Book Review: Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers

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Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Michael Ferreira

Review of “Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers” by Louise Harnby, in association with The Publishing Training Centre.

Louise Harnby Business Planning…As a new editor, I have set out to learn as much as I can about editing, both the business and the craft. Among the many fantastic resources I’ve discovered are Louise Harnby’s blog, The Proofreader’s Parlour, and books, Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers and Marketing Your Editing & Proofreading Business.

Harnby is a UK-based proofreader and an advanced member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. She has more than 20 years’ experience in publishing and started her own business in 2005.

Business Planning for Editorial Freelancers is written with the complete beginner in mind and assumes no prior editorial experience. It aims to cover everything a new editorial freelancer would need to know, from education and training to finding clients and growing your business.

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Event Review: Beyond Track Changes

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Written by Amy Haagsma; copy edited by Meagan Kus

Review of seminar Beyond Track Changes with Iva Cheung, Grace Yaginuma, and Ann-Marie Metten (offered by EAC-BC on November 29, 2014).

For most editors, the majority of our onscreen editing is done using Microsoft Word. For many of us, it’s a love–hate relationship: we’ve learned to live with (or work around) the “features” we dislike.

EAC-BC’s November seminar, Beyond Track Changes, promised to help us get the most out of Word, tame its most irritating features, and work more efficiently, as well as to demystify advanced features like wildcard searches and macros. Naturally, the seminar sold out quickly!

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An Interview with Roma Ilnyckyj, EAC-BC’s Programs Chair

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Written by Frances Peck; copy edited by Meagan Kus

Roma Ilnyckyj WCERoma Ilnyckyj is an editor at Vancouver-based Talk Science to Me. She sits on the EAC-BC executive as programs chair, which involves organizing the monthly meetings and social events.

Here, she tells EAC-BC member Frances Peck about the twisty road that led her to editing (a road that passed, interestingly, through China). She also talks about her book, her volunteer work, and her favourite editing habits and moments.

Tell us a bit about the editing you do. What sorts of projects do you work on?

I work for a science communications company, and I do mostly copy editing and proofreading. I work on research reports, some books, and also websites. Lately I’ve been working a lot on blogs—editing blog posts but also doing search engine optimization and helping out with social media. Continue reading →

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Event Review: Access to Information: The Role of Editors

Written by Stephanie Warner; copy edited by Meagan Kus

Recap of EAC-BC’s branch meeting on November 19, 2014

How can we, as editors and writers, make information accessible for a diverse range of readers?

The learning topic of EAC-BC’s November monthly meeting was Access to information: The role of editors. The lively and engaging panel discussion—moderated by Shana Johnstone, principal of Uncover Editorial + Design—focused on how communicators deal with their audiences’ particular challenges.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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January 24, 2015: Building a Successful Editing Business with Peter Moskos

What: EAC-BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, January 24, 2015, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where: Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel, 1133 W Hastings Street | map

For many editors, working as an individual freelancer or in-house editor is just the ticket. For others, the idea of growing an editing business holds strong appeal. Using a series of discussion scenarios, we’ll start the workshop by looking at how you run and handle work overload in a single-person business. We’ll then explore possible expansions from a simple partnership to an incorporated company with employees. As part of our journey, we’ll stop to learn how to estimate costs for an editing project and how to prepare a proposal for editing work. These are abilities every freelance editor needs. We’ll also consider what’s wrong when you are doing more work but taking home less money. Whatever your business goal, you’ll find strategies for making your editing business succeed and molding it to a lifestyle that suits you.

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Gift Guide for Editors and Writers 2014

Written by Jennifer S. Getsinger, Ph.D., P.Geo.; copy edited by Joanne King

Are you wondering what to give all the wordsmiths on your shopping list this holiday season? How about decent pay, a steady flow of work (without having to do too much promotion), and a good computer that doesn’t keep crashing in Microsoft Word? All joking aside, it’s easy to find many more-or-less affordable gifts for editors and writers. Here are some gift suggestions that will delight even the most difficult to please.

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EAC-BC Update on National Executive Council Positions

EAC’s national executive council has announced that three previously vacant positions have been filled on an interim basis.

  • Moira White, director of professional standards, has also assumed the role of interim president.
  • Anne Louise Mahoney, director of publications, has also assumed the role of interim vice-president.
  • Emily Staniland, director of volunteer relations, has also assumed the role of interim secretary.

Please contact Micheline Brodeur, branch chair, with any questions.

Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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January 21, 2015: Editing for the Ear: A Speech Writer’s Perspective

What: EAC-BC monthly meeting
When: Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 7:00–9:00 pm
Where: Welch Room, 4th floor, YWCA Health + Fitness Centre, 535 Hornby Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: Free for EAC members; $10 for non-members; $5 for students with valid ID. Registration at the door.

Join well-known Vancouver speech writer Colin Moorhouse for a one-hour workshop on writing and editing speeches. He will discuss the six key elements of writing an engaging speech and cover issues such as the nature of the event; the oratorical skills of the speaker; and matters of story, language, humour, and interest. He will also provide insight on where the editor can play a crucial role in polishing a keynote speech for final delivery to the client.

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