years, during which time she has hired a number of editorial subcontractors. She is writing a guide to successful publication for conventional and self-publishing book authors that will include a chapter on the importance of professional editing.

Amelia Gilliland has been editing fiction and nonfiction books for seven years. She has an editing certificate from SFU’s Writing and Publishing Program, worked in-house at Douglas & McIntyre and Arsenal Pulp Press, and subcontracts for West Coast Editorial Associates. An experienced substantive editor, copy editor, and proofreader, she has focused on editing fiction for the past few years. She frequently works with self-publishing authors.

A certified stylistic editor, copy editor, and proofreader with 10 years of experience, Eve Rickert owns Talk Science to Me Communications Inc. Her firm provides à la carte services such as writing, editing, indexing, illustration, design, and Web development, as well as teams to complete projects from start to finish. The firm relies on freelance associates to provide clients with the skills they need at a price they can afford.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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EVENT LISTINGS: March 2013

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

March 13, 2013: Canadian Authors Association: Crossing Boundaries—Writing in Different Genres

Save the date—the Canadian Authors Association (CAA) will be hosting a panel discussion about writing in different genres: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Panelists will include Ian Weir (Daniel O’Thunder, 2009), Eileen Cook (The Almost Truth, 2012), and Margaret Anne Hume (Just Mary: The Life of Mary Evelyn Grannan, 2006). The discussion will be moderated by Dennis E. Bolen, recipient of the Writers International Network Canada’s 2013 Distinguished Writer Award.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for CAA members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: Alliance for Arts and Culture, 100-938 Howe Street, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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March 16, 2013: EAC-BC seminar: Ethics for Editors

To edit and publish language is to mediate knowledge and culture—quite the responsibility! In this seminar, you will explore ethical questions for editors, from the gravity-defying act of juggling the needs of writers, advertisers, and readers, to the sensitive diplomatic mission of pointing out a racist or sexist passage, to the daredevil feat of deciding just how creative a piece of creative non-fiction can be. By working through exercises and sharing experiences, you will find new entrances to the questions and new ideas for solutions.

About the instructor: Mary Schendlinger has worked as a writer, editor, and publisher for 42 years. She is senior editor of Geist magazine, a member of the SFU Master of Publishing faculty, and an instructor in the UBC Creative Writing Program.

  • Time: 13h00–16h30
  • Cost: $60 for EAC members who register by March 1, 2013 (after: $70); $90 for non-members who register by March 1, 2013 (after: $100)
  • Location: SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
  • Registration: closes March 8, 2013, at 17h00

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March 20, 2013: EAC-BC meeting: New Plain Language Certificate

Calling all plain language advocates! Come to our March meeting and get the scoop on a new certificate program in the works for plain language practitioners.

Join Katherine McManus, the only Canadian member of the International Consortium for Clear Communication (IC Clear), as she runs through the program’s goals and time lines and discusses what the new certificate will mean for editors. You’ll also hear the latest on this year’s PLAIN (Plain Language Association International) conference, coming to Vancouver October 10–13, 2103, where IC Clear hopes to launch its first pilot course.

About the speaker: Katherine McManus is director of the Writing and Communications Program at Simon Fraser University. She specializes in adult learning and was recruited for the plain language certificate project because of her background in blended and online education.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00 (speaker starts at 19h30)
  • Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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EVENT LISTINGS: February 2013

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

February 13, 2013: Canadian Authors Association Open Mic Night

Interested in what Vancouver writers are working on? Check out the popular Canadian Authors Association (CAA) Open Mic Night, where authors will be performing five-minute readings of their published works, ready-to-publish works, and first drafts.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for CAA members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: Alliance for Arts and Culture, 100-938 Howe Street, Vancouver
  • Registration

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February 20, 2013: EAC-BC meeting: Editing Books in Translation

Whether you’re a current (or would-be) editor of translations, or are simply curious about this intriguing niche, you won’t want to miss our February presentation. Join Iva Cheung, winner of Canada’s most coveted editing award for Cow: A Bovine Biography (translated from German), for an insider’s look at the pleasures and pitfalls of editing books in translation.

