Inclusive Language and Avoiding Bias (April 9)

When: Tues., April 9, 2019, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Southdale Library, Helen Young Room, 7001 York Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55435

The person reading what you write or edit may be different from you in race, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability, and your personal identities and experiences affect how you see the world. So how can you make sure your work is as free as possible from unintentionally exclusive or offensive wording? Editors Beth Wright and Madeleine Vasaly will discuss the importance of inclusive language and diversity in the publishing process and share some key questions to ask, common missteps to avoid, and go-to resources to use in your writing and editing life.

Beth Wright is a writing coach, editor, and publishing consultant with more than 20 years of experience in book publishing. Her career has included working for a traditional publishing house, founding a partnership business that operated for 12 years, and heading a solo business, Wright for Writers LLC, now a year old. She approaches editing as both an art and a science, with a focus on clarifying the writer’s voice. Promoting inclusive, nonbiased language and questioning assumptions are two of her passions.

Madeleine Vasaly is a former in-house and current independent editor who works with writers, book and magazine publishers, packagers, nonprofits, creative agencies, and anyone else who deals with words. She is also the senior editor and co-head of Twin Cities Geek, an online magazine that aims to represent as many of the diverse identities within Minnesota’s self-identified “geek” community as possible on its masthead. She has edited for inclusive language in everything from TV reviews to dystopian novels to DIY home-improvement guides.