Tracking Change: e-Merging Methods and Markers—EAC Conference 2014

Eager participants at the National EAC 2014 conference

I recently participated in the Editors Association of Canada (EAC) National Conference at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute in Toronto.

Entitled Tracking Change: e-Merging Methods and Markers, the conference focused on “the shifts we are seeing in editing, publishing, language, technology, business and culture,” wrote 2014 conference co-chairs Emily Dockrill Jones and Nancy Foran. The conference featured over forty professional development sessions in an ambitious and often dizzying five-track program.

Nina at the Exclamation Mart!

Beginning with a keynote address by Douglas Gibson, publisher of McClelland & Stewart, and

National EAC table with resources

ending with a keynote by author Terry Fallis, the conference offered sessions in business and career, editing and revisions, editorial niches, language and culture, and tools & technology.

The importance of the Internet and Social Networking in emerging opportunities of a changing publishing paradigm was evident in the topics covered. Some session titles included: “How to Leverage Linkedin to Showcase Your Editorial Expertise”; “An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization”; “Brave New World: e-Reading, e-Editing, and e-Publishing”; “e-Merging in Social Media to Win Clients”; and “Digital Publishing Opens Up New Opportunities for Pro Editors”.

Merridy Cox Bradley

I found the session with Tammy Burns entitled “How to Edit a Blog (and When and Why You Should) particularly interesting and relevant. Burns, a writer and editor for the Travel + Escape television network, shared that blogs now rank alongside major online publications. The web log “diary” has matured into an information vehicle for newspapers, magazines and e-zines that rely on them to increase their online reader engagement. Companies use blogs to demonstrate expertise and build brand loyalty. Writers and editors use their blogs as online portfolios.

cool editor's bling

In many cases, blogs have replaced websites with a more dynamic, interactive and user-friendly interface and gateway to accessible communication. I teach a workshop in Toronto on just this subject and find it always well-attended.

I also shared a table at the Exclamation Mart! vender fair (conveniently located right beside the free coffee and snack buffet) with editor/author Merridy Cox Bradley and the Indexers Society of Canada. I had several of my fiction books for sale as well as writing guidebooks useful for editors as resources. Thank you all for your interest in my books and particularly serial entrepreneur Carolyn Burke (panelist for “Earn More by Working for Free) who—at the very last minute of the con—purchased my entire Splintered Universe Trilogy.  Hope you enjoy the ride, Carolyn! Thanks, everyone!

OMG! Which one do I choose?...

Resources for Editors Working with Writers Who Are Self-Publishing

A growing number of authors are not only opting for self-publishing, either using a publishing service with assisted package at cost (e.g., XLibris, iUniverse, Lulu or Friesen) or a printer/distributor like Lightning Source. Either way, writers choosing to self-publish are finally getting the message that in order to sell their creative work, they need to apply more than good promotion; their work must look and be professional. This means getting professional assistance with book design (e.g., cover and interior design), and with story content (e.g., an editor and sometimes a writing coach). Sometimes an editor need not refer a client to a writing coach; instead, they can refer them to several good resources.  

I sold copies of my educational resources to editors working with self-publishing authors, the fastest growing market of clients for the professional freelance editor:

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The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate, 2009): this guidebook on fiction and non-fiction writing focuses on the major aspects of the craft of writing. Used by creative writing instructors of high schools through to universities in the USA, Canada and abroad, as well as by professional writers, The Fiction Writer provides an excellent reference for authors working with editors on their own project. It’s written in a conversational style that makes it easy to read and learn. Available on Amazon and a quality bookstore near you.

The Journal Writer: Finding Your Voice (Pixl Press, 2012): this guidebook provides advice on all aspects of expressive writing from journaling to memoir, and includes instruction on the use of blogs and major social networks. It is available on Amazon and a quality bookstore near you.

 The Writer’s Toolkit (Starfire/Lighthouse Media Group, 2010): this 3-DVD set of educational lectures on 1) how to get started…and finish, 2) craft, and 3) marketing and promotion covers all major areas for a writer to successfully publish. Used in libraries and schools, the DVDs are an excellent resource for authors just starting on a project. Available on www.ninamunteanu.me.

Editors who missed out can still purchase the two guidebooks on Amazon. The DVD set is available for purchase through my website www.ninamunteanu.me. 

Nina Munteanu is an ecologist and internationally published author of novels, short stories and essays. She coaches writers and teaches writing at George Brown College and the University of Toronto. For more about Nina’s coaching & workshops visit www.ninamunteanu.me. Visit www.ninamunteanu.ca for more about her writing.