Iva will cover some big-picture issues, such as copyright and the all-important editor–translator relationship, as well as the nuts and bolts of working with a translated manuscript, including special problems you may encounter. She’ll also offer tips for finding work as an editor of translations.

About the speaker: An independent publishing consultant, Iva Cheung formerly served as editor and editorial coordinator at D&M Publishers, where translations were among her favourite projects. She is a Certified Professional Editor, winner of the 2011 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence, and author of a much-followed blog about editing and publishing.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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February 23, 2013: EAC-BC seminar: Freelance 101 for Editors: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Whether you’re thinking of taking the plunge into full- or part-time freelancing or are already doing it, this seminar is for you. Learn what to consider before setting up shop, how to find and keep good clients, and some of the common pitfalls and not-so-fun (yet necessary!) aspects of freelancing.

About the instructor: Barbara K. Adamski has been a freelance writer and editor for the better part of a decade. Her recent editing projects include a book on videogame law, several novels, and the bestselling ebook Finding Karla.

  • Time: 9h00–16h00
  • Cost: $120 for EAC members who register by February 1, 2013 (after: $140); $180 for non-members who register by February 1, 2013 (after: $200)
  • Location: SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
  • Registration: closes February 15, 2013, at 17h00

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EVENT LISTINGS: January 2013

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

January 12, 2013: EAC-BC seminar: Editing Fiction

Behind every great novelist and short story writer there is a great editor. In this seminar, acclaimed author and writing teacher Caroline Adderson will share techniques to help you bring out the greatness in your writers, from dazzling openings to moving endings and the whole story in between, including effective plotting, pacing, and dialogue.

She will also offer advice on the all-important writer-editor relationship.

About the instructor: Caroline Adderson is the author of three novels (A History of Forgetting, Sitting Practice, The Sky Is Falling), two collections of short stories (Bad Imaginings, Pleased to Meet You), as well as six books for young readers.

Her work has received numerous prize nominations, including the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, two Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes, the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, and the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Winner of two Ethel Wilson Fiction Prizes and three CBC Literary Awards, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award for mid-career achievement.

She lives in Vancouver, where she teaches in the Simon Fraser University Writing and Publishing Program.

  • Time: 9h00–16h00
  • Cost: $120 for EAC members who register by December 21, 2012 (after: $140); $180 for non-members who register by December 21, 2012 (after: $200)
  • Location: SFU Vancouver, 515 West Hastings Street, Room 2245 , Vancouver
  • Registration: closes January 4, 2013, at 17h00

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January 16, 2013: EAC-BC meeting: The Making of a Profession: Why Do Editors Need a National Association?

Speaker David Harrison asks what it means and what it takes to be a professional in your field—in fact, any field. Are editors there yet?

David will bring you some fresh, first-hand impressions of what EAC is doing at the national level to support editors and help advance the profession. He’ll talk about topics of member interest that are being addressed nationally and ask what you really want your national representatives to be doing on your behalf.

About the speaker: David Harrison is an experienced business and academic editor. He also worked for 20 years in the accounting profession, where he had to explain and defend professional accountants’ interests to lawyers, legislators, and judges. A long-standing EAC-BC member, David was branch secretary in 2010–2012 and is this year’s secretary of the National Executive Council.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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EVENT LISTINGS: December 2012

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

November 24—December 24, 2012: Vancouver Christmas Market

Looking to experience an authentic German Christmas market while you shop for traditional German Christmas decorations, toys, pottery, food and drink, jewellery, and crafts? Fancy a stroll through “romantic rows of little wooden huts decorated in pine branches and illuminated with strings of little white lights”? This market is for you!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYPjFvJnecs?rel=0&w=640&h=360]© Vancouver Christmas Market

  • Time: 11h00–21h00 (November 24–December 23); 11h00–18h00 (December 24)
  • Cost: $5 for adults (Monday–Friday: 16h00–21h00; Saturday–Sunday: 11h00–21h00); $2 for adults (Monday–Friday: 11h00–16h00); $2 for children age 7–12; no charge for children <7 years of age
  • Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza, 650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
  • More information

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December 5, 2012: SFU Philosophers’ Café: Is Language Changing for the Better or Worse?

