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Past eventsThis page lists the events that have already taken place in the current program year. If you missed an event and would like more information, please contact us.
Annual general meeting + EAC's 30th anniversary celebration2009-Oct-03 Our keynote speaker was Michelle Boulton, president of the Editors' Association of Canada. She spoke on "The Future of Editing in an Increasingly Digital Age." In her twenties, while at university, she helped to hand-make the college newspaper. That meant typing up the material, waxing the back, and attaching to "boards." Then someone carried it to the printer. Now she uses PDFs, Word's Track Changes feature, and various other software. Copy is delivered via e-mail to the printer. Gone are the days of using editors' marks. To find work in the digital age, she says it helps to have a Web site and/or blog plus e-newsletter. Consider Twitter and LinkedIn as well. International academic publishing needs online editors. The EAC has a national job board for its members. Companies pay $200 to post available jobs. Boulton acts as a "general contractor," subletting her extra work. Being online allows a person to work anywhere for anyone and get paid through PayPal, direct deposit, or other methods. Paul Payson and Michelle Boulton answered questions about the EAC Certified Professional Editor program. So far 100 people have been certified in various parts of the program. Four people have completed the whole program. Participants say they get more respect, better wages, and easier job hunting after passing some or all of the courses. The standards are set by a team and tests are audited by an outside group. The EAC might create a "maintenance" course to deal with new technology and editing issues as they come up. After the talk, we celebrated the EAC's 30th anniversary with refreshments. Many are interested in increasing co-operation and sharing of expertise between the MEA and EAC. One of Boulton's dreams is to have a Western Editors' Conference.
Freelancers' meeting: finding work through freelance Web sites2009-Oct-22 Moderator: Mark d'Almeida At our fall Freelancer's Event, we learnt a bit more about looking for work on the Internet. We discussed the pros and cons of this approach. Although there was a great deal of curiosity from the group, no one had tried to register or pitch for a job at the different types of freelance sites. Many people thought that this would be an option to consider when looking for work. Handouts (provided by Fern Swedlove):
Tales from the Mark(ed) Side: the author-editor relationship2009-Nov-07 Award-winning author Catherine Hunter delighted an enraptured audience as she interviewed Joan Thomas, Margaret Sweatman, and Bethany Gibson about everything from pencils to pizzle. Some of the conversation is captured below. Catherine asked the authors about the process of working with their editor (Bethany). Margaret said that Bethany is "like my mother: the greatest diplomat on earth." An editor/mother knows what the author/child intends and can therefore gently lead the way out of the mistakes in the text. Joan read excerpts from Bethany's e-mails that showed how deeply the editor moves into the process: Bethany begins with all the things she loves about your work, and she pays attention to her emotional response as she's reading. The authors agreed that they're never sure how much of their mind makes it onto the page, so a responsive reading is crucial in clarifying the intent of the storyline. Margaret confessed that at first she had no idea how to work with editors; she assumed that she should just "erase everything" and rewrite it according to their suggestions. Joan revealed that sometimes she would read the editor's e-mails with dismay, not sure if she could enter the material yet again to work on it. Over time, she learned that the material is quite pliable, and that she could safely journey back into her imaginaton to re-imagine the scene—it's much more than just lines of words on a page. Stories about less-than-effective editing experiences before they met Bethany reinforced the theme that an editor's approach strongly affects the author's response, both emotionally and textually. Catherine Hunter was born in Regina, Saskatchewan but moved to Winnipeg when she was very small, and currently lives in St. Boniface. She has a Ph. D. in Canadian Literature from the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, and has been teaching English and Creative Writing at the University of Winnipeg since 1991. She mainly writes poetry and novels, and sometimes short fiction, essays, and reviews. Joan Thomas: Reading by Lightning has garnered international attention and has been listed as one of the Globe and Mail’s 100 Best Books in 2008. Thus far it has won The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in the Canadian and Caribbean Region along with the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Joan’s second book, Curiosity, is due out from McClelland & Stewart in 2010. Margaret Sweatman is a novelist, playwright, and lyricist. She teaches literature and creative writing and performs with the Broken Songs Band. Her three previous novels garnered Sweatman the McNally Robinson Prize for the Manitoba Book of the Year, the John Hirsch Award for the most promising Manitoba writer, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, and the Carol Shields Winnipeg Award. She has also won a Genie for the song "When Wintertime," which she co-wrote with her husband Glenn Buhr for the film Seven Times Lucky. She was born in Winnipeg where she now makes her home. Bethany Gibson has worked as an editor for close to 15 years, both in-house with Goose Lane Editions, and on a freelance basis. She has worked with Anne McDermid & Associates, a literary agency in Toronto; operated The Literary Consultancy Canada, a manuscript assessment and publishing advice service; and edited Dreaming Home, an anthology of short fiction by new and emerging writers. Bethany Gibson is currently working as a freelance editor in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Tour of provincial and HBC archives2009-Nov-25 On a beautiful November evening, a slightly larger group than promised (!) showed up to discover the secret treasures of the Manitoba and HBC archives on Vaughan Street. Expert tour guides Heather and Joan explained the architectural history of the building, and then took us to the cavernous Research Room: the room that allows you to look up what’s available in the archives. The facility also has a searchable online database available at http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives. Standing nonchalantly against a nondescript column of the Research Room is The Longcase Clock, purchased by the HBC for £15 in 1684—and still keeping perfect time! The show-stopper of the tour was the Viewing Vault of the HBC archives, which held tantalizing treasures on the outside as well as the inside. The Hudson’s Bay Company, founded in 1670, is the oldest chartered trading company in the world, and they cared for their own records for the first 300 years of their history. Gobsmacked editors pressed their noses against the glass of the climate-controlled room to peer into the private diaries of gossipy governors and their wives, study sketches of scenery and beaver tails, and admire an antique escritoire. Below is a list of some of the items found both outside and inside the vault: Outside
Inside
"Whine & Dine" lunch: December2009-Dec-08 Freelancers and in-house editors alike enjoyed great conversation and wonderful food at our very first Whine & Dine lunch. Come join us next time! The lunches are on the second Tuesday of every month.
