Hello Chicagoland EFA,

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer our short poll on in-person meetings. Since only eight members took the survey, we’ve concluded that

1. It’s summer and you’re all too busy with much more interesting things; and
2. Due to the up-down, turnaround nature of this long-haul pandemic, the safety of in-person meetings isn’t certain enough to meet face-to-face.

We have therefore decided to cancel our September meeting and delay in-person quarterly meetings until March 2022. We’ll keep the survey open in case you’d like to let us know your opinions as the pandemic changes.

That said, anyone who would like to be a hyperlocal organizer for their neighborhood or suburb is welcome to email us. (And if the two poll-takers who said they’d like to organize events in their areas—Logan Square and Mount Prospect—but didn’t provide their name or contact address, could email us, that’d be great.)

For October, our virtual meeting will feature a panel focused on website design.

Have you been thinking about creating a website for your freelance business but are stuck at the starting line? Are you wondering if your existing website needs a refresh? Come to our Oct. 27 meeting to hear a panel of experts talk about website platforms and design. Registration will start Oct. 1. More info to come soon!

Sincerely,

Kandy Hopkins, Amy Spungen, and Tamaal Rodgers
EFA Chicagoland Chapter Co-coordinators

PRINTERS ROW LIT FEST

Ladies and gentlemen (and variations thereupon): The Lit Fest is a go!

We will be representing the EFA at the Printers Row Lit Fest on Sept. 11 and 12. Our booth is located in front of Hotel Blake, on S. Dearborn Street just south of Ida B. Wells Drive. We still need a few booth volunteers—especially for Sunday—so if you’d like to join us, please sign up here.

According to PRLF organizers, attendees “are encouraged to wear masks when not actively eating or drinking.… For programs hosted inside tents and indoor venues, masks will be required and guests over the age of 12 [years] are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result within the last 48 hours, along with a valid photo ID. Unmasked children will not be allowed in program tents or indoor venues.”

If you decide to attend, see the PRLF website for their latest schedule and safety guidelines—and please stop by our booth and say hi! We’d love to meet any and all of you.

MIND CANDY

• Take a Hike. Or a history tour! On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Chicago Graphic Design Club will host a Printer’s Row Printing History Walk, starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15, and they request fully vaccinated participants only.
• All Zoomed Out. A new Chrome extension could help you fight Zoom fatigue. Created by Reviews.org, which tests smart-home products and services, the tool “scan[s your Google] calendar and warn[s you] of video call fatigue BEFORE it hits.”
• Want to Play a Game? If you’re not too tired, how about some good old-fashioned goofing off? LifeHacker walks you through how to play Zoom’s new built-in games, including trivia, poker, and Werewolf with Friends. (Yes, werewolves!!!)

FREELANCE NEWS

CIEP Members on How Clients Find Them

Being findable by clients is the key to a successful business. But just how and where do clients find you?

Members of Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) were recently asked just that. Answers include having a strong and varied presence online—from a website and LinkedIn profile to listings in several professional directories. Word of mouth and repeat business from clients were also high on their lists.

You can read the rest here: Wise owls: where do your clients find you?

CMOS for PerfectIt Proofreading Software + Webinars

PerfectIt is what macros want to be when they grow up—and now it’s even more useful for those who live and die by The Chicago Manual of Style.

The new Chicago Manual of Style for PerfectIt software combines the CMOS with PerfectIt’s style checker. It’s free for subscribers to CMOS Online and PerfectIt; to install the new features, those with subscriptions to both must update to the latest version of PerfectIt.

To help ya’ll get a handle on the new features, ACES: The Society of Editing will hold a series of live webcasts with Daniel Heuman, CEO and founder of Intelligent Editing, during September. All will be held at 4 p.m. Eastern time and are free for ACES members but $30 for nonmembers:

• 9: Introducing The Chicago Manual of Style for PerfectIt (all levels)
• 16: Checking Consistency in PerfectIt (beginners)
• 23: Enforcing Preferences and Checking House Style (advanced)

ACES members receive a 30% discount on PerfectIt and a 20% discount on CMOS Online. EFA members receive a 30% discount PerfectIt Pro Edition and 20% off one-, two-, or three-year subscriptions on CMOS Online.

Career Development Scholarships to Help Increase Skills

Feeling stuck in your career? ACES announced the next round of the Richard S. Holden Diversity Fellowship, a pilot program of up to three $3,000 fellowships that will enable participants to get the training and support they need to move their careers forward.

Membership in ACES is not required to apply, though fellows will be awarded a two-year membership. Candidates from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is Sept. 13.

Back 2 Business Grant Program Now Open

Small businesses, including independent contractors and freelancers operating as sole proprietors, can now apply for a grant through the Back 2 Business program. B2B is awarding $5,000 to $150,000 grants to businesses that experienced losses during the pandemic.

The deadline to apply for a grant is Oct. 13.

Illinois Pass-Through SALT Cap Goes Bye-Bye

Thanks to a new law, Illinois pass-through businesses—such as partnerships,
S corporations, and limited liability companies—can now choose to pay the entity-level income tax on their annual taxes. This “essentially permits such businesses to circumvent the $10,000 SALT cap,” according to an article on Bloomberg.

However, an RSM US article cautioned that “making the election may, or may not, create significant tax savings when aggregating federal and state tax liabilities.” So please check with your friendly neighborhood accountant to find out more come tax time.

PODCASTS TO PONDER

This month, The Writers’ Co-op advised listeners on how to “Retain Your [Freelance] Clients” (Aug. 9), and The Deliberate Freelancer covered “How to Recognize and Overcome Perfectionism” (Aug. 19). The Editing Podcast recently offered advice on “LGBTQ+ Editing” (July 13).

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Kandy Hopkins
EFA Chicago Chapter Co-coordinator