About ACES

Why should I join ACES? What’s in it for me?

The tangible benefits include the quarterly newsletter, the annual directory of members, access to the discussion board, reduced fees for the national conferences, and reduced conference fees with organizations such as the Society for Newspaper Design and the American Press Institute with which ACES has established relationships.

The intangible benefits include the opportunity to meet colleagues and become part of a growing national network of copy editors, prospects for improving your skills as an editor, and the chance to participate in raising the profile of copy editors wherever they work.
 

Why don’t you post the membership directory electronically? You could keep it up to date and save the costs of photocopying and postage.

It would, indeed. But to post the membership list electronically risks giving access to non-members who might misuse it. Some of our members prefer to limit distribution of this information, and the Executive Committee does not want our membership list used for annoying solicitations or spam.
 

How can ACES help me get a job in editing? How can ACES help me get
another job in editing?

From the main Web page you will find links to the Job Openings site, on which you will find postings from potential employers.

You should also consider getting to know colleagues in the organization. One great advantage to members is that ACES helps us break out of our traditional isolation. Particularly at conferences, there are opportunities to discuss professional issues and to become part of a growing network of editors. Don’t be shy about approaching other members for advice.
 

Why doesn’t ACES have a job fair at its national conferences?

The idea has been considered, but there are several reasons against it.

1. Given the severe shortage of qualified copy editors in the business, some employers are apprehensive about sending people to our conferences, for fear that anyone who is any good will be snapped up by another publication. 

2. Job fairs are complex to organize and distracting to run. A job fair might well take away from our emphasis on education and professional development, and it would certainly make it much more difficult to put on a national conference with volunteer labor.

3. Even some recruiters have begun to doubt the efficacy of job fairs. If you want a job, you are probably better off networking and talking to people at other publications. In the current 
environment, you probably don’t need to attend a job fair to get an offer of a job.
 

Ask me not what ACES can do for me; ask what I can do for ACES.

Because the society operates almost entirely on volunteer labor, we welcome participation. Recruiting of members, carrying out promotional activities, and running the conferences involve an enormous amount of work, and there are numerous small tasks as well. If you want to help, and you are sure that 
you have the time and energy to make good on your offer, consult one of the officers or Executive Committee members mentioned on the Web site. We welcome your involvement. 

Mission Statement

The American Copy Editors Society, a professional organization of copy editors, is dedicated to improving the quality of journalism and the working lives of journalists. Our main purpose is to educate our members — and others in the news business — in ways of improving the standards of copy editing and increasing the value the news industry places on our craft. While our 
primary focus is on newspaper copy editing, we welcome editors from other publications, as well as academic representatives and students.

The organization has many roots, growing out of meetings sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, meetings of Southeast editors and the desire of many others to address copy editing issues.

If you are concerned about the state or status of copy editing and want to lend a hand, please get in touch with any ACES representative. We welcome you.