Still Certifiable

I finally received my letter from the Editors' Association of Canada regarding my testing from last November. Out of the three tests I wrote, I received certification for the Elementary Knowledge of the Publishing Process. Ironically, this was the one I knew the least about (not working in a Publishing House).

However, this does not mean that I am a sub-standard editor on the Proofreading or Copy Editing fronts. Because I decided to go for all three tests at once, I ran the risk of having difficulty separating the basic functions of the Proofreader from those of the Copy Editor as these are hats I wear all the time and functions that I serve on a daily basis. This is a unique brand of full-service editing that I offer my company and as such, I find it difficult to place boundaries on the type of editing I am requested to do. Very good for the end product; not so good for the testing criteria.

So, I am partially certified. I know how to publish all kinds of documents. And I'm a first rate editor. I just need retesting on how to be a proofreader only or a copy editor only.

In a way, I'm quite happy that I will need to approach this testing again. It serves me well to have to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and concentrate from time to time. And not everything should come easily.

So, all that said, I'm still certifiable. But you all knew that anyway!