Welcome back, members! We have a new team of coordinators this year.
September has been a busy month for the twig. After saying good-bye and thank you to our outgoing twig coordinator from 2017–2019, Catherine Rupke (https://www.literallyperfectediting.xyz/), we welcomed Sophie Blom and Angela Gradish as incoming coordinators for 2019–2021. Maxie Bai Martin, our coordinator from 2017–2019, will continue as a co-coordinator with Angela and Sophie.
From Angela:
I’m excited to be serving as co-coordinator for the KWG twig, and I look forward to meeting more of you at our upcoming events! I’m an entomologist at the University of Guelph, and I started freelancing as a science/academic editor about a year ago. When I’m not editing, reading, or sciencing, you might find me hanging out with my two hounds, screen printing, or running. You can find Angela at https://mhediting.com/.
From Sophie:
I’m thrilled to step into the volunteer co-coordinator role for the twig. Currently I’m an in-house marketing and communications editor at Wilfrid Laurier University, with a background in management and literary publishing. I’m pretty quiet, but will talk your ear off about books, food, cats, horror movies, and true crime. You can find Sophie on LinkedIn and, for something more fun, on Goodreads.
From Maxie:
Hello everyone! I’m excited for the upcoming year as our twig continues to develop and grow to support our members. A bit about me: I’m a freelance editor and writer that loves learning and language. And I’m fascinated by all the elements that have to work together in order for us to communicate effectively, let alone elegantly. I love reading, editing scholarly non-fiction (yay, knowledge), and puttering in my tiny (but full) urban garden. You can find Maxie at kwcopyeditor.ca.
We also sent representatives to the annual NEC meeting this year (2019).
As a non-for-profit organization, the national executive council (NEC) of the Editors’ Association of Canada meets once each quarter. During the NEC meeting in Toronto last week, our twig was invited to present on our activities and voice our concerns . Angela and Maxie attended the event and found it to be an eye-opening afternoon. Here are some of my thoughts from our time with the NEC:
- THANK YOU—The Editors’ Association of Canada is truly a volunteer-run organization, from the ground up, and we all play an important part in keeping our twig energetic and relevant. Thank you to the twig members who volunteer their services to keep our gallery up to date, represent us at local events, and join us for our networking socials. And thank you to the members who share their experiences and resources, and for welcoming informal mentorships that have developed.
- VOICE—We have a voice within Editors Canada. With all the communication platforms that we can use these days, there are many ways to reach out and make suggestions, ask questions, or voice concerns with us (the twig coordinators) and the NEC. Send us an email or let us know in person. Let us know if there is a great event that you’d like to attend as a member of the association. Let us know if you need advice finding a resource. Celebrate your professional successes by sharing the news. Ask questions. Reach out anytime!
- COMMUNITY—Nothing guarantees opportunity or stability these days. However the current employment situation is described (the gig economy, global economic instability, employment trends towards automation, etc.), the networks that we create help us to keep in touch with industry changes and trends that then keeps us relevant and working. Editors Canada can provide the networks and information to weather such changes—freelance to in-house editors—and support long careers in editing. (And what other communities promote silly dress and having a favourite form of punctuation?)
Article by Maxie Bai Martin. Photo by Perry Grone via Unsplash. The photo shows a close up on the arms and hands of a group of people in a huddle.
Editors Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph 