What Value Do You Get for Your Membership Dues in Profession-Related Organizations?

This chart is an excellent tool, prepared by the Editors' Association of Canada (EAC)/Association canadienne des réviseurs so that its members can see how what the EAC provides for its membership dues compared with similar professional groups in Canada.

It would be quite helpful if US professional organizations for editorial workers produced US-centric charts for their members. Editorial Freelancers Association, American Medical Writers Association, Board of Editors in the Life Sciences, Council of Science Editors, and American Copy Editors Society, among many others, I'm looking at you.

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Copyediting-L: The Editor's Best Friend

I'm excited to say that I have been chosen as one of the co-owners of my favorite email list, Copyediting-L (aka CE-L), and its offshoot, Copyediting-Off-List-L (CEL-O), where editor types can chat about non-editing-related stuff. Bill Blinn and Jane Lyle, the lists' owners for a very long time, set a great example in how to keep a high-traffic email list on topic but also how to nurture the kindness of listmates. If I and my fellow list owner, John Renish, can do at least half as good a job as Bill and Jane did, then CE-L will remain the copyeditor's best work friend.

Here is how CE-L describes itself:

Copyediting-L is a list for copy editors and other defenders of the English language who want to discuss anything related to editing: sticky style issues; philosophy of editing; newspaper, technical, and other specialized editing; reference books; client relations; Internet resources; electronic editing and software; freelance issues; and so on.

CE-L is my favorite work tool, a source of project and client referrals, a place where I know everyone else understands exactly how I feel and exactly what I mean. I've made a lot of friends there and learned a lot of things that have been helpful in my career. Please come check out the list. We'd love to learn from you.

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