American Copy Editors Society
ACES: The Society for Editing is a nonprofit professional association serving copy editors and other editors across journalism, publishing, academia, business, and digital media.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
ACES: The Society for Editing is a United States-based professional association for people who edit or are interested in editing content across a broad range of media and institutions. Although the organization was founded with strong roots in newspaper copy editing, its membership and professional remit extend to editors working on magazines, books, websites, scholarly journals, trade publications, nonprofit communications, corporate content, and freelance projects. The organization remains legally incorporated under its former name, the American Copy Editors Society, while publicly using the shorter and more inclusive identity ACES: The Society for Editing. The society grew out of efforts by the American Society of News Editors, then known as the American Society of Newspaper Editors, to bring copy editors together for professional discussion. Three copy-editing conferences held in 1995 and 1996 helped establish the need for an independent organization. Pam Robinson and Hank Glamann were central to the society's creation, and ACES was chartered in the spring of 1997. Its first national conference followed four months later at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The original purpose was to strengthen copy editors' professional status, provide practical training, and create a national community for a group whose work was essential to publishing but often received less public recognition than reporting or authorship. ACES has since developed into a broad educational and networking organization. Its principal activities include an annual in-person national conference, an annual virtual conference, regional workshops, member networking, a newsletter, and a website containing educational resources, industry news, job listings, and an editors-for-hire board. The annual in-person meeting typically combines workshops, panels, and networking over several days and attracts editors, journalism educators, students, consultants, freelancers, and communications professionals from a variety of sectors. The society also supports professional development through awards, scholarships, fellowships, and competitions. Its Robinson Prize recognizes an outstanding editor, while the Glamann Award recognizes contributions to the editing craft; both awards are named for the organization's founders. The affiliated ACES Education Fund provides scholarships to student editors and administers the Richard S. Holden Diversity Fellowship, which combines financial support with leadership and career-development opportunities. ACES has also hosted a National Grammar Day Tweeted Poetry Contest tied to March 4, using a lighthearted public-facing format to promote interest in language and editing. A significant institutional change occurred in 2008, when the board approved full membership and voting rights for copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations. This broadened the association's constituency to include editors in corporate, nonprofit, academic, publishing, and other environments. By early 2023, the organization reported more than 5,000 members. Its governance structure includes an elected board with five officers and eight at-large directors, alongside ex officio and non-voting representation from the ACES Education Fund and the immediate past president. As of the cited 2025 reference material, ACES offered both in-person and virtual conferences, educational programming, networking, scholarships, and online career resources. The organization is best understood as a professional community and education platform rather than a commercial consumer brand.
History
ACES developed from a professional movement among newspaper copy editors in the United States during the 1990s. The American Society of News Editors sponsored three conferences devoted to copy editing in 1995 and 1996. Those meetings demonstrated that copy editors shared professional concerns that warranted a permanent organization, including training, standards, career development, recognition, and communication across newsrooms. Pam Robinson and Hank Glamann helped turn that momentum into a formal association. ACES was chartered in the spring of 1997, with Robinson serving as its first president. The founders prioritized a national gathering, and the first ACES conference was held four months after chartering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The early organization focused primarily on newspaper and newsroom copy editors, but its educational and professional mission was applicable to many forms of editing. Over time, ACES broadened its membership beyond traditional journalism. A major governance and membership decision in 2008 gave full membership and voting rights to copy editors working outside conventional journalism organizations. This change reflected the expansion of editing work into book publishing, magazines, websites, scholarly journals, corporations, nonprofit organizations, trade publications, and freelance practice. The organization later adopted the public-facing name ACES: The Society for Editing, while remaining legally incorporated under the American Copy Editors Society name as of the cited reference material. The society's activities combine professional education, community building, and recognition. Its national conference brings together editors from different sectors for workshops, panels, and networking. ACES also offers a virtual conference, regional workshops, newsletters, online educational material, job listings, and an editors-for-hire board. These services position the organization as both a training provider and a professional network. Recognition and access to the profession are supported through the ACES Education Fund. The fund provides scholarships for student editors and administers the Richard S. Holden Diversity Fellowship, which is intended to support promising editors through funding and professional-development opportunities. The Robinson Prize and Glamann Award recognize editing excellence and contributions to the craft, preserving the names of the founders within the organization's awards program. ACES has additionally used public activities such as its National Grammar Day Tweeted Poetry Contest to connect editing and language awareness with a wider audience. The association is governed by an elected board of directors composed of five officers and eight members-at-large, with the president of the ACES Education Fund serving ex officio and the immediate past president serving as a non-voting member. Full members are eligible to participate in elections. The organization reported more than 5,000 members in early 2023. As described in 2025 reference material, ACES remains active through a mixed program of physical and online conferences, workshops, networking, educational publishing, career services, and awards. Its evolution from a newspaper copy-editing association into a cross-sector society reflects the changing role of editors in digital publishing, institutional communications, and professional content production.
