Welcome, 2021 Board Members!
Every year the Northwest Editors Guild’s board loses some past members and gains a few new ones, and every year here on the Guild’s blog we take a moment to introduce you to the dedicated volunteers on our board who work so hard to keep things running smoothly. This year we say farewell to outgoing board members Erin Cusick, Michael Schuler, and Matt Bennett, and hello to new members Sarah M. Peterson, Erica Akiko Howard, Alessandor Earnest, and Ivonne B. Ward!
Find out more about the new (and ongoing) board members below, and be sure to say hello if you meet them at an event.
Going ‘Whole Whale’ into Children’s Literature: An Interview with Karen Yin
I’m happy to say that my little boy is very interested in books, so I’ve spent a lot of the last few months cuddled up on the couch reading board books and other children’s literature.
Lucky for me, I was able to chat over email about this exact subject with Karen Yin, well-known in editing circles as the force behind the Conscious Style Guide, and familiar to Guild members as the wonderful keynote speaker at our 2017 Red Pencil conference! She has recently made the dive into children’s literature with an upcoming picture book geared toward three-to-six-year-olds entitled Whole Whale, due out from Barefoot Books in May 2021 (preorder here).
State of the Guild 2020
In a “normal” year—that is, in a year without a pandemic—the Northwest Editors Guild would host a gathering of members at the annual potluck in the fall. This gathering gives members in the Puget Sound region a chance to meet informally to share good food and good company. We regret that this event, along with so many others, had to be canceled this year.
Covid-19 Changes for Editors
Almost all of us have experienced some changes in the work we do and the way we do it thanks to Covid-19. We wanted to know how those changes are impacting our members, so the Guild’s blog team recently reached out to the membership via email for stories of how the pandemic was affecting their work. We received an interesting spread of responses!
Guild Statement on Protests
Black lives matter. The board of the Northwest Editors Guild mourns the violent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others—including, here in the Northwest, Manuel Ellis. We are appalled at the violence committed by those entrusted with law enforcement. Yet as representatives of an overwhelmingly White professional association, we must also recognize the racial inequality in our own organization and in our profession.
Getting the Words Out
A few years into editing full-time, I came to realize that the publication process bewildered most of my writers. Not only did they not know what hoops to jump through, they very often didn’t know that editors could help them in the leaping.
How Do I Zoom?
There is no clear end in sight for the period of social distancing necessary to flatten the infection curve, but that doesn’t mean we can’t connect online. For the foreseeable future we will be meeting on Zoom. If you’re new to Zoom, this post is for you! It will walk you through the process of setting up and participating in Zoom meetings.
Resources for Troubling Times: What Editors Need to Know During the COVID-19 Pandemic
If you find yourself unsettled these days, you aren’t alone. Though editors often work from home, many of us are new to being 100% remote. The struggles that come from working at home are amplified with isolation and loss of routine due to stay-at-home orders, making focus and motivation difficult throughout the day.
StetPet Editorial Assistants
The Northwest Editors Guild introduced a weekly feature called StetPet on our social media during the summer of 2017 to give our followers a midweek smile. We’ve posted photos and descriptions of animal editorial and writing assistants from all over the world every Wednesday since, featuring plenty of cats, dogs, rodents, aquatic pets, and even wild animal visitors that “help” editors and authors with their work. StetPet posts are frequently the most popular posts on the Guild’s social media feeds.
Welcoming 2020 on the Board
On January 19, departing, returning, and incoming board members of the Northwest Editors Guild joined together for our annual daylong retreat to meet up in person, share information, and ensure a smooth transition into 2020. Please join us in welcoming our new members, and enjoy these brief introductions to the whole board.