Description

Freelance copyeditors often struggle with the seemingly conflicting desires to increase efficiency on the business side and strive toward perfection on the editing side. This 60-minute webinar will help you resolve that conflict by exploring industry standards for accuracy and acceptable error rates. When you free yourself from the impossible goal of being 100% perfect, you can focus on something you can attain: measuring and improving your productivity.

To begin with, we’ll explore the EFA Code of Fair Practice and the Editors Canada Standards for Copy Editing, both of which set reasonable, attainable goals for editorial accuracy. We’ll discuss error and productivity data from several sources, including the EFA, Editors Canada, and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), while considering what may be considered acceptable error rates depending on editors’ unique situations. Then we’ll wrap up with tips for assessing and increasing productivity in areas such as work practices, technology use (including AI), and self-care. No matter where you are in your copyediting career, this presentation will help you feel energized, liberated from unnecessary self-criticism, and ready to work more efficiently.

Katherine Morton (she/her) is an Editors Canada certified copyeditor. She has been editing throughout her more than 20-year career and has been freelance editing for the past few years. With a Master of Business Administration and a former career as an international nongovernment organization executive in program management, operations, and strategy, Katherine is an expert in efficiency and organization. She edits academic, government, corporate, and nonprofit materials often for multilingual writers. When she isn’t simplifying and clarifying content for her clients, she’s outside running, cycling, hiking, or swimming.