"Whine & Dine" lunch: January2010-Jan-12 Lunch at The Nook was scrumptious and the conversation was titillating. Topics included the controversial renaming of The Beaver (Canada's History Magazine), what to leave out when a tight deadline prevents editorial perfection, and the rise of texting language in digital publications (and sometimes in schools).
The history of English, part II: "Ascertaining English"2010-Jan-16 In a fact-filled, engaging presentation, Dr. Zbigniew Izydorczyk, who is a professor at the University of Winnipeg, spoke to us about the development of the rules guiding how English is used (also known as prescriptivism). This full day workshop began with describing the events in the 15th and 16th century when linguisitic awareness was first developing. As the awareness of the English language was evolving, there was concern as to how to ascertain the language. This led to the development of grammar and etymology. After a great workshop last year with Dr. Izydorczyk on the development of English, we knew our keen editors wanted to know more about this topic. Dr. Izydorczyk kept the excited group of editors in rapture as he shared his passion for this topic.
"Whine & Dine" lunch: February2010-Feb-09 Four wise editors chose to upgrade their resumes by attending the Whine & Dine lunch, Tuesday, February 9 at The Nook on Sherbrook Street. We covered many erudite topics including the assigned one: "How do you feel about gender pronouns where the male form is used to signify all of humanity? Are you a stickler for inclusiveness or a pragmatist who says it doesn't matter?" We all leaned towards inclusiveness, assuming that women make up half the population and so deserve to have pronoun equality. One fellow who edits for religious publications said he repeats the word God a lot and finds other ways to avoid using He, Him, and His.
Writing and editing for the Web: Smarter! Faster! Better! Stronger!2010-Feb-20 Web design guru Kelly Thibodeau challenged our brains in this all-day event. We learned how to write headlines that grab attention, paragraphs that won’t put you to sleep, and links that don’t send your customers around in circles (or worse yet, to the competition). Using examples of good and poor Web sites, we used our new skills to evaluate the designs and suggest improvements to the ineffective ones. Editors discovered the key secrets to creating good Web copy from good (or not-so-good) print copy. We started from the basics, such as never putting stale content on the home page, to the the more advanced stuff, including the secrets of effective linking. Developing the skills of a Web editor gives you a really bright future, so we hope to have Kelly back again some day.
"Whine & Dine" lunch: March2010-Mar-09 Whine & Dine celebrated its fourth anniversary (started four months ago) at The Nook with five people present. We chewed over the idea of removing the apostrophe from the Manitoba Editors' Association. The pro argument was that it's good to streamline; lots of groups don't use it – let's change with the times. Those in the opposite corner said we are editors committed to keeping proper punctuation and so should keep the apostrophe. We are an association of editors, which means we should use the genitive case. One stalwart editor said this issue is a shibboleth; a do-or-die division between the wimps and the tough-enough editors who can handle an apostrophe in our title. Wikipedia backs up our learned editor with this definition: "A shibboleth is any distinguishing practice which is indicative of one's social or regional origin. It usually refers to features of language, and particularly to a word whose pronunciation identifies its speaker as being a member or not a member of a particular group." One W&D'er suggested that whichever form we use, we add a note on the website explaining why we chose that form. Next Whine & Dine is Tuesday, April 13 at The Nook Diner, 43 Sherbrook Street, 11:45. Mark your calendar so you don't forget and we'll send a reminder as well. Next topic to consider is Time Management: how we juggle multiple editing projects. ******* Scott Smallwood, who was present at the March Whine & Dine, clarifies his argument against using an apostrophe in MEA’s title. Most people seem to agree that apostrophes
Argument for using an apostrophe in the title of the association of editors seems based on the idea that the word “of” denotes only possession. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary recognizes that “of” has ten uses or shades of meaning:
The seventh usage in the list above fits well with the way I feel about my relationship with Manitoba editors. I’m not a founder of the Manitoba association of editors. Paying dues doesn’t make me an owner. Calling apostrophe use a shibboleth is way too serious for me. The word genitive is just a pretentious word for possessive. I believe English is a world language because it is descriptive, not prescriptive. All editors need standards to make the job possible, but they also need to be flexible enough to avoid being left behind. My view is that using an apostrophe to show possession in the title of the association is a superfluous, potentially confusing affectation. If you think my view is too revolutionary, you will be as amazed as I was to discover a language historian who believes using an apostrophe to show possession is wrong from a historical perspective: http://research-writing-techniques.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_origins_of_the_apostrophe. He dredges up some Chaucerian-era sexist language issues in the process. ******* What do members of the MEA think about the apostrophe in our title? We would like to hear from you. If you could state your preference plus why you think that way, we will tabulate the results and let you know which way the wind bloweth! If you join the MEA's Listserv then you can participate in an active discussion with other members!
