We wanted to give Editors Toronto members and student affiliates another way to get to know their executive committee, while also showing them what is involved in being on the committee. So, we asked executive committee members to introduce themselves and their roles by answering a few questions for our “Executive Unplugged” series.
Meet Natalia Iwanek, Co-Editor-in-Chief of BoldFace
Natalia is a freelance non-fiction and fiction copy and stylistic editor, who specializes in plain language, inclusive language, and accessibility – and also enjoys editing science fiction and horror.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and political science, completed both the editing and plain language certificate programs at Simon Fraser University, and is currently working toward a master’s degree in Spanish translation.
Last term, Natalia was the assistant to the editor-in-chief of BoldFace and also previously served on the student relations committee, the marketing and communications committee, and the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) task force. She was a recipient of the Editors Canada President’s Award for Volunteer Service in 2022 and 2021.
What kind of editor are you? Tell us a bit about your experience.
I consider myself a bit of a specialist, although I do work on a wide variety of projects from short stories to web copy.
I edit both non-fiction and fiction on a freelance basis. In non-fiction, I like works about political science, public policy, and disability. In fiction, I enjoy editing science fiction and horror. I also have extensive training in plain language, inclusive language, and accessibility, which I bring to both non-fiction and fiction projects.
In addition to editing, I speak several languages and tutor (and volunteer with) English language learners part-time. I find that this experience – along with my own experience as an immigrant and my educational background in political science, plain language, and inclusive language – truly helps to inform my editing work. The nuances of language and style are incredibly important, as language is not neutral.
Comparing English to differently structured languages (or even hybrid languages) and considering the whys and hows of the varieties of global English that have developed over the years is something that I apply to my language work – whether editing, writing, teaching, or translating.
What is your favourite part of the role you hold on the executive committee (or the “exec,” as we call it)?
Last term, I served as the assistant to the editor-in-chief and truly enjoyed my time on the committee. This term, we decided to create a co-editor role in order to bring in different perspectives and promote a more sustainable volunteer experience.
My favourite part has been working with – and learning from – absolutely fantastic people, connecting with fellow editors and writers, and being able to share these incredible pieces with readers. I’m so grateful to everyone and so incredibly proud of what we have published this year. It has not been an easy year, so I truly appreciate everyone taking time to contribute.
I also appreciated working on updating the Editors Toronto style guide with the former editor-in-chief and the outgoing and incoming team. It’s always a work in progress, but I think it looks quite good. On the side, I’ve also been developing an inclusive style guide and accessibility processes for the branch and have received great input and suggestions from our team and community.
Give us an elevator pitch for your role.
The BoldFace role is vast: it’s part project management, part administrative tasks, part volunteer coordination, part social media, part WordPress, and part SEO skills – in addition to style guide development and all the stages of editing (developmental, stylistic, copy, and proofreading).
It’s a perfect role for someone who thrives in an environment with many moving parts. Each day is interesting and different with a variety of tasks: sending out offers to editors about potential articles, managing reviews/edits, coordinating volunteers, answering emails, and posting, optimizing, and promoting articles.
But it’s so much fun! I would highly recommend it, with the caveat that it is a very time-consuming role that requires a great deal of flexibility and a sense of humour.
Interested in learning more about the role? Send us an email!
What’s your favourite part of an exec meeting?
My favourite part is meeting – and chatting with – the team. I like hearing about all the work everyone has done over the month. In addition, since I live out of country and don’t often have a chance to talk about editing-related matters in my day-to-day life as a freelancer, I appreciate this community. Also, book recommendations from a group of editors and readers? Yes, please!
If you didn’t have your role on the exec, what role would you pick?
That’s such a difficult question! I have absolutely loved my time at Boldface, and all the roles seem so interesting – and so much fun! I do have a background in accessibility and accessible event planning, so the vice chair position seems like a great role since it allows for creativity and work on processes. I was impressed by the great work done by the outgoing vice chair.
This article was copy edited by Erin Della Mattia, a writer and freelance editor from Brampton, Ontario. With Monica Franklin, she is the co-author of the middle grade biography Undaunted Ursula Franklin (Second Story Press).
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