Nominated by Nicole Wayland
Barbie Halaby (she/her) launched Monocle Editing in 2008 after six years editing at a traditional publishing house in South Carolina. Now located in Maryland, she offers manuscript evaluation, developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading to indie authors, university presses, trade publishers, and corporations. She has served as a formal mentor to less-experienced editors and has been part of editorial mastermind groups since 2017. An active member of ACES since 2016, and a 14-year member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, Barbie continues to support and promote the publishing industry and the editorial professions.
How long has the nominee been a member of ACES?
6 years
How has the nominee contributed to ACES?
An editor for 20 years, Barbie actively participates in ACES Twitter chats. She has attended five ACES conferences, virtual and in-person, since joining in 2016. At her first conference, she presented a panel session about how to handle interpersonal business situations. Her panel session this year is about mastermind groups.
What experience would the nominee bring to the board?
Barbie brings an extensive background in editing for university presses as well as indie clients. She has earned her peers’ respect in her promotion of conscious language and inclusion of marginalized and underrepresented voices in publishing. She has mentored both formally and informally and offers a team-player attitude.
If elected, what does the nominee envision for ACES during their tenure?
If elected, Barbie would see ACES lead an online community of editors in a space that will continue the good work done through ACES previously on Twitter. She would also encourage the conference offerings to become broader and deeper, ensuring that editors at all stages continue to learn and grow.