Editors' Association of Canada

The Editors' Association of Canada/Association canadienne des réviseurs (EAC) promotes professional editing as key in producing effective communication. The association has more than 1,700 members, both salaried and freelance, who work with individuals in the corporate, technical, government, not-for-profit and publishing sectors.

Six regional branches—British Columbia, the Prairie Provinces, Saskatoon, Toronto, the National Capital Region and Québec/Atlantic Canada—provide a range of local programming and services.

EAC sponsors professional development seminars, promotes and maintains high standards of editing and publishing in Canada, establishes guidelines to help editors secure fair pay and good working conditions, helps both in-house and freelance editors to network, and cooperates with other publishing associations in areas of common concern.

The association is incorporated federally as a not-for-profit organization and is governed at the national level by an executive council.

History of EAC

In the late 1970s several young Toronto editors began talking about their shared problems and goals, and by May 1979 the Freelance Editors' Association of Canada (FEAC) had been officially launched. There were approximately 50 people involved, with Maggie MacDonald serving as the association's first president. Within the first year, the association had a logo, a constitution, and a directory.

By 1981 Ottawa was hosting a group; three years later Montreal formed a committee; and in 1985 British Columbia did the same. However, until 1990, FEAC operated as a Toronto-based organization. During 1990 and 1991, a new national structure with four separate regional branches was established. The branches were Quebec-Atlantic Canada, National Capital Region, Toronto and Western Canada (which was essentially BC).

In 1982, FEAC adopted a French name, Association canadienne des pigistes de l'edition, and thus committed to being a bilingual association.

During the first 15 years of its existence, FEAC addressed primarily issues that were uniquely of concern to freelance editors. However, over the years that emphasis had gradually changed. So in 1994 the association's name was changed to the Editors' Association of Canada/Association canadienne des réviseurs, and in-house editors were invited to join.

In 1996, the Editors' Association of Alberta came under the umbrellas of EAC, becoming the Prairie Provinces Branch. And in 2005, a group of editors in Saskatchewan formed a sixth branch, Saskatoon.

Major Programs

Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence

Established in 1983 and presented annually by the Editors' Association of Canada, The Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence recognizes the editor's often invisible contribution to written communication. The cash award of $2,000 is made possible by grants from EAC and several publishers: HarperCollins, Random House of Canada, Breakwater Books, Orca Book Publishers, UBC Press, Madison, the C. D. Howe Institute, New Society Publishers and the University of Calgary Press.

EAC Certification

EAC's certification program is for editors of written material who work in English. Successful candidates can become Certified Professional Editors or earn certification in proofreading, copy editing and/or structural and stylistic editing.

Annual Conference

Hosted by a different branch each year, EAC's annual spring conference provides professional development and networking opportunities for members and non-members alike.

Publications

"Professional Editorial Standards"

Adopted by the association's membership in 1991 and revised in 1999, "Professional Editorial Standards" list the skills and knowledge needed for editing in English-language media in Canada.

"Principes directeurs en révision professionnelle"

The association first produced "Les Principes directeurs en révision professionnelle", professional standards for editing in French, in 2006.

"Editing Canadian English"

"Editing Canadian English" is a reference book for writers, editors, and journalists working in Canada. The first edition of the book, published in 1987, was written by a group of association members in Toronto. The second edition was first published in May 2000 by Macfarlane, Walter & Ross and subsequently reprinted by McClelland & Stewart.

"Meeting Editorial Standards"

"Meeting Editorial Standards" is a two-volume set of self-tests and discussion covers the range of core editorial skills in a Canadian context. The Revised Edition contains a wide variety of exercises that are divided into sections on the publishing process, editing for style and structure, copy editing and proofreading, but always emphasize the continuity of the editorial process through all the stages of production. Volume 1 presents exercises set in realistic contexts. Volume 2 provides solutions to the exercises and discusses the issues presented by the various situations and media.

"Editors' Association of Canada Certification: Study Guide and Exemplars"

"Editors' Association of Canada Certification: Study Guide and Exemplars" is intended to guide editors through the association's certification process. The individual volumes of the Study Guide provide a comprehensive introduction to each of the certification tests. Each volume of the Study Guide features an overview of the specific certification test and advice on how to prepare for the test, a complete blank practice test, a detailed answer key for the test, and two sample candidate performances—one a pass and one a failure—with markers' comments, showing how the test is marked.

*Volume 1: Introduction and Elementary Knowledge of the Publishing Process
*Volume 2: Proofreading
*Volume 3: Copy Editing
*Volume 4: Structural and Stylistic Editing

"Active Voice / La voix active"

Published since 1981, "Active Voice / La voix active" is the Editors' Association of Canada's quarterly national newsletter.

External links

* [http://www.editors.ca/ EAC/ACR website]
* [http://www.reviseurs.ca/ ACR/EAC (French) website]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/bc/index.html BC branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/prairies/index.html Prairie Provinces branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/saskatoon/index.html Saskatoon branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/toronto/index.html Toronto branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/ncr/index.html National Capital Region branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/branches/qac/index.html Quebec/Atlantic Branch]
* [http://www.editors.ca/tomfairley/index.html Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence]
* [http://www.editors.ca/certification/index.html EAC Certification]
* [http://www.editors.ca/conference/index.html EAC Annual Conference]
* [http://www.editors.ca/resources/eac_publications/index.html EAC Publications]