Višnja Milidragović

Non-authors often think that the hard part of writing a book is, well, writing it. Nope. It's selling it. Now that The Book That (Almost) Got Me Fired is out, I'm leaning into promoting it, and am excited (okay, and a little overwhelmed!) about doing so. My latest for Substack.

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I read the full report on the State Of Canadian Publishing. Some key takeaways: - Publishers offering no training for AI but plan to (or already are) leverage AI for marketing and summary blurbs. - Large publishers do not focus on direct sales to consumers, but small and midsized publishers do (not well, but it's a larger part of their revenue stream). - Publishers are still using Facebook to market more than any other social media platform. This last point felt odd to me but then I thought of the market publishers believe they are speaking to and it made more sense. FB has an older demographic and for a long time was a prime marketing platform for books. Publishing is always slow to change course, so the fact that FB is still the primary tool for publishers isn't that surprising. This also explains why publishers aren't offering employees training on AI. It would mean publishers have a clear strategy or at least intend on creating a clear strategy for adopting and leveraging AI and that's not the case. Not yet, at least. *BookNet Canada put together the report.

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Interested in publishing trends? BookNet Canada released last year's data on book sales and book buyers. It's interesting to see how the patterns shifted and didn't quite recover since 2019. This slide shows where people who buy books are hearing about titles they might want. The 12% on the right represents social media. Get the presentation and its transcript here: https://lnkd.in/gDh2taND

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The latest issue of CSAE's Association magazine features case studies of how data-driven decision making helped implement change and promote inclusion at four Canadian associations. Getting the right data and then digging deep can create both new opportunities and challenges worth taking on. #csae #associationexcellence #associationmanagement

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I'm really excited to announce that I'll be hosting a webinar through Editors Canada next week! It's called "Know What You’re Getting Into: How to Vet Projects for Sensitive Themes." While there are many great reasons to work directly with indie authors, one of the challenges is that you have no built-in filter to protect you from highly difficult or insensitive subject matter. When I started working with indie authors, I had no idea how much I would need to double as a sensitivity reader. In those early months, I had a bad string of luck where several projects in a row contained exceptionally poorly handled sensitive themes. Needing to dwell on this triggering subject matter and educate authors about it started to take a toll on my mental health. After that experience, I created a quick yet thorough vetting process that allows me to know what I’m getting into before I agree to a project. The most important of these tools is a customized macro that allows me to quickly flag and review potentially sensitive passages in a lengthy manuscript. In this session, I’m going to teach you what I’ve learned and how you can use the tools I’ve created to identify your own boundaries and effectively vet clients for sensitive themes. To learn more about the webinar or sign up to join me, you can follow this link: https://lnkd.in/gQ-qdxi3. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

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From CPKC this morning on the TCRC (Teamsters) situation: -- The CIRB has requested submissions from CPKC and the TCRC as well as other interested stakeholders by May 21, 2024. The parties will have until May 31, 2024 to file replies. -- A legal strike or lockout cannot occur until the CIRB renders a decision. Notice (72 hours) pursuant to the Canada Labour Code is required before any legal strike or lockout could begin. -- Recognizing our supply chains require certainty, now more than ever, CPKC has proposed to the TCRC that both parties agree on the services that should be maintained in the event of a strike or lockout. We believe this would eliminate the need for the CIRB referral process and bring much needed clarity regarding the timing of any potential strike or lockout.

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Excerpt: “Without any restrictions, a project will fill all the available time you have. You might feel productive, but are you? Tracking your hours is the first step in evaluating how you’re spending your time” #freelancing #editors #writers

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Putting out a ramble to see if others feel the same. I’m a content designer, author, publisher. I want content that can appear on multiple channels or platforms - but can’t see a feasible way to do it. Questions as a content person: Why isn’t there just one CMS for all my stuff? Is this a me problem or a platform problem? Do I need to learn JSON? Was the CMS actually made for me? Or someone else (who does the code).

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It's National AccessAbility week in Canada (note the spelling!). When I work with nonprofits, I contribute to accessible communication by paying attention to: 🔘 alt text 🔘 design issues 🔘 cultural competence and inclusivity 🔘 plain language standards Accessibility isn’t an added bonus anymore. It’s expected, and in many cases required. How do you contribute to accessibility in your content? #accessibility #communications #nonprofits #PlainLanguage

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#Editors, #writers, #PlainLanguage specialists, and other #communications pros, if you haven't yet, check out the 2024 updated professional #editing #standards from #EditorsCanada. The standards include these: A1.4       Support your own choices when asked (for example, refer to style guides, project goals, best practices, user feedback, current references). B3     Structural editing in plain language B3.1        When applying plain language principles in structural editing, do the following: - Ensure that the document has the content that the readers need. - Check that the content of the document is structured so that related information is together and ordered in a way that makes sense for the readers. - Guide the readers to find information easily through such navigational aids as headings and heading levels, a table of contents, and bulleted or numbered lists. - Make sure readers can locate, understand and act on information. - Consider when to use illustrations or media other than text. For these and more standards based on industry best practices, see #ProfessionalEditorialStandards from #EditorsCanada — a great resource for editors, writers, plain-language specialists, and for clients and employers, for #contracts and for #ContinuedProfessionalDevelopment.

