Seminars

Meet the Instructor: Ruth Wilson

Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Adrienne Munro

Photo of Ruth Wilson smiling while dressed in a dark blue jacket and light blue top and wearing a necklace.

On Saturday, October 27, Editors BC presents Ruth Wilson’s seminar on structural editing. At the end of the seminar, participants will know the following:

  • How to assess a manuscript to identify structural issues
  • How to use an outline to reveal structure
  • What questions to ask when analyzing problems
  • How to avoid over-editing and respect the writer’s work
  • How graphics and design can support structural editing decisions
  • Why diplomacy can be just as important as editorial skill
  • How to estimate how long editing will take

This seminar will help anyone wishing to advance their structural editing abilities, broaden their skills base, or study for the structural certification test offered by Editors Canada this fall. It will be most useful for participants who already have some experience and understanding of structural editing, although editors at all levels are welcome. All course materials will be supplied. See the registration page for more details.

Ruth Wilson has more than 30 years’ experience editing trade books, professional journals, association publications, and corporate materials at all levels. She first honed her structural editing skills working at Vancouver book publisher Self-Counsel Press, and since then, she has shared what she has learned, having taught substantive editing in SFU’s Writing and Communications program for 15 years, along with other skills-based courses.

Ruth is a partner with West Coast Editorial Associates and has served on several national committees of Editors Canada. In 2011, she was honoured by Editors Canada as a recipient of the President’s Award for Volunteer Service, and in 2014, she was recognized as a Certified Professional Editor (Hon.) for her work in developing and launching Editors Canada’s world-class certification program.

Carl Rosenberg, a volunteer on Editors BC’s communications and social media committee, spoke to Ruth about her work on structural editing.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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October 27, 2018: Skilful Structural Editing

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, October 27, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 464, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes October 23; early-bird rates are in effect through October 9.

Many editors are intimidated when they are asked to do a structural edit. Unlike other stages of editing, structural editing has fewer “rules,” and there is never just one way to solve structural problems. Structural editors are called upon to clarify, reorganize, and even rewrite. Negotiation with the author is also often part of the job.

This one-day workshop will deepen your existing skills by examining a sure-fire approach and process. You will learn how to break down structural editing into manageable tasks and resolve imbalance in content and ensure the manuscript is appropriate for the intended audience. At the end of the workshop, participants will know

  • How to assess a manuscript to identify structural issues
  • How to use an outline to reveal structure
  • What questions to ask when analyzing problems
  • How to avoid over editing and respect the writer’s work
  • How graphics and design can support structural editing decisions
  • Why diplomacy can be just as important as editorial skill
  • How to estimate how long editing will take

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Meet the Instructor: Jessica Somers

Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Maggie Clark

Photo of Jessica Somers with long black hair smiling at the camera while dressed in a jean jacket, low-neck black top, and a number of black necklaces.

On Saturday, September 29, Editors BC presents Jessica Somers’ seminar on tax and finance for freelancers. This six-hour seminar will give an introduction to basic tax and finance issues for freelancers, including GST/HST registration, bookkeeping and record retention, and building financial stability without a salary. For editors new to freelancing, the seminar covers the basic essentials. And veteran freelancers will learn tips and tricks, have their questions answered, and clarify the details. See the registration page for more details.

Jessica Somers is a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CGA) with over 10 years of experience advising freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in Vancouver on tax, accounting, and business process. She is the founder of Cordova Street Consulting, a new firm in Gastown, which focuses on knowledge sharing, outreach, and taking the stress and mystery out of tax. Jessica is a facilitator and session leader at the CPA Western School of Business, where she teaches the next generation of Vancouver accountants and tax advisors.

Carl Rosenberg, a volunteer on Editors BC’s communications and social media committee, spoke to Jessica about her work on tax and finance issues for freelancers.

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September 29, 2018: Tax and Finance for Freelancers

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, September 29, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 481, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes September 25; early-bird rates are in effect through September 11.

So you’re a freelancer. What do you need to know to keep track of finances and file your taxes? This six-hour seminar provides an introduction to basic tax and finance issues for freelancers, including GST/HST registration, bookkeeping and record retention, and building financial stability without a salary. The day will be a mix of conversational learning and hands-on training, using a variety of helpful tools and apps to keep your finances on track.