The lighter side of punctuation2010-Mar-23 This workshop was inspired by the book Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Bev Phillips taught us some new (for some of us) concepts like the interrobang symbol, a question mark and exclamation point all in one—and reminded us of traditional uses for the comma, colon, and semi-colon. She said the comma is like a sheepdog, always herding words into groups and lists to clarify meaning. A misplaced comma can actually be the focus of lawsuits. A sentence can have two or more meanings, depending on where the comma is put. Here are some practical tidbits:
Useful Web sites: www.nationalpunctuationday.com; www.lynntruss.com
"Whine & Dine" lunch: April2010-Apr-13 Details to come soon...
Book editing panel: "From manuscript to publication"2010-Apr-13 Our April 13 book panel was well attended by a wide variety of editors and, judging from questions from the audience, several writers with manuscripts who are looking for editors! Jenny Gates offered wisdom from her over fifteen years of editing self-published books. She argued that we need to create a new term for self-published books, which, she feels, are seen unfairly (and inaccurately) as lesser quality than books accepted by publishers. Her view is that if it’s worth a writer taking their time to write a book, then it’s worth their effort to publish it. She tends to take on one book at time so she can focus on that story, and she may take six months to finish editing a book, although once she spent a year on a book. She works up to five hours a day on the editing and makes sure that the writers are kept informed about how much time she thinks it will take. Doug Whiteway started his editorial career as a journalist, became an author of mystery novels, a magazine editor (for the magazine formerly known as The Beaver) and more recently has been editing mystery fiction for publishers Heartland Associates and Signature Editions for. His next novel Twelve Drummers Drumming is scheduled for publication by Bantam Books in 2011. Doug says his job as editor is to help the writer find where the real story begins and to bring balance to the story. In his position, he not only edits, but also selects manuscripts that his company will publish. Marjorie Anderson sees one of her tasks as an editor is to help the writer find his or her entry point into the story. Marjorie collaborated with Carol Shields in editing the Dropped Threads anthologies and now does freelance editing. She tells writers that their first step is to “write what you need to say”. The second step is to write that the reader needs to know. She sees her role as an informed and careful and detailed reader. Every writer needs those other set of eyes that an editor can bring. Her work is to polish a manuscript to the point where a writer can publish it themselves, or send to a publisher for consideration. When a writer asks her, “Is my manuscript good?”, Marjorie replies, “Good for what?” She asks writers to consider what their goals are for a manuscript. Certainly, some people are looking for a bestseller, which may not be realistic, but others may simply want a story they can pass on to their family and friends. The panellists also discussed rates (from “good rates”, to $50 an hour, and up to $100 an hour), negotiating contracts, and how to promote books after they’re published. It was clear from the interest shown at this event that the MEA should offer another workshop soon that focuses on self-publishing (for which we may have a new term, by then!). Marjorie Anderson has a PhD in English literature and taught writing, literature and communication at the University of Manitoba for two decades. During those years she also collaborated with her friend and colleague Carol Shields in editing the Dropped Threads anthologies. Currently, through her company, Wordwise, she does freelance editing, teaches personal story writing and manages literary projects from manuscript to polished book stage. As well, she and family members have formed a local, select publishing company, Anderson House. Jenny Gates: Jenny has been editing in various capacities for 25 years. Her first gig as in-house Editor of Scientific Publications at the Australian Museum was so much fun that she decided to go freelance when she moved to Winnipeg 15 years ago. Jenny’s cup of tea is book editing because it allows her to delve into the world of self-publishing authors and work side-by-side with them on their journey to publication. With 14 titles under her pen, she is currently in the middle of a year-long sabbatical as she pursues other projects. Doug Whiteway: Doug Whiteway has written and edited nonfiction and fiction for numerous clients over more years than he cares to think about. Most recently, he has edited mystery fiction for Winnipeg publishers Heartland Associates and Signature Editions, the latter of which published his crime novel Death in Cold Type in 2005. His next novel, “Twelve Drummers Drumming,” is scheduled for publication by Bantam Books in spring 2011. Elsewhere, he is a Carleton University journalism school graduate and has worked as a reporter and feature writer for the Winnipeg Free Press and as an editor for the magazine formerly known as The Beaver.
Visit the archives to read about past years' events: 2004-2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009
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