ACES: The Society for Editing is a professional association of international scope for editors who work on every kind of content, including newspapers, magazines, websites, books, scholarly journals, and corporate communications.
, the group offered: an annual in-person conference an annual virtual conference member networking opportunities a newsletter scholarships (via the affiliated ACES Education Fund) regional workshops a website that offers educational materials, news, job listings, and an editors-for-hire board
ACES was formerly known as – and, , is still legally incorporated as – the American Copy Editors Society, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
Executive committee ACES was founded in 1997, by Pam Robinson, who also served as its first president, and Hank Glamann. Its inception followed the work of the American Society of News Editors (at the time, the American Society of Newspaper Editors) and meetings by copy editors in North Carolina and South Carolina. It is currently led by society president Heather E. Saunders of Nova Arc Content Co.https://aceseditors.org/news/2024/heather-e-saunders-aces-board-president She follows Neil Holdwayhttps://aceseditors.org/news/2024/neil-holdway-term-as-president-of-aces-has-ended of the Daily Herald and Sara Ziegler of FiveThirtyEight. John McIntyre of The Baltimore Sun was its second president. Chris Wienandt of the Dallas Morning News was its third president. Teresa Schmedding of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill., was its fourth president.
ACES is governed by an elected board of directors consisting of five officers, eight board members-at-large, the president of the ACES Education Fund (ex officio), and the past president (non-voting member). Any full member is eligible for elections. Annual membership is $100 for full members and $50 for students.
In 2008, the board approved changes that allowed copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations full membership with voting rights. As of early 2023, the society had over 5,000 members.
Awards ACES: The Society for Editing offers numerous scholarships, fellowships, and awards to various editors annually.
ACES honors two editors each year for their outstanding editing abilities. The awards are named after its founders: the Robinson Prize, which honors an outstanding editor, and the Glamann Award, which honors contributions to the craft.
ACES offers annual scholarships to up-and-coming student editors awarded to 6 students annually.
The Richard S. Holden Diversity Fellowship is awarded to editors who show extraordinary promise in their fields. In addition to scholarship funds, the winners are given leadership and opportunities to advance their skills and careers.
ACES also has hosted the annual National Grammar Day Tweeted Poetry Contest, a poem-writing contest celebrating National Grammar Day, March 4.
In-Person Conferences
The ACES national conference features the fundamentals of the craft and a primer for what's to come. Each year, editors from all fields come together for three days of workshops, panel discussions, and networking. Attendees include editors for newspapers, magazines, websites, trade publications, book publishers, nonprofit agencies, and corporations, as well as students, journalism professors, consultants, and freelancers.
The idea that led to the creation of ACES was nurtured during a series of three conferences about copy editing sponsored by the American Society of News Editors in 1995 and 1996.
When ACES was chartered in the spring of 1997, the top priority of the society's founders was to conduct their own national gathering. Four months later, the first ACES national conference took place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Upcoming Conferences
April 23–26, 2026: The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia April 26-29, 2027: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Past Conferences
Year Location Attendance 1997 Chapel Hill, NC 347 1998 Portland, OR 400 1999 Dallas, TX 525 2000 Baltimore, MD 425 2001 Long Beach, CA 440 2002 Louisville, KY 354 2003 Chicago, IL 410 2004 Houston, TX 390 2005 Hollywood, CA 504 2006 Cleveland, OH 420 2007 Miami, FL 368 2008 Denver, CO 297 2009 Minneapolis, MN 256 2010 Philadelphia, PA 331 2011 Phoenix, AZ 2972012 New Orleans, LA 3542013 St. Louis, MO 3792014Las Vegas, NV 3352015 Pittsburgh, PA4832016Portland, OR6262017St. Petersburg, FL5552018Chicago, IL7102019Providence, RI8292020Canceled due to COVID-19n/a2021Canceled due to COVID-19n/a2022San Antonio, TX400+2023Columbus, OH400+2024San Diego, CA500+2025Salt Lake City, UT530
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