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Meet the Instructor: Moira White

Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Katie Beaton

Framed by her short white hair, Moira White is smiling in this photo while wearing a long, red scarf and black shirt.

On Saturday, April 28, Editors BC presents Moira White’s seminar, “Eight-Step Editing.” This seminar breaks the editorial process down into tasks to improve the readability of an author’s written work. The eight steps are to shorten sentences, take out the trash (i.e., unnecessary phrases), deflate long words and phrases, reduce negatives, eliminate the equations (i.e., equating or linking verbs), activate the passives, lead with strength, and parade your paragraphs.

Moira White is an Ottawa-based editor, writer, and trainer with decades of experience in plain language editing, writing, and teaching for government and corporate clients. She entered the work world as a social worker and later moved into social policy with a master’s degree in the field. In both professions, she found that her organizational skills, attention to detail, and love of words pointed her in the direction of editing. Currently, she teaches writing and editing courses in Ottawa and across Canada. Moira is a past president of Editors Canada.

Carl Rosenberg, a volunteer on Editors BC’s communications and social media committee, spoke to Moira about her work and her forthcoming seminar.

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April 28, 2018: Eight-Step Editing

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, April 28, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 810, 8th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $175 for Editors Canada members ($145 early bird), $240 for non-members ($210 early bird), and $110 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes April 24; early-bird rates are in effect through April 10.

Eight-Step Editing teaches an approach to editing that helps writers and editors alike. Everyone who has ever clarified a sentence in an email, a report, or another written work can benefit from this workshop.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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March 24, 2018: Editorial Design Basics

What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, March 24, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 420, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes March 20; early-bird rates are in effect through March 6.

Good design is so much more than just placing words on a page—it uses subtle visual cues to reinforce and expand on the sense and meaning of writing. Do you wish you had a better understanding of how text, images, and space complement each other? Do you want to know what you, as an editor, can do to make the design process run more smoothly, for clients and colleagues alike?

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Meet the Instructor: Lana Okerlund

Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Chris Baxter

This photo depicts a headshot of Lana Okerlund smiling.

On Saturday, February 24, Editors BC presents Lana Okerlund’s seminar, “Crunching the Numbers: Using Performance Measures to Manage Your Editing Business.” The seminar will introduce the performance measurement cycle—a widely used concept in the business world—and help participants apply it to the business of editing.

A partner with West Coast Editorial Associates, Lana Okerlund edits, indexes, and writes non-fiction books and teaches editing and business writing courses. In her former career as a business consultant, Lana spent nearly a decade working with clients on business improvement projects, including performance measurement.

Carl Rosenberg, a volunteer on Editors BC’s communications and social media committee, spoke to Lana about her work on performance measurement.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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February 24, 2018: Crunching the Numbers: Using Performance Measures to Manage Your Editing Business

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, February 24, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 420, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes February 20; early-bird rates are in effect through February 6.

Is your editing business successful?

If you’re like a lot of editors, you may have a hard time answering this question with any specifics. You may have a vague sense of how your business is doing, and you might even feel comfortable with that level of uncertainty. But having real, hard data about how much you work, where your work comes from, and how much you earn for different types of projects or clients can empower you to take charge of your business and steer it in the direction that you want it to go.

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Meet the Instructor: Jennifer Landels

Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Maggie Clark

This photo depicts Jennifer Landels in her swordplay outfit with both hands holding onto the sword, making it point downwards.

On Saturday, January 27, Editors BC presents a seminar, “From Slush Pile to Newsstand: Workshopping the Magazine Workflow,” by long-time editor Jennifer Landels. This full-day seminar will walk participants through the typical workflow of a literary magazine, giving an overview of the production flow and various editorial stages, and giving participants hands-on experience in each of them. This seminar will be particularly helpful for editors looking to improve their workflow processes, change roles within their publications, or expand their publishing expertise.

Jennifer is a founding editor and managing editor of Pulp Literature Press. Prior to starting the press, she worked as a freelance editor, writer, and designer.

Carl Rosenberg, a volunteer on Editors BC’s communications and social media committee, spoke to Jennifer about her work and advice on magazine editing.

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