More Than Seven Letters

Communication. Community. In a world (like ours) where so much is ruled by the exchange of ideas, these two concepts share more than their first seven letters. They are both integral to how we exist in the world. If you can’t communicate, then how do you build community? And without community, humans — who are not solitary creatures, says the introvert — don’t do so well. This is why we share stories, advice, dreams, memes and cat videos. Because they build common ground and connection.

They also, of course, give us editors something to work on.

Editors Canada is all about supporting the editing profession in Canada. Which, these days, means building editorial communities online as More Than Seven Letters as well as in real life (IRL). 

Finding Community

Editors Canada is a national body which relies, in part, on the internet to connect members across vast Canadian distances — a situation that is particularly useful for freelance editors, who largely work remotely or from home. Ah, that sweet rush of connection when you get to talk with another editor, someone going through the same things you are (even if they’re kilometres away).

Editors Canada connects with members across many platforms, but a lot of the lighter, more everyday moments are shared on social media. Platforms like Discord are where we can share photos of those get-away-from-your-screen breaks (#stetwalk), or moments of editor-specific delight, like a well-misplaced comma (#watercooler). The ability to hop on a platform like Discord for even just a few minutes gives work-from-home editors a real-time space in which to interact with each other. This type of connection is important in maintaining a healthy work–life balance because it reminds us that we are more than just brains and fingers.

Finding Work

Of course, the socials are also where we look for work. A platform like LinkedIn, or even Mastodon, gives space for members to advertise if they’re on the job hunt and connects editors with potential clients. This provides a huge benefit, because it allows us to continue making a living by doing what we love to do. 

Editors Canada online communities help us find projects, help us while we’re working on the projects and help us hone our skills so we can keep doing those two things. Part of Editors Canada’s online presence is built through a series of professional development webinars, which cover topics from proper ergonomics to AI, and everything in between. These webinars share a wide pool of knowledge, and I, for one, delight in swimming around in it.

Finding Out About You

In August, Editors Canada moved from X (formerly Twitter) onto BlueSky — a decentralized social media platform rooted in transparency and community. As part of that move, Editors Canada crafted a short, 5- to 10-minute survey for the membership. The survey asks questions about what social media platforms members use and why, where in the online space they encounter the organization and how that interaction goes, and more. All this information will be used to help Editors Canada’s social media accounts become their best, most effective selves — so we can continue to build the community we want, how we want. 

The survey will be emailed to members in the coming weeks, and all feedback is extremely appreciated.

See you at the #watercooler…

___

The Editors’ Weekly will take a short hiatus for the weeks of December 25 and January 1. We will return with new articles on January 8. 

The Editors’ Weekly is the official blog of Editors Canada. Contact us.