About the Northwest Editors Guild
Mission
The Northwest Editors Guild connects clients with professional editors of the written word in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We also foster community among our members and provide resources for their career development.
We pursue our mission in the following ways:
Connecting clients with editors in our region via our member directory and job board
Fostering community via networking, mentoring, and an active email discussion list
Helping editors hone their craft via topical meetings, periodic conferences, and resources on our website
Maintaining an active speakers bureau
Having a Guild presence at regional conferences
History
The Northwest Editors Guild began in the summer of 1997, when eleven Seattle-area editorial professionals gathered to explore the idea of forming a group that met regularly. Out of the discussion came the realization that such a group could have many benefits: getting to know other editors, gaining a sense of having colleagues, building a job-referral network, and more.
Activities
The group agreed to meet bimonthly in Seattle. Early meetings were largely discussions among members, but we soon began to enjoy guest speakers on editing, professional development, client relations, and many other topics. Members in Portland and the South Sound hosted regular gatherings in their respective areas for several years; more recently, informal coffee hours (without speakers) have been hosted by Guild members in a number of Seattle neighborhoods, Portland, and elsewhere.
As the Editors Guild grew, we began to offer courses in editorial careers, proofreading, and copyediting through Seattle’s Discover U, an adult-education organization; around 2000, when the University of Washington began its editing certificate program, some of the first instructors were Guild members. Today many of the program’s instructors as well as dozens of its graduates are Guild members.
The Guild began our popular daylong conferences in 2007. Offered every two years, each conference typically features a keynote speech by a nationally known editorial professional (Amy Einsohn, Sheila Bender, Carol Fisher Saller, Alan Rinzler, Steven Pinker, Karen Yin, Viniyanka Prasad) as well as panels, workshops, and discussion groups led by Northwest experts in editing, publishing, marketing, and more.
Who We Are
The Guild incorporated in 2010 as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization; we are a 501(c)(6), a business league.
We are guided by an all-volunteer board of directors and advisory council as well as a part-time administrator. The vast majority of our activities are carried out entirely by volunteers.
Over the years, the Guild has grown from a handful of Seattle editors with similar clients, interests, and backgrounds to a diverse group of nearly 400 members who offer a full range of editorial services and are located throughout the Northwest and beyond. All of us involved with the Guild look forward to enjoying the continued growth of the organization. We hope you will join us for the journey!