Volunteer Spotlight: Meghan Fandrich 

Editors BC is proud to spotlight our March volunteer, Meghan Fandrich. Our volunteer coordinator, Justin Chevrier, asked Meghan a few questions.

Image credit:  Shelanne Justice Photography

What is your dream vacation destination? Why?

If I could, even just for a day, I would go home: home to Lytton, to the vibrant little village that existed before the fire. I would walk down the tree-lined street with my daughter, who celebrated her sixth, seventh, and now eighth birthday on the edge of a burned-up town. We would visit my art café and the neighbour’s ice cream shop, look up at the mountains, and our hearts would fill up. I can’t imagine a better place.

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Editors BC General Meeting: New Guest Speaker and Presentation Topic

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7:30–8:30 pm PDT

Where: Online through Zoom

Cost: Free for Editors Canada members, $10 for non-members, $5 for student non-members

Food and travel writing: A journalist’s story

Don Genova’s editing experience has ranged from being severely edited (his first-ever story for the Toronto Star) to editing student writing in his Food and Travel Writing course at UBC. Along the way, he’s trained new journalists in supervisory roles and judged many writing competitions for various food and travel writing organizations. 

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Being an Indigenous Writer: Expectations, Realities, and Opportunities

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7:30–8:30 pm PDT

Where: Online through Zoom

Cost: Free for Editors Canada members, $10 for non-members, $5 for student non-members

While Jenn Ashton has always been a writer, only for the past decade has she considered herself an Indigenous writer, a label borne of perspective and opportunity and shaped by perception and expectation. While being an Indigenous writer felt stifling at first, Jenn has discovered the extraordinary benefits of Two-Eyed Seeing (one eye seeing two perspectives, Western and Indigenous). She will share the realities and opportunities available to Indigenous writers everywhere.

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Volunteer Spotlight: Michelle Hardy 

Editors BC is proud to spotlight our February volunteer, Michelle Hardy. Michelle volunteers as a Blue Pencil editor. In this interview, Justin Chevrier, Editors BC’s volunteer coordinator, asks Michelle about her proudest editing moment, her favourite punctuation mark, and more.

Michelle smiling, wearing a black shirt.
Michelle Hardy 

What or who makes you laugh out loud?

Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek. I love her confidence and style, her syntax and vocabulary.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Cookies. 

What is your dream vacation destination? Why?

Italy. I look forward to exploring Italian food, art, architecture, and coastline and listening to the language. 

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Editors BC General Meeting: Learn More About the 2024 Editors Canada Conference in Vancouver

When: Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 7:30–8:30 pm PDT

Where: ​​Online through Zoom

Cost: Free for Editors Canada members, $10 for non-members, $5 for student non-members

This month, you’re invited to a sneak preview of the upcoming 2024 Editors Canada conference (Vancouver, June 21 to 23). In this informal meeting, local conference organizers will share ideas and updates about an exciting range of conference activities. Members giving presentations or workshops may also share brief overviews, hinting at the range of topics and depth of discussion this conference will cover. 

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Announcement: Writers for Readers

On March 13, 2024, the Richmond Public Library will host Writers for Readers. The program is a half-day writers festival from 2–7 pm and will take place at the Brighouse Library. 

Writers for Readers will showcase authors living in Richmond and feature talks from three bestselling BC authors: Iona Whishaw (Lane Winslow mystery series), Eve Lazarus (Murder by Milkshake, Cold Case BC), and Nick Marino (East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE). Our featured speakers will give a one-hour talk about their writing, with a question-and-answer session at the end.

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Registration Open: Editors Canada Conference 2024 

We’re pleased to announce that Editors Canada Conference 2024 will take place from June 21 to 23. The conference will be held at the Harbour Centre campus of Simon Fraser University, and the theme is Present Progressive: Passion, Precision, and Purpose.

How to attend

Registration for the conference is now open, and early bird prices are available until April 25—which is just around the corner. See below for pricing, or visit the conference website for registration, accommodation, and more details. You can also download the PheedLoop app to stay on top of conference updates.

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Proofreading for Businesses and Ad Agencies

By Sharon McInnis, CEO (Chief Error Officer) at ProofingQueen® Editing

I’ve been a freelance proofreader for corporations and advertising agencies for 20+ years. My clients rely heavily on effective communication to promote their products and services (or those of their clients) and they need to know that their materials are error-free.

Now, I’m aware that I’m talking to editors and proofreaders, so I know that your clients and employers have the same needs. And, of course, no matter whose material you’re proofreading, it’s always about finding and fixing typos, spelling errors, missing punctuation, grammar mistakes, etc.

However, in my experience, many businesses and ad agencies don’t use editors, so a proofreader is often the last line of defence. A corporate proofreader brings a fresh set of eyes to find typos and inconsistencies. It’s a lucrative field, so in late March, I’ll be teaching an online course titled Proofreading for Businesses and Ad Agencies for the U.S.-based Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).

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AI, Tech, and Editing: A Pragmatic Toolbox

When: Saturday, March 2 (9:00 am to 12:00 pm PDT) and Saturday, March 9, 2024, (9:00 am to 12:00 pm PDT)

Where: Online via Zoom

The sudden proliferation of AI text tools in 2023 has upended many industries in a very short span, creating in equal parts fear, confusion, and excitement for the future. 

This webinar aims to empower editors with a raft of AI tools to enhance their workflows today. It sets aside ethical debates about the technology and instead takes a pragmatic and clear-eyed look at useful tech and the direction in which the market is moving in the short term. 

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