The topic for this SFU Philosophers’ Café is sure to warm the hearts—and stir the blood—of all editors. It will be moderated by Dr. Lorna Fadden, the same Dr. Fadden who presented EAC-BC’s November 21, 2012, lecture on forensic linguistics.

Topics to be discussed include the following:

  • How is language changing?
  • What are some of the features that appear to be dying out?
  • What new features might be entering the language?

About the moderator: Dr. Lorna Fadden is an assistant professor of linguistics at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Over the past decade, her research has focused on discourse analysis, mostly of police interviews, and the methods and ethics of dealing with language evidence. She has consulted on numerous cases in Canada and the United States. She’s also SFU’s First Nations languages coordinator and a regular moderator for SFU’s Philosophers’ Café.

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December 8, 2012: EAC-BC Christmas party

Have you signed up for EAC-BC’s Christmas party? This year’s party will be an informal evening of board games, word games, gossip, shoptalk, and, for those who are feeling a little shy, icebreakers. (Don’t forget to bring your favourite games such as Scrabble, Snatch, and Scattergories). Guests are welcome. Dress is casual.

To avoid paying the cover charge, let the doorman know that you’re with EAC.

Have an idea for a party activity? Send your suggestion to social chair Eve Rickert.

  • Time: 18h30–closing
  • Cost: individual tabs (drinks start at <$5; nothing on menu >$12)
  • Location: The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
  • RSVP

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December 8–9, 2012: Got Craft? (holiday edition)

Held only twice a year, Got Craft? is Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair. Its mission? “To bring together a community that fosters handmade and DIY culture.” This is a great chance to shop for one-of-a-kind presents while participating in a crafting DIY workshop or two.

Bonus: the first 50 people through the front doors each day will receive free swag bags.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAGd_uGjL9E?rel=0&w=480&h=360]© Shaw TV

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EVENT LISTINGS: November 2012

Do you have an event planned (or know of one) that you’d like to appear in these listings? Send us the details.

November 2–3, 2012: Kamloops Writers Fair

Do you have a completed manuscript ready to pitch to a literary agent or a partially completed manuscript ready to be put through a Blue Pencil or tested at an open mike? Then check out the Kamloops Writers Fair, which “welcomes writers of all genres, as well as published and emerging writers.”

The keynote speaker will be Anthony Dalton, author and past president of the Canadian Authors Association.

  • Time: 19h00–closing (November 2); 9h00–17h00 (November 3)
  • Cost: $100 (full weekend registration: includes Open Mic Night/wine and cheese reception; keynote speech; 2 workshops; Blue Pencil session; Saturday lunch)
  • Location: The Old Courthouse Cultural Centre, 7 Seymour Street West, Kamloops
  • Tickets
  • More information

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November 7–11, 2012: Circle Craft Christmas Market

Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping? Reserve your tickets for this year’s Circle Craft Christmas Market. Browse the works of 280 Canadian artisans; create your own blown-glass tree ornament; see pottery and wood-turning demonstrations; watch performances by the Royal City Youth Ballet Company and the Anna Wyman School of Dance.

  • Time: 10h00–21h00 (November 7–9); 10h00–19h00 (November 10); 10h00–17h00 (November 11)
  • Cost: $12 at the door ($10 online) for adults; $10 at the door ($8 online) for seniors; $10 at the door ($8 online) for students with valid ID
  • Location: Vancouver Convention Centre West, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
  • Tickets
  • More information

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November 15–18, 2012: Christmas at Hycroft

Here’s an opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping while experiencing the “sights and sounds of Christmas in a traditional Edwardian mansion.”

Christmas at Hycroft is organized by The University Women’s Club of Vancouver. It is the club’s biggest single-event fundraiser of the year, with funds going to promote education, “rights and opportunities for women through advocacy locally, nationally and internationally, as well as ongoing stewardship of the grounds and buildings.”

