In this series, experienced editors reflect on their Top 3 tools, rules and suggestions for clients and colleagues.
Suzanne Bowness is a writer, editor and communications consultant. She has written for publications from The Globe and Mail to University Affairs magazine. Since 2002, she has provided content creation, editing and consulting services to corporate clients through her business CodeWord Communications. Suzanne’s first non-fiction book, The Feisty Freelancer, will be published by Dundurn Press in 2025.
Suzanne will present two sessions at the 2024 Editors Canada conference, Present Progressive: Passion, Precision and Purpose, which will be held June 21–23 in Vancouver, B.C. Register now so you can attend “Everyone Hates Cold Pitching — Here’s Why I Do It Anyway” and “Becoming a Feisty Freelancer — How to Start or Transition to Your Own Business”!
Top 3 professional tools you can’t work without
1. Laptop
2. Streak, which helps me see if my emails have landed
3. Trello, which lets me see my project to-do list visually
Top 3 marketing channels you enjoy using
1. LinkedIn
2. Twitter
Top 3 life-work balance rules
1. Always take lunch away from your desk.
2. Finish your workday with a break at 5 p.m. and then return to work if you need to rather than working right through.
3. It’s okay for freelancers to check email on vacation if they’ll worry more being away from it.
Top 3 suggestions for authors/clients you work with
1. Just speak freely in your interview; it’s my job as a writer to make you sound good.
2. Think about audience first, and tailor your editing and writing to them.
3. Make more with less by repurposing content across platforms.
Top 3 suggestions for new editors/freelancers
1. Get to know your community — join Editors Canada or other associations and become an active volunteer.
2. Read and follow other writers/editors for inspiration.
3. Think about the kind of career you want to develop, and talk to others about how they got there.
Top 3 things you’re looking forward to at Editors 24: Present Progressive
1. Reconnecting with past colleagues and making new friends.
2. Sharing my own experiences and learning from others.
3. Not organizing the whole conference — I was a co-chair in 2023 🙂
Bonus — One recent industry trend that inspires you
Not recent, but the plain language and accessibility movements are inspirational.
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Previous post from Suzanne Bowness: Less than 20 Sleeps until Editors Meet in Real Life
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