Pieces

A black bottle with the illustrated label "Bat Wing Potion" sits to the right of a candle and a fake skull that are both on top of a book called "The Works of Poe."
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Gleaming Things

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Written by David Antrobus; copy edited by Lydia du Bois

When I was kindly asked to write a blog post about editing horror, I was happy to accept an invitation to discuss two of my favourite things: editing and horror fiction. But then, I stepped back and thought some more, and a question occurred to me: How is editing horror any different from editing fiction in general? At first blush, the answer to that is a simple one: it isn’t.

Except—and don’t you love the exceptions?—when the editor is involved early in the editing process. Both developmental editing and manuscript evaluations offer the greatest opportunity to help authors shape their manuscripts. Many of my clients across all genres are independent self-publishers and therefore don’t generally have the budget to saunter their leisurely way through the various levels of editing, but those who do ask for those early stages will likely benefit the most.

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An orange-yellow sign displays the curly words "Welcome" in a dark brown font colour.
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Greetings from Our Member Services Chair

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Written by Lucy Kenward; copy edited by Maggie Clark

Welcome to a new executive term with Editors BC. As the executive’s newly elected member services chair, I’m looking forward to connecting with many of you over the coming months. I’d like to hear your ideas about how we can improve your Editors Canada membership experience in this province.

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A group of people are sitting on the grass in a circle putting one of their hands toward the middle of the circle in a show of camaraderie.
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Recognizing the Efforts of Iva Cheung and the Editing Community

Written by Janine Harker; copy edited by Meagan Kus

I am terrible at making choices, especially between good things. Put a menu in front of me and at best, I’ll have narrowed my choices to two or three equally desirable options by the time the server arrives.

Imagine my trepidation, then, when asked to participate in the selection of the 2019 Karen Virag Award recipient. I can barely manage to choose what to eat—how was I going to help select an award recipient?

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The Westin Nova Scotian is in the background with trees, greenery, and parking at the forefront.
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Event Review: Attending the Editors Canada Conference 2019

Written by Karen Smith; copy edited by Katie Beaton

This past June, I flew from British Columbia to Nova Scotia and joined Editors Canada in celebrating the organization’s 40th anniversary conference. It was both my first Editors Canada conference and my first time in Halifax. As a novice conference attendee, I wanted to learn as much as I could at the training sessions. I also hoped to make some new connections in the publishing world. However, as I prepared to fly east, I wasn’t sure what to expect at the conference and whether it would be worth the time and cost to attend. Ultimately, it was an overwhelmingly positive experience, and I was glad to have been part of it. In return, I hope that sharing my experience may give other editors insight into whether attending the conference will be of value to them.

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A wooden chair with a cushion on it sits next to a wooden table that has a cup of coffee, marked up papers, and a red pen on its surface.
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Event Review: Ruth Wilson’s Seminar, “Advanced Proofreading”

Written by Nancy Tinari; copy edited by Katie Beaton

Ruth Wilson’s “Advanced Proofreading” seminar provided us with a wealth of information, tips, and exercises derived from Wilson’s decades of experience. The hours flew by as we learned, worked, and occasionally became sidetracked by those minute issues that editors love to debate.

Though the other participants and I had wildly divergent proofreading experiences, I’m confident that all of us found Wilson’s seminar to be valuable. Her material was extensive and broad enough to help near-beginners as well as those more experienced in hard copy markup, online markup, or both.

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Editors BC Is Going Live!

Written by Roma Ilnyckyj; copy edited by Maggie Clark

As the executive of Editors BC, we know that we have members all across BC, as well as in Yukon, and we know that this geographic range means that a lot of our members don’t get the same access to Editors BC benefits as those who live in or near Vancouver. To address this gap, we have some initiatives in the works. For a start, we’re making our monthly meetings accessible to all our members through live streaming.

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A leather notebook with a navigation symbol rests against the edge of a laptop on a brown, shiny surface near two mechanical pencils.
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Event Review: Editors BC’s Seminar, “Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips”

Written by Joanna Vandervlugt; copy edited by Maggie Clark

On Saturday, February 23, 2019, I attended Frances Peck’s seminar for Editors BC, “Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips.”

Despite coming over from Vancouver Island, I found this seminar’s location convenient. The seminar was set up in Vancouver at the BCIT Downtown Campus. This place was an easily accessible one for those who were familiar with the SkyTrain routes like myself.

After reaching my destination from the SkyTrain and settling in, I got to know a bit more about the other class participants. We introduced ourselves, and it seemed that the seminar participants ranged from proofreaders, editors, writers, and academics. Many commented that they were a fan of Frances, and I soon learned why.

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Three rows of six posters with differently shaped heads face toward a window that is reflecting tree branches and fall leaves.
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Event Review: Vancouver Writers Fest 2018: Recap of “Three-Degrees-from-Normal”

Written by Nancy Tinari; copy edited by Katie Beaton

A yellow board has several posters advertising different Vancouver Writers Fest 2018 events.

The “Three-Degrees-from-Normal” panel event occurred on October 19, 2018, and it featured authors Kevin Chong (The Plague), Claudia Dey (Heartbreaker), Waubgeshig Rice (Moon of the Crusted Snow), and Rabindranath Maharaj (Adjacentland), with Claudia Casper moderating the conversation. In their new books, all of these authors wrote about crisis situations.

These writers also have in common tremendously vivid imaginations; however, the discussions about where the ideas for their books came from made these three-degrees-from-normal scenarios seem eerily plausible. Even though their settings and situations may seem extreme, they are all intimately related to what is happening in the world right now.

We got a taste of each writer’s imaginative world from Casper’s introductions and brief readings by the authors. Casper then asked the panellists to explain how the scenarios and ideas expressed in their novels could be related to current events.

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A blue banner with the words "Vancouver Writers Fest Bookstore" is surrounded by brilliant light and trees near a quay-like environment.
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Event Review: Vancouver Writers Fest 2018: “Lives Off-Road” with Three Fearless Women

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Written by Nancy Tinari; copy edited by Adrienne Munro

On Friday, October 19, I had the pleasure of attending the Vancouver Writers Festival on Granville Island. I’ve attended sessions there for many years now, and I invariably find the panels of writers inspiring and thought-provoking.

This year was no exception. In this article, I’m writing about an event entitled “Lives Off-Road,” featuring writers Kate Harris, Jan Redford, and Joanna Streetly, with moderator Amanda Lewis. (Lewis is the editorial director of Page Two Strategies, a company that helps writers with all aspects of producing self-published non-fiction books.)

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Book Review: Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors

Written by Jessie Laven; copy edited by Rebecca A. Coates

Review of “Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors ” by Bill Bryson (Doubleday Canada, 2008; Anchor Canada, 2009).

Image of the cover for Bill Bryson's book "Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors," which features one tall green book and a shorter blue book.

Bill Bryson is well known for his books on travel, science, history, and the English language. And this particular book of his, Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors, is an eclectic mix, reflecting the varied experiences of Bryson’s long and distinguished writing career. It’s different from his usual writings, and perhaps more dry, but no less valuable or insightful.

Before turning to writing, Bryson worked as an editor for several newspapers, including the Independent and the Times.  During this time, his manuscript began as a collection of notes that were assembled piece by piece over the years as he encountered questions or uncertainties. The resulting book is a useful guide for new writers and editors, answering questions they likely wouldn’t think to ask. It is driven by a desire to enlighten the reader and help them avoid common pitfalls.

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