November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Today, I will gather with my community to remember who and what we have lost this year. People. Rights. Safety. Soon we will dance and we will celebrate our joy as resistance. But today we grieve.
I am proud to be a trans editor. I have a unique perspective on words and stories, which brings richness to the texts I edit, and I have found affirmation and solidarity with my editing peers. I feel so grateful that editors are, overwhelmingly, accepting and inclusive.
The difference editors make
Everywhere I look in the editing profession, I see hope. In a time when it isn’t trendy, I see editors unwavering in their commitment to language and texts that include gender diversity. Acquiring editors are buying manuscripts written by trans people and stories featuring gender-diverse characters. Freelancers are including their pronouns in their email signatures and bios. Copy editors are querying unnecessarily gendered language — even where such language is widely accepted or deeply embedded — and suggesting inclusive alternatives to common phrases. Proofreaders are catching pronoun errors. Editors care about people, and we wield language as a powerful tool for care.
That care makes an extraordinary difference. When I see that someone before me has already queried for gender-inclusive language, I feel a weight lifted from me. I matter. When I read texts with effortless neutral pronouns, I cry with happiness. I am not alone. The edits we suggest affect real people and create real world change, even when they don’t make it to the page.
As an editor, my clients see me as a language authority and respect my expertise. I hold power and I have a platform. When I make suggestions for inclusive language or include comments on representation, my clients listen and consider. Not all my suggestions make the final draft, but brief evaluations of alternatives become awareness, and appreciation of keen insights elsewhere fosters receptivity. Conversations and ideas ripple outward.
What else you can do
Thank you for being an editor who stands with the trans community today. If you are reading this with kindness, I am willing to bet you already know the basics of gender-inclusive editing:
- Advocate for gender-neutral or gender-free language in the texts you work on. For example, prefer the use of the singular “they” on your style sheets and suggest terms like “parent,” “person,” or “partner” in place of gendered references.
- Use up-to-date names and pronouns when you refer to people (real or fictional). You should also query the necessity of references to old names (deadnames) and pronouns. For help keeping track, add pronouns to the names list on your style sheets.
Beyond these everyday editing considerations, you can extend your impact through professional development and praxis:
- Seek out learning opportunities to expand your gender-inclusive knowledge. For example, Editors Canada recently hosted a “Beyond the Gender Binary: Editing for More Inclusive Fiction” webinar, which included a robust resource guide of links for further reading and learning. Another resource full of links and articles is The Conscious Style Guide’s Gender, Sex + Sexuality page.
- Be a visible ally to create safe spaces. For example, display an image of a pride flag prominently on your website; draft an inclusivity statement for your “about” page; include your pronouns in your email signature.
- Support and amplify trans voices. For example, offer sliding scale pricing for gender-diverse people who would otherwise struggle to access editing services and buy books by gender-diverse authors and featuring trans characters.
If you are also a trans, non-binary or gender-diverse editor: I see you. You are welcome here, and I want to post your thoughts on editing, related to gender or not! I know the internet can be a dark place, but The Editors’ Weekly strives to be an inclusive, safe space. Comments here are moderated, and the nom de plume is a time-honoured literary tradition. Send me an email at blog@editors.ca or a message via the website.
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Zanne Klingenberg
Zanne (he/they) is a queer, neurodivergent editor who has been writing and editing professionally since 2009. He has been an Editor’s Canada member since 2022, when they finished their Publishing Certificate at TMU. He interned at HarperCollins Canada and then edited for an academic journal before starting his freelance business. They have a passion for diverse representation in fiction, and stories with queer and neurodivergent characters are particularly close to their heart. He edits across genres and industries because his favourite thing in the world is learning something new — and they learn something on every project.