About Heather Ebbs
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I have been providing editing, indexing, writing and teaching services for over 35 years. In 1980 I graduated from Carleton University with an Honours BA, First Class, in English Literature. I went straight to work for Canada's Wings Publishers, where I learned all aspects of the book and journal publication process, from manuscript evaluation through editing, typesetting, proofreading, indexing, design and layout to liaising with printers and even shipping the finished product. Since 1985 I have been editing, writing, indexing and teaching as a freelancer. |
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Staying abreast of my profession has always been important, so I joined the Freelance Editors' Association of Canada (the word "Freelance" was later dropped) as soon as I began working independently. A year later, I won the association's Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence, a national award recognizing "the editor's often invisible contribution to written communication". After serving in various positions on the executive of my local branch, I became national president of the association for 1990–91 and 1991–92. Since then I have served in various roles related to certification, membership, public relations and more. The association honoured me in 2015 with the President's Award for Volunteer Service, and in 2018 I was given Honorary Life Membership.
I've also been heavily involved in the Indexing Society of Canada, serving as president in 2007–08 and 2008–09 and as International Liaison for 2014 to 2017. The society honoured me in 2011 with the Tamarack Award for "service above and beyond".
One way to stay current in one's business is to instruct others, and I've been doing that since the late 1980s. I taught the 15-week course Publications Production for Algonquin College from 1987 through 1991. Every year from 1989 through 1994 I was a lecturer and advisor in the Book Editing program of the Banff Publishing Workshop (initially known as the Toronto Publishing Workshop). Currently (since 2009), I'm an instructor for Indexing: Theory and Application for the University of California Berkeley Extension Program, guiding students through an exhaustive six-month course on indexing theory, standards and techniques. I was also a facilitator for Simon Fraser University's Indexing: An Essential Art and Science, from 2014 through 2017. For various groups, I've given seminars on indexing, thesaurus construction, freelancing, production management and more.
Today, I provide editing, indexing and writing services for a wide variety of clients. I'm cleared to SECRET level for the federal government.
I've also been heavily involved in the Indexing Society of Canada, serving as president in 2007–08 and 2008–09 and as International Liaison for 2014 to 2017. The society honoured me in 2011 with the Tamarack Award for "service above and beyond".
One way to stay current in one's business is to instruct others, and I've been doing that since the late 1980s. I taught the 15-week course Publications Production for Algonquin College from 1987 through 1991. Every year from 1989 through 1994 I was a lecturer and advisor in the Book Editing program of the Banff Publishing Workshop (initially known as the Toronto Publishing Workshop). Currently (since 2009), I'm an instructor for Indexing: Theory and Application for the University of California Berkeley Extension Program, guiding students through an exhaustive six-month course on indexing theory, standards and techniques. I was also a facilitator for Simon Fraser University's Indexing: An Essential Art and Science, from 2014 through 2017. For various groups, I've given seminars on indexing, thesaurus construction, freelancing, production management and more.
Today, I provide editing, indexing and writing services for a wide variety of clients. I'm cleared to SECRET level for the federal government.
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