ALEXANDRIA, Va. - s4story -- The Editorial Freelancers Association is pleased to announce the keynote speakers for our upcoming international convention, August 17 – 19 in Alexandria, Virginia. The featured presenters for EFACON 2023 are Dr. Cathy Hannabach, Cecilia Tan, and Ran Walker. The conference venue will be the Westin Alexandria Old Town, marking the return of the in-person convention for the EFA. "Early Bird" registration is now open; visit our registration page to secure your spot at the best rates during our Early Bird period (through April 17).

"EFA members have been meeting virtually for years to help each other's freelancing careers," says Cody Sisco, EFA co-executive. "The conference is an exciting opportunity to re-convene in-person, solidify longstanding relationships, and to start and cultivate new ones. We're going big with fun, valuable learning and networking sessions and our keynotes are going to wow everyone."

Cathy Hannabach, PhD, is a book editor and indexer, podcaster, and writer who helps interdisciplinary scholars turn their vibrant ideas into reality and spark social change. Founder and CEO of Ideas on Fire, she helps interdisciplinary academics "write and publish awesome texts, enliven public conversations, and create more just worlds."

Dr. Hannabach hosts Imagine Otherwise, a podcast highlighting those bridging art, activism, and academia in the service of social justice. Author of Blood Cultures: Medicine, Media, and Militarisms and Book Marketing for Academics, her research and commentary appears in outlets including New Learning Times, Cultural Politics, the BBC, Women and Performance, Contra*, Social Text: Periscope, Studies in Gender and Sexuality, and Dismantle Magazine.

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"Editing is a crucial way we collaboratively build more just futures." – Dr. Cathy Hannabach

Cecilia Tan is the Director of Publications for SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) and the founder of Circlet Press (purveyors of erotic science fiction/fantasy), as well as an award-winning novelist and short story writer. She has edited books and anthologies for numerous publishers ranging from the Baseball Prospectus annual (Wiley) to Sex In The System (Carroll & Graf), and was inducted in 2010 into the GLBT Writers and Editors Hall of Fame at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival. When she's not writing or editing something in her home office, she can be found writing and editing while traveling the world.

"Freelancers often swoop in to save the day. But what's the billing rate for 'heroism'?" – Cecilia Tan

Ran Walker is the award-winning author of thirty books. His writing has appeared in a various anthologies and periodicals and he has been specializing in flash fiction and microfiction—stories averaging 50 to 100 words—since 2019. Prior to becoming a writer and educator, he worked in magazine publishing and practiced law in Mississippi.

Ran teaches creative writing at Hampton University and for Writer's Digest University. He is also a contributing editor at Writer's Digest, where he freelances regularly. A member of the National Novel Writing Month's Writers Board, Ran lives in Virginia with his wife and daughter.

"I have come to understand that there are many different, and often unexpected, ways to succeed in publishing." – Ran Walker

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Offering a rare opportunity for solopreneurs, the Editorial Freelancers Association Conference is a gathering where freelance editors, proofreaders, literary coaches, researchers, writers, and other editorial professionals can engage in networking, professional development, and camaraderie. EFACON 2023 is expected to draw hundreds of editorial freelancers from across North America and abroad.

"We are finally going to be able to gather in-person for EFACON 2023 for networking, learning, and growth," says Katy Grenfell, EFA co-executive. "We are aiming for BIG fun, starting with our excellent group of keynote speakers. I think they are going to bring this convention to the next level."

The EFA is a national non-profit professional organization with over 3,200 members, including copyeditors, developmental editors, proofreaders, literary coaches, researchers, writers, project managers, and other editorial professionals. Our members work for traditional publishers, government agencies, academic institutions, self-publishing authors, corporations, and nonprofits—anywhere words deliver the message.

EFA Mission

The EFA advances excellence among our dynamic community of freelance editorial professionals by providing opportunities for business development, learning, and networking. Our resources help our members and their clients build successful collaborations.

"The Editorial Freelancers Association just might be the book publishing industry's most powerful secret weapon …" – Publishers Weekly

For more information and to register for EFACON 2023, visit eventleaf.com/e/EFACON2023.

For more information about the EFA, visit the-efa.org.