Erin Brenner smiling, wearing glasses
Rhonda with her hand on her chin
A photo of Hope, Tania, and Lynn.
A photo of Onjeinika Brooks standing with her hands on top of one another and smiling. She is in front of a yellow and black wall.

On Coaching and Editing: An Interview with Merielle Kazakoff

Interview by Lola Opatayo; copy edited by Naomi Randall Dobler

Editors BC is pleased to welcome Merielle Kazakoff, our April seminar facilitator, to the West Coast Editor. In this interview, she discusses the joys and challenges of being a writing coach, the differences between coaching and traditional editing, and her photography.  

What do you believe are some of the biggest challenges facing self-publishing authors today?

One of the most common challenges authors have is how to market their book. Self-publishing means self-funding, and authors would like a return on the money they put into it. Plus, they have a story to share, so how to do so in the most widespread and effective way is another hurdle. There is a lot of competition to get noticed. 

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Karin Cather smiling at the camera.
hands around a checklist
business woman making decision between time or money, time is money concept. Balancing Time and Money.

Running Editing Businesses with Data: An Interview with Maya Berger

To wrap up the year, the West Coast Editor chatted with Maya Berger about TEA, a data analysis tool she developed for tracking business progress. Maya shares the story behind this tool and how editors can use it. Maya is January’s seminar facilitator. 

WC: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. Can you share a little about yourself and what inspires the work you do?

I’m Maya Berger, an editor, a proofreader, a business admin educator, and an unapologetic Excel fan. I worked as an editor and editorial manager in the higher education publishing sector for over 10 years before deciding to start my own editorial business, What I Mean to Say, in 2016. I love helping authors get their meanings across and working with them to remove any barriers to clear communication.

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A headshot of Jennifer Lalwer posing before a dark blue background

Jennifer Lawler on Pursuing an Editing Career: “Just go out there and do it!”

Interview by Lola Opatayo; copy edited by Naomi Dobler

Editors BC is pleased to welcome Jennifer Lawler, this month’s seminar facilitator and successful editing tutor, to share lessons learned from her teaching career and business tips for prospective editors.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s begin with your journey into teaching. What inspired you to start teaching other editors?

I fell into it! It wasn’t anything I intended to start doing. I began my career a long time ago teaching English literature at the university level, and I’ve always loved being a teacher, but working as a freelance editor (and writer) fit into my life much better.

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Introducing Rhonda Kronyk, Settler/Dene Editor Specializing in Editing Work By and For Indigenous Peoples

Interview by Marta Orellana; copy edited by Holly Sawchuk

Editors BC is pleased to welcome Rhonda Kronyk as a presenter for our October 20, 2021, monthly meeting, “Indigenous Editing.”

As an Indigenous editor (Tsay Keh Dene, northern BC), Rhonda helps foster a respect for Indigenous perspectives in the world of writing and editing. 

Read on to learn about the important work that Rhonda does, how she got started, and how editors can take an active role in reconciliation.

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