Volunteer

A benefit of membership, volunteering is an excellent opportunity to build your résumé, network with fellow editors, and develop new skills.

Editors Toronto depends on volunteers, and we have a range of volunteer opportunities for our members. Some, like executive positions, are for fixed terms. Others are of shorter duration and even ad hoc. We are looking for everything from writers for BoldFace to greeters for our monthly program meetings. To volunteer for BoldFace, continue reading.

Volunteering for BoldFace is a great way to get involved with Editors Toronto. Apart from offering a fantastic opportunity for exposure, volunteering to write and/or copy edit articles for the blog will allow you to
  • develop a strong working knowledge of standards and best practices in editing, writing, and electronic publishing;
  • receive valuable feedback from experienced editors on your submission;
  • have your name and bio appear on the blog read by members of the largest branch of Editors Canada, as well as members of the editing community at large; and
  • maintain strong ties to the Toronto branch.
The BoldFace team is composed of energetic and motivated volunteers with a flair for words and a keen eye for detail. To volunteer as a copy editor, you must be a member of Editors Canada, have previous copy editing experience, and access to Microsoft Word. Volunteer writers do not have to be Editors Canada members. Remember: BoldFace is a blog by editors and for editors, so relevant, high-quality posts and timely delivery are expected.

Writing for BoldFace 

BoldFace’s writers produce informative articles on editing, language, communication, publishing, program highlights from branch meetings, and other industry-relevant topics. Ideas may be pitched to BoldFace, or writers can ask to have topics assigned to them by the editor-in-chief.
Writers are responsible for confirming all factual information and requesting permission for quotations and/or other information, as needed, prior to submitting their articles.
The tone of articles should be informal yet professional. Personal experiences and anecdotes are welcome. Please refer to other articles on BoldFace to familiarize yourself with the blog’s writing style and types of topics covered. The typical length of a submission is between 600 and 1,000 words.

Writers retain copyright for their articles.

Copy editing for BoldFace

BoldFace’s copy editors edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and they check for conformity to BoldFace style. They also check for consistency of presentation and facts, and they may be required to do some fact-checking. Queries to the writer should be noted in the document; the editor-in-chief will contact the writer regarding any queries or need for clarification. Markup is done in Microsoft Word using track changes.

The BoldFace production cycle

Calls for submissions may be periodically sent out to writers to encourage a steady flow of content. The editor-in-chief reviews each submission and performs a substantive edit, followed by an edit from two other members of the Toronto branch’s executive committee. The articles are then either forwarded to a volunteer copy editor or returned to the writer if extra work is needed. Once the article is assigned to the copy editor, they will have a turnaround time of approximately three days. If the copy editor has any queries for the writer, or if there are any other concerns about the writer’s meaning or content at this stage, the writer will be contacted by the editor-in-chief; otherwise, the changes will be compiled. Once the changes have been finalized, the article will be posted on the blog, according to BoldFace’s production schedule.
Contact the editor-in-chief at [email protected] if you’re interested in volunteering for BoldFace, or if you have any questions or require further information.