Editing for Conscious Language

I’m thrilled that my Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) colleague Crystal Yang Shelley will be launching a new educational program for the EFA! Crystal is a proponent of conscious language—language that is chosen deliberately as to carefully convey meaning, full of empathy and free of stigma. Her new course formalizes the theories and processes of editing for conscious and inclusive language, so it makes sense that the title is exactly that: Editing for Conscious and Inclusive Language.

The class will launch on Feb. 7, 2022, Crystal noted on Facebook today. She added this snippet from the course description: "This self-paced course will teach editors the concepts of conscious language and inclusive language, and how to apply these frameworks to editing practices. Students will learn about evaluating writing related to topics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and body size, as well as how to craft client feedback."

Crystal related that students will receive “tons of information in the form of written lessons and video lessons, assignments that will let you practice giving feedback, and two Q&A sessions with me and other students in the class. You'll have access to the materials for a full year, so you can work through it at your own pace.”

I’m excited to take the class because while I excel at identifying areas of improvement in manuscripts, I’m not always the best at explaining why a particular issue is problematic. If you’re interested in taking the class, you can learn more at bit.ly/3Eh33M6. The class will run several times a year, and it’s open to anyone, although EFA members will receive a discount.