THE EDITORS' WEEKLY

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Jennifer D. Foster

The Benefits of Mentorship

November 23, 2021 by Jennifer D. Foster | Leave a Comment

Being a freelance editor and writer is — more often than not — a solo experience, and participating in mentorships can help ease the sense of isolation many of us experience. That’s one of the reasons I became a mentor a decade ago. I’ve been mentoring novice and/or transitioning editors via Editors Canada since 2012, […]

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Aaron Dalton

What is Plain Language? Part 4: Craftsmanship

November 16, 2021 by Aaron Dalton | 1 Comment on What is Plain Language? Part 4: Craftsmanship

This is the fourth in a series of articles discussing the basic principles of plain language by Aaron Dalton. Most of the writing that happens in an office is stream-of-consciousness. We fire off dozens of quick emails and texts a day with little thought. But the writing we do for external readers requires more care. Effective writing […]

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S. Robin Larin

Ask an Award Winner: An Interview with Cathy McPhalen

November 9, 2021 by S. Robin Larin | Leave a Comment

The Editors Canada student relations committee recently completed a series of interviews with Editors Canada award winners. Each month, we’ll bring you the highlights of our interviews in the hopes that those featured may inspire student editors beginning their careers, as well as editors who are already established. This month, S. Robin Larin shares the […]

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Lucy Payette

What’s New in the Canadian Press Stylebook

November 2, 2021 by Lucy Payette | 1 Comment on What’s New in the Canadian Press Stylebook

Since its inception in 1940, The Canadian Press Stylebook has changed “cautiously,” as stated on its website, with a motto of “evolution, not revolution.” Nonetheless, if you’ve followed Canadian Press style, you know it isn’t enough to commit to memory the style standards and leave it at that. Language and usage changes — and style […]

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Merel Elsinga

Update on the International Plain Language Standard: An Interview with Gael Spivak

October 26, 2021 by Merel Elsinga | Leave a Comment

Gael Spivak, a previous president of Editors Canada, works in-house for the federal government as a writer and editor. Part of her job is her involvement in creating an international plain language standard for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). At the Editors Canada conference on June 13, 2021, Gael gave us an update on […]

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Merel Elsinga

Editing Medical-Legal Reports: An Interview with Jahleen Turnbull-Sousa

October 19, 2021 by Merel Elsinga | Leave a Comment

Jahleen Turnbull-Sousa is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in editing medical-legal assessment reports. These reports comprise opinions of medical experts that are used in a legal claim context. At the Editors Canada conference on June 13, 2021, Jahleen presented “Editing Medical-Legal Reports: A Big Little Niche.” Recently, editor Merel Elsinga interviewed Jahleen to […]

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Aaron Dalton

What is Plain Language? Part 3: When You Assume …

October 12, 2021 by Aaron Dalton | 5 Comments on What is Plain Language? Part 3: When You Assume …

This is the third in a series of articles discussing the basic principles of plain language by Aaron Dalton. You’re preparing a speech for a community association. You disagree with a particular policy, but you moderate your language because you “know” that most people disagree with you. What nobody realizes, though, is that actually, most people disagree […]

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Tanya Mykhaylychenko

How to Offer Your Authors Positive Feedback

October 5, 2021 by Tanya Mykhaylychenko | 1 Comment on How to Offer Your Authors Positive Feedback

Recognizing and affirming your clients’ strengths is one of the best ways to create a collaborative partnership, encourage their learning and boost their confidence. This comes in especially handy if you work with ESL authors, job seekers, new authors or anyone who is entering a new genre or role. Trusting their text or important document […]

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Becky Heaman

Ask an Award Winner: An Interview with Mary Rykov

September 28, 2021 by Becky Heaman | Leave a Comment

The Editors Canada student relations committee recently completed a series of interviews with Editors Canada award winners. Each month, we’ll bring you the highlights of our interviews in the hopes that those featured may inspire student editors beginning their careers, as well as editors who are already established. This month, Becky Heaman shares the committee’s […]

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James Harbeck

But what about plural “they”?

September 21, 2021 by James Harbeck | 1 Comment on But what about plural “they”?

Singular “they” is here to stay, and that’s a good thing. There is no decent reason to require that third-person singular pronouns — and only third-person singular pronouns — always specify gender. “He” has never truly covered men and women equally, though starting in the 1800s some people tried to insist that it did, and […]

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