  • Time: 10h00–21h00 (November 15–16); 10h00–18h00 (November 17–18)
  • Cost: $13 for adults ($10 on November 15); $5 for children age 5–11 (children <5 years of age: free); $30 for a Family Package (2 adults and 3 children)
  • Location: 1489 McRae Avenue, Vancouver
  • Tickets
  • More information

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November 18, 2012: EAC-BC seminar: Grammar Essentials for Writers and Editors (a Seminar for the Fainthearted and the Fearless)

Can you explain how a transitive verb differs from an intransitive one or how a phrase differs from a clause? Can you tell a client or your colleagues what is wrong with a sentence that “doesn’t sound right”? Note: this seminar will be held in Kelowna.

In this seminar, instructor Barbara Tomlin will guide you to a better understanding of sentence structure and grammar terminology through exercises, discussions, and group activities. You will learn about common errors that can mar otherwise good writing and leave the seminar feeling better about your grasp of the language that you use by instinct every day.

Whether you feel anxious when you hear the word “grammar” or are eager to address gaps in your knowledge, you will benefit from this review of how English works—and sometimes doesn’t.

Topics will include:

  • How grammar differs from usage and style
  • Parts of speech
  • Sentence problems
  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Misplaced and dangling modifiers
  • Grammar resources

About the instructor: Barbara Tomlin began working in the publishing industry more than 30 years ago, first for educational and trade book publishers, and then for magazine publishers. Since then she has edited, copy edited, and proofread a wide range of material for a variety of clients. She is certified as an editor in life sciences and is a past chair of the Editors’ Association of Canada Certification Steering Committee. She has also been an instructor for SFU’s Writing and Communications Program for more than 20 years and has developed writing and editing workshops for many organizations. She is a founding member of West Coast Editorial Associates.

  • Time: 9h30–16h30
  • Cost: $120 for EAC members who register by October 26, 2012 (after: $140); $180 for non-members who register by October 26, 2012 (after: $200)
  • Location: Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Avenue, Kelowna
  • Registration

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November 21, 2012: EAC-BC meeting: Language Detectives

What do syntax and CSI have in common?

What do syntax and CSI have in common? Find out in this fascinating glimpse into the world of forensic linguistics. Did a series of text messages sent before a fatal car crash constitute legitimate suicide notes? Can we tell if a 911-call transcript has been altered? In a series of letters, where does the author go from creep to stalker? Dr. Lorna Fadden, linguistics professor and consultant in the field of forensic linguistics, will tell us about these and other cases she has worked on. She’ll also discuss what she and her colleagues look for in their work, and how she came to be a language detective.

About the speaker: Dr. Lorna Fadden is an assistant professor of linguistics at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Over the past decade, her research has focused on discourse analysis, mostly of police interviews, and the methods and ethics of dealing with language evidence. She has consulted on numerous cases in Canada and the United States. She’s also SFU’s First Nations languages coordinator and a regular moderator for SFU’s Philosophers’ Café.

  • Time: 19h00–21h00
  • Cost: free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID
  • Location: YWCA on Hornby, 535 Hornby Street, Welch Room, 4th floor, Vancouver
  • Registration: at the door

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November 24, 2012: Canadian Authors Association workshop: Research—The Key to Writing Historical Fiction

In this workshop, instructors Robert Mackay and Margo Bates will teach you how to develop your ideas, characters, storyline, and story outcome based on research.

This workshop is hosted by the Canadian Authors Association (CAA).

  • Time: 13h00–16h00
  • Cost: $30 for CAA members; $60 for non-members; $35 for students with valid ID
  • Location: Alliance for Arts and Culture, 100-938 Howe Street, Vancouver
  • Registration

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November 24–29, 2012: Jewish Book Festival

Each year, the Jewish Book Festival attracts a large and varied audience to the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver for lectures, workshops, film screenings, book launches, and more. This year, more than 20 established and emerging Jewish and non-Jewish writers will be speaking at the event about subject matter ranging from literature and philosophy to history and current events.

