If you are involved or interested in academic editing, the Academic Editing (AE) Chapter will allow you to build your professional network, share information, and discuss relevant topics. Our regular programming includes quarterly virtual informational meetings, hosted alternately by the EFA and Editors Canada, and more frequent, small-group meetings like the EFA / Editors Canada Joint Academic Editing Book Club (JAEBC) and our monthly Coffee Chats.

The chapter is a collaboration between the EFA and Editors Canada, which was formed in early summer 2022. After conducting focus groups in 2021, the EFA formed an academic editing working group that reached out to colleagues in Editors Canada to propose creating a partnership. The virtual launch event in September 2022 was attended by nearly 250 people from around the globe, and the chapter was born! We currently have over 500 members in the chapter.

The Chapter’s efforts are run by volunteers who are members of either organization, and both organizations market the chapter events and provide support. Presently, the EFA hosts the AE Chapter’s website and email, and the EFA has granted the chapter funds to support administrative costs and to provide honorariums for guest speakers. We invite anyone who performs academic editing in any capacity to participate in the activities and events free of charge, and you do not have to be a member to participate.

The AE Chapter is organized into working groups with a leadership team overseeing all efforts. The Organizational Chart is a living and changing document that shows the solid team of dedicated volunteers who are building and running chapter activities and events.

Interested in joining our mailing list and receiving our newsletter? Sign up for our mailing list here. And to read past issues, visit here.

Have questions or want to volunteer? Email the co-coordinators at chap_academic@the-efa.org. Our team at Editors Canada can be reached at academic.editing@editors.ca.

Upcoming Events

May Coffee Chat: Conferences

Tuesday, May 7 | 10 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. EDT | Register

If you’re an academic, attending conferences in your area is a great way to present your work, talk to people doing similar research, and enjoy a night’s sleep in crisp hotel sheets. But as editors, how can we make attending a conference just as enjoyable—and maybe drum up some work? In our May Coffee Chat, we’ll discuss:

• How to choose a conference to attend (size, focus, expertise)
• Ways to network and make meaningful connections with authors and publishers
• Materials to take along to help these new connections stick, and ways to follow up post-conference
• Conference experiences we’ve had, including what made the experiences positive (or not)

We’ll share stories, tips, and maybe even some travel information. We’re excited to see you there!

(Alt text: A computer screen showing four people in a video call is next to a stack of books, a coffee cup, and a plant. Copyright: pongsirionkham © 123RF.com)

Past Events

Recordings of past events are available to watch on our YouTube channel.

• Apr. 12, 2024 | EFA / Editors Canada Joint Academic Editing Book Club (JAEBC) | a discussion with author Amitava Kumar about Every Day I Write the Book
• Apr. 9, 2024 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Style Sheets
• Mar. 12, 2024 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Taxes
• Feb. 29, 2024 | Webinar: Introduction to Coaching Academic Writers with Kate Vacek
• Feb. 14, 2024 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Editor–Client Relationships
• Feb. 2, 2024 | JAEBC | a discussion with authors Katelyn E. Knox and Allison Van Deventer about The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook: Exercises for Developing and Revising Your Book Manuscript
• Jan. 18, 2024 | From Academia into Academic Editing: A Panel for Prospective Editors
• Jan. 17, 2024 | Call for Volunteers
• Jan. 11, 2024 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Setting Rates
• Dec. 14, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Mulled W(h)ine!
• Nov. 30, 2023 | Let’s Talk About . . . Creating a Successful Network | a talk by Linda Ruggeri and Brittany Dowdle | event recording available here
• Nov. 16, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Billing
• Nov. 10, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Patricia Matthew’s Written/Unwritten: Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure
• Oct. 30, 2023 | Academic Editing Co-Working Session
• Oct. 19, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Marketing
• Sep. 21, 2023 | Let’s Talk About . . . Communicating Science through Comedy | a talk by Kasha Patel
• Sep. 12, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Working with Students
• Sep. 8, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Rachael Cayley’s Thriving as a Graduate Writer | event recording available here
• Aug. 23, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Agreements and Contracts
• Jul. 13, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat: Taking Vacations as a Freelancer
• Jun. 22, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat
• May 5, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Linda Ruggeri and Brittany Dowdle’s Networking for Freelance Editors: Practical Strategies for Networking Success
• Apr. 28, 2023 | Let’s Talk About . . . AI and Automation for Editorial Project Management | a talk by Dr. Cathy Hannabach
• Apr. 17, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat
• Apr. 3, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion with author Laura Portwood-Stacer about The Book Proposal Book
• Mar. 23, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat
• Mar. 10, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Anne E. Greene’s Writing Science in Plain English
• Feb. 3, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Marcus Weaver-Hightower’s How to Write Qualitative Research
• Jan. 27, 2023 | Let’s Talk About . . . Working with ESL/EFL/Multilingual Authors | a talk by Katharine O’Moore-Klopf
• Jan. 12, 2023 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat
• Jan. 6, 2023 | JAEBC | a discussion of Ellen Bryant Voigt’s The Art of Syntax
• Dec. 15, 2022 | Academic Editing Coffee Chat
• Dec. 2, 2022 | JAEBC | a discussion of Pamela Haag’s Revise
• Nov. 4, 2022 | JAEBC | a discussion of Helen Sword’s Stylish Academic Writing
• Sep. 23, 2022 | Academic Editing chapter launch | Summary Report—Academic Editing Chapter Launch Event

Applicable Harassment Policies

• EFA’s Anti-Harassment Policy
• Editors Canada’s Workplace Harassment Policy