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Did you miss my webinar "Newsletters, emails and presentations: Improving the tools of business communication"? 😢 Next week you can purchase the recording for 50% off from Editors/Réviseurs Canada and watch it as many times as you like! 👀 It's full of plain language tips for making your communications more effective and faster to write. You'll even get a free set of worksheets. ✍ Oh, and all the other webinar recordings from Editors Canada are on sale too! 😉 #BusinessCommunications #PlainLanguage #Webinar #BlackFridayDeals

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I participated in the most recent "Editors Advise" post for the Editors Toronto blog, exploring how freelance editors can use social media to attract clients. And of course I suggested that editors who want to work with corporate and professional clients should have a presence here on LinkedIn! Check out the post to see whether the other editors agree! #editing #freelancelife #EditorsCanada #SocialMediaMarketing Tanya Mykhaylychenko Amanda Clarke Kelly Laycock

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Research papers have their special challenges, but here are 10 pieces of advice from Edward Sargent, of the University of Toronto, in Cell Press. One of my favorites is to think visually and begin with the figures you have, even if incomplete, to find the narrative structure for the story of your research. #research #journal #editing #writing #scicomm https://lnkd.in/gVTCSbSQ

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Professional communicators, such as editors or writers, are adept at researching, planning documents, and crafting our words to communicate effectively. So why don’t we use these skills when attending events where there will be opportunities to network? Come to my webinar with Editors/Réviseurs Canada in 1 month (Oct 10) to gain a new perspective on networking, use your skills to make the most out of the networking opportunities, and learn tactics for engineering your own networking experiences for maximum effectiveness and enjoyment. https://lnkd.in/dqz3k5Zs

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Dear #Canadian #journalists and #editors - I'm an entry/mid-level journalist with a poli sci degree from McGill and extensive content writing exp. I have a LOT to say about policy, philosophy, and int'l affairs but have no idea who to connect with for #pitches. Other than news reporting, most big name pubs use big name authors for this topic. Indie pubs, who are honestly doing the heavy lifting these days, seem to have mostly (volunteer?) staff #writers. Any tips on where to find an in for writing about Canadian #politics? I have clips in The Globe and Mail and Reader's Digest, with lots of extra experience writing long-form, research, and interview-heavy pieces. TY!

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For the first time in 5 years, I’ll be returning to an office (in Canada) for a writing gig. Do I miss the office experience? I don’t think so. But I had to ask AI to be sure. First, AI's top 5 benefits of working from home: 1) No Commute This one benefit might rule them all. Commuting to “Entertainment Tonight Canada” was 90 minutes each way. That’s 3 hours of my time—every day—that I have back. 2) Flexible Hours This is my 2nd favorite benefit. I get the job done. Period. So what if I go out for breakfast after my morning coffee? Or walk through the park whenever the sun’s out? Or grab a beer at sunset? I get the job done. 3) Comfort Meh. This is a minor one for a bald man. Sure, I wear comfortable clothes and nobody can see that I wore the same shirt two days in a row. But I can put on pants too… if I have to. 4) Better Focus This one’s arguable. Yes, I don’t have to hear the office chatter. But I can get just as distracted by my phone or the TV or the beckoning sunshine. 5) Home-Cooked Meals Sure. It’s cheaper. But I do like walking down to the cafeteria to check out the specials. Or wandering over to the nearby mall to see if there’s anything tempting and delicious. Okay, so what did I miss? I asked AI, who, remember, predicts what I want to hear and has no idea what being a human is like. (Yet.) 1) Impromptu Chats & Office Vibes AI thinks that spontaneous conversations spark new ideas and lighten the mood. Sometimes. But some people in the office—like sycophants and party poopers—kill the mood. Plus, who says that everyone gets along? 2) Collaborating Face-to-Face & Body Language Cues AI says creative brainstorming in person is hard to replicate on Zoom. True. But this item really depends on the context. If you’re sucked into one bad meeting after another by office managers who have no creative spark, you’re better off working on your own. 3) After-Work Hangouts AI, who is a teetotaler and the most extreme vegan you will ever meet, thinks grabbing food and drinks with coworkers is fun. Let me tell you, AI—it really depends on who’s sitting across from you. As for the social part, I can do that with my neighbors too. 4) Built-in Breaks AI, who only takes a break when you shut down the internet, thinks that the days flow better in an office environment because you can take advantage of “lunchtime strolls, coffee runs, and random ‘stretch-your-legs’ moments.” Ummm, you can do that at home, dummy. 5) Team Celebrations & Shared Office Snacks Not in any office where I’ve worked. Team celebrations were always forced and very corporate. And the shared snacks were always hit-and-miss. Only the lucky few would get their hands on those tiny cheese wheels. Most of the others had to choose between moldy apples and limp bananas. So it turns out, I really don’t miss anything from the office environment. :) How about you? Is there anything you miss about working in an office… with humans? #workfromhome #workingfromhome #office #worklife

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The four key principles of copyediting. The very first for me is to always double check. A good copyeditor is an eternal student, always ready to doubt themselves and learn.

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