  • Bookstore hours: 19h00–22h00 (November 24); 10h00–21h00 (November 25–29)
  • Cost for each event: varies (admission is charged for most events; some are free)
  • Location: Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, 950 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver
  • Tickets for events
  • Events program

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November 24—December 24, 2012: Vancouver Christmas Market

Looking to experience an authentic German Christmas market while you shop for traditional German Christmas decorations, toys, pottery, food and drink, jewellery, and crafts? Fancy a stroll through “romantic rows of little wooden huts decorated in pine branches and illuminated with strings of little white lights”? This market is for you!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYPjFvJnecs?rel=0&w=640&h=360]© Vancouver Christmas Market

  • Time: 11h00–21h00 (November 24–December 23); 11h00–18h00 (December 24)
  • Cost: $5 for adults (Monday–Friday: 16h00–21h00; Saturday–Sunday: 11h00–21h00); $2 for adults (Monday–Friday: 11h00–16h00); $2 for children age 7–12; no charge for children <7 years of age
  • Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza, 650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
  • More information

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Event Audio: What Editors Need to Know about E-Books

Couldn’t attend EAC-BC’s October 17, 2012, lecture on e-books? Listen to the audio recording.

Couldn’t attend EAC-BC’s October 17, 2012, lecture on e-books? The lecture, given by Lara Smith, print and digital coordinator at D&M Publishers, was detailed and educational. She reviewed different e-book formats and the kinds of content best suited to each.

She also:

  • Discussed different conversion methods and compared in-house and conversion-service workflows.
  • Reviewed a typical conversion and explained what kind of work is required after export, particularly to accommodate various e-reading devices.
  • Reviewed the inside of an EPUB file and metadata requirements.
  • Discussed digital rights management options.
  • Discussed how deciding to produce an e-book can affect the editing process.

Listen to audio recording (EAC log-in identity and password required).

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Event review: #LFMF

Couldn’t attend EAC-BC’s #LFMF event? Don’t worry. Programs co-chair Frances Peck has compiled a list of the “editing lessons learned”—editors’ true confessions, if you will—that were shared that evening.

At EAC-BC’s first meeting of the season (on September 19, 2012), about 35 of us gathered at the YWCA in Vancouver to drink wine, nibble cheese, catch up with fellow editors, and confess our failures. Humility was the watchword of the evening as we tweeted editing lessons we’ve learned the hard way (using the hashtag LFMF, learn from my fail) or described our embarrassing moments to the group.

See slide show.

The “winning” #LFMF lesson

The (unofficial) winner, for its black humour and high “uh-oh” factor:

Always turn off autocorrect. My instructor’s last name, Vigna, was autocorrected to vagina without my noticing.

More #LFMF lessons

The various lessons—about the importance of proofreading, the need for careful estimating, the pitfalls of technology, and more—were too valuable to keep to ourselves, so we’re sharing them with WCE readers. A big thank you to those who laid bare their biggest gaffes so that others needn’t repeat them.

“Materiel” isn’t always a misspelling. Learned the hard way from a military client.

Always review the document, or a good sample of it, before estimating. What’s described as an easy edit may really be a nightmare.

Proofread every invoice. I once tweaked my template and got my postal code wrong! Delayed payment, red face.

Say yes to every project and you’ll sacrifice quality. I look back on work from hectic times and know it wasn’t my best. Ouch.

If you’re sending an attachment, attach it BEFORE you write the email and forget to do it.

Before sending a style sheet to the client, don’t forget to give it one last A-to-Z sort.

Proofread your invoice template. There is no such thing as the GSH tax.

Mix estimate with educate for big jobs. Itemize the tasks you’ll do at each stage. Helps client appreciate the value for the $$ estimate.

Make sure all comments to self are deleted from final edit. Author should never see “Boring!” or “Gibberish.”

Always estimate based on word count—never on page count.

I edited a dissertation in LaTeX. When the (now) prof gave me the published copy (in person), I saw I’d edited no footnotes.

Your awesome new time-tracking software doesn’t do much good if you don’t press the “start” button.

Sent out a resumé several times mentioning articles I had published in a “newpaper.” Applying for copy-editing jobs.

When signing off with “Regards” in a memo to an author, keep in mind that the G and T keys are in close proximity.

See slide show.

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