{"id":51,"date":"2026-10-26T20:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T20:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/virginiastdenis.com\/?page_id=51"},"modified":"2026-10-26T21:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:15:32","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/virginiastdenis.com\/?page_id=51","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I am a publishing professional with more than 30 years of experience in writing, editing, desktop publishing, and managing online and print publications. I help organizations gather and package information into useful and engaging content, which keeps their target audiences coming back for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having started my career as a reporter-photographer at a daily newspaper, I became a professional storyteller and plain language specialist before those things were considered essential parts of marketing and communications. Connecting with my readers \u2014 so I can understand and tell their stories and meet their information needs \u2014 has always been my priority and my passion. Readers tend to have the best story ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming an Editor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My skills, experience, and dedication to my work earned me a promotion to editor, first at a weekly newspaper and then for hobby magazines. With my hard work and editorial strategy, their readerships increased, which in turn increased their advertising revenues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My superior organizational and time-management skills allowed me to be a one-person production team to launch a plain-language academic journal. I worked with guest editors, editorial boards, authors, and peer reviewers to ensure articles met academic publishing standards. Once articles are approved, I edited all articles for clarity and language before laying them out and sending files to the printer and webmaster. I also worked with translators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That gave me the experience I needed to become the managing editor of three medical journals, leading a team of editors, a graphic designer, and a desktop publisher. I further honed my plain language skills by transforming psychiatry research papers into media advisories, increasing the journal’s profile in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While working in corporate communications settings, I edited annual reports, newsletters, reports, and various business documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, my work mostly focuses on editing<\/a> research reports, journals, medical exams, and government submissions, as well as desktop publishing of journals and reports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Working with Non-Profit Organizations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2002, I\u2019ve mostly worked with non-profit health organizations. This experience has taught me how to do more with less without sacrificing quality. It has also allowed me to work with subject matter experts. I’ve learned a lot from Indigenous health professionals, psychiatrists, obstetricians and gynecologists, radiologists, nurses, medical specialists, and residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy helping non-profit organizations gather and package together information into useful and engaging content that keeps their target audiences coming back for more. I do that by providing writing<\/a>, editing,<\/a> and social media services. My outstanding organizational and time-management skills allow me to complete overlapping high priority projects with tight deadlines on schedule and on budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memberships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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As a member of the Plain Language Association International<\/a> (PLAIN), I follow their definition of plain language, which comes from the International Plain Language Federation. I’m also the managing editor of the PLAIN eJournal<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.”
International Plain Language Federation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am also a member of Plain Canada Clair<\/a>, which promotes plain language in both official languages in Canada.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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I\u2019m also a member of Editors Canada<\/a>. As well as volunteering with the Ottawa-Gatineau branch, I was the director of communications on the national executive council. I was also the April 2020 Volunteer of the Month<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a professional editor, I follow Editors Canada’s Definitions of Editorial Skills<\/a> and the updated 2024 Professional Editorial Standards<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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To support the Indigenous Editors Association, I am a non-Indigenous member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Language Portal of Canada Ambassador<\/a>, I help promote trusted and high-quality language resources, as well as provide readers with access to official languages resources. As a volunteer, I promote the portal\u2019s tools and services to the people in my networks. I have even written a post for the Our Languages<\/em> blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a member of many social media groups for editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These organizations not only provide excellent networking opportunities and professional support, but they also help me keep my skills up-to-date and. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise by giving webinars and volunteering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lifelong Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have a three-year Journalism diploma and a five-course Social Media certificate. I believe in lifelong learning and regularly take workshops, seminars, and webinars to keep up with the fast pace of change. Here’s a list of some of the professional development I’ve taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Editing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n