Cost: Free for ACES members/$75.00 for nonmembers

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The Invention of the Modern American Dictionary

Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large, Merriam-Webster

Noah Webster’s revolutionary 1806 publication A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, the first truly American dictionary, and his subsequent work were showing their age and shortcomings by the mid-nineteenth century, when competition from the excellent dictionary of Joseph Worcester drove the publishers to a moment of truth—and of disruption. The decisions they subsequently made set the course for the company’s editorial and business policies to this day. This change from the idiosyncratic work of an individual to the organized effort of a team was an important and influential moment in the development of modern lexicography, and it is best understood alongside the business strategies that were its motivation. Webster’s work, the details of the “War of the Dictionaries,” and the teamwork resulting in the landmark edition of 1864 will all be discussed. 

Grammar Arcana 

Lisa McLendon, coordinator of the Bremner Editing Center at University of Kansas

You've mastered agreement; you know how to make a sentence parallel; pronouns give you no problems. But do you know what ablaut reduplication is, when to use a hortatory subjunctive, whether a double genitive is correct or how a reduced relative clause is phrased? A lot goes on “under the hood” of English; this session delves deeply into its inner workings. When you know how it all works, you know how to fix a sentence that "just doesn't sound right."

Developing a Quality Editorial Process End-to-End 

Samantha Enslen, president, Dragonfly Editorial
Cynthia Williams, editor and project manager, Dragonfly Editorial

Sometimes it feels like every editing project presents a minefield of errors. What will you step on this time: a misspelled name in a byline? Last year's date in the footer? A big, boldface typo in the headline? Or a data point that's different in two different parts of the document? In this session, we'll discuss a standard editorial process you can use to guide your publications from start to finish -- all the way from development through final proofing.

What's New in the AP Stylebook 

Paula Froke, lead editor, AP Stylebook
Colleen Newvine, product manager, AP Stylebook

Paula Froke, lead editor of the AP Stylebook, presents a virtual version of the Stylebook’s annual session on changes to AP style in the last year. AP Stylebook Online is updated throughout the year, including some changes that will take effect the day Froke presents them to ACES members. These additions and changes will also appear in the latest edition of the AP Stylebook, which is now in production.

Colleen Newvine, AP Stylebook product manager, will show you how to claim your ACES member discount on an AP Stylebook Online subscription.

Register for ACES 2020 Online.