Everything in its place
As an indexer, I tend to be obsessive about organizing things alphabetically—the books on my shelves, the spices in my cupboards, the DVDs and CDs in the basement . . . Of course Joan Aiken should come before Kate Atkinson,…
Frances Peck, novelist
Writing informational prose, training others how to write and edit, and working with other people’s words is a great way to make a living, as most writers and editors will agree. But for some of us, like our recently “retired”…
Consciously choosing our words
One of our responsibilities as editors is to be on the lookout for discriminatory language, hidden bias, and stereotypes in the text we’re editing. We want to use words and phrases that promote inclusivity, respect, and justice. But this process…
Two new books (this season) by Rowena Rae
Despite these challenging times, we’re all celebrating (at an appropriate distance) our partner Rowena Rae’s publication of not one but two children’s books this spring. Rachel Carson and Ecology for Kids: Her Life and Ideas was released by Chicago Review…
Behind the scenes with Canadian publishers
Some months ago, an unexpected and flattering invitation came my way: to be the keynote speaker at the Association of Canadian Publishers’ 2020 Mid-Winter Meeting, January 28–29, in Toronto. The ACP organizers asked me to talk about the value of…
Celebrating Canadian children’s literature
We at West Coast Editorial Associates regularly edit and proofread books created in Canada. And, yes, some of us write them too. Immersed as we are, it’s easy to assume that everyone reads Canadian books. But a 2018 report by…
New year, new partner
As we start the new year and decade, we are delighted to announce that we have a new partner joining our team of editors, writers, and trainers. As of January 1, 2020, Lucy Kenward is a partner of West Coast…
Serendipities
As I get older (and I’m feeling rather “senior” these days), I’m increasingly fascinated by serendipity—the way a chance encounter can lead to happy discoveries both small and large, from a great book to a great life adventure. For us…
A celebration of Canadian children’s books
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced the winners of seven awards for children’s literature at a gala event in Toronto last night. Our congratulations to all the winners, including Heather Smith, who won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award for…
Merrie-Ellen Wilcox’s After Life nominated for two major awards
How thrilling to see WCEA partner Merrie-Ellen Wilcox’s book After Life: Ways We Think About Death nominated for not just one, but two major awards: the $50,000 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award and the $10,000 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s…