- 2023
Membership exceeds 5,000
[1]Reference material reported that the society had more than 5,000 members in early 2023.
- 2018
Public identity broadens
[1]The organization used the broader public-facing identity ACES: The Society for Editing while retaining its former legal corporate name in the cited material.
- 2008
Membership eligibility expands
[1]The board approved full membership and voting rights for editors working outside traditional journalism organizations.
- 1997
American Copy Editors Society is chartered
[1]Pam Robinson and Hank Glamann helped found and charter the society, with Robinson becoming its first president.
- 1997
First national conference
[1]The first ACES national conference took place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill four months after chartering.
- 1996
Copy-editing conferences continue
[1]A third conference in the 1995–1996 series reinforced support for an independent professional society for copy editors.
- 1995
First conference series on copy editing
[1]The American Society of News Editors began sponsoring conferences focused on copy editing, helping create the professional foundation from which ACES emerged.
Products and positioning
A professional, educational, and networking association for editors working across journalism, publishing, digital media, academia, nonprofit communications, and corporate content.
Professional conference · 1997
Annual national in-person conference
ACES's flagship physical gathering brings together editors from newspapers, magazines, websites, book publishers, scholarly organizations, nonprofits, corporations, and freelance practice. The multiday program combines workshops, panel discussions, practical instruction, and networking.
Online professional education
Annual virtual conference
The virtual conference extends ACES programming through online sessions for members and other editors who cannot attend the physical national event. It supports continuing education and cross-sector exchange in editing practice.
Scholarship program
ACES Education Fund scholarships
The affiliated ACES Education Fund provides scholarships for emerging editors. Reference material states that six student editors receive annual scholarships, supporting entry into editing and related professional fields.
Fellowship
Richard S. Holden Diversity Fellowship
This fellowship supports editors showing exceptional promise. In addition to financial assistance, recipients receive leadership and professional-development opportunities intended to strengthen their skills and career prospects.
Professional award
Robinson Prize
Named for founder Pam Robinson, the Robinson Prize recognizes an editor judged to have demonstrated outstanding editing ability.
Professional award
Glamann Award
Named for founder Hank Glamann, the Glamann Award honors significant contributions to the editing craft and the broader editing profession.
Career and marketplace service
Editors-for-hire board
ACES operates an online board connecting organizations or individuals seeking editorial help with editors offering freelance or contract services.
Marketing campaigns
- National Grammar Day Tweeted Poetry Contest
United States · Online
ACES has hosted a poem-writing contest associated with National Grammar Day on March 4. The activity presents grammar and language editing in an accessible, social-media-oriented format.
Outcome. The contest served as a public engagement and language-awareness initiative; specific participation or performance figures are not stated in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2018
Adopt the broader public identity ACES: The Society for EditingStrategyBackground
The society's membership and professional scope had expanded beyond newspaper copy editors, making its original name less representative of the full editing community.
Action taken
The organization used ACES: The Society for Editing as its public-facing identity while remaining legally incorporated under the American Copy Editors Society name according to the cited reference.
Aftermath
The broader identity emphasized the organization's cross-sector and international professional scope.
2008
Extend full membership beyond traditional journalismStrategyBackground
Editing work was increasingly being performed in corporate, nonprofit, academic, publishing, digital, and freelance settings rather than only in newspaper newsrooms.
Action taken
The board approved full membership and voting rights for copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations.
Aftermath
The decision broadened the association's eligible constituency and supported its later identity as a society for editors across multiple industries.
Recent events
- 2025
ACES continues as a national and international editing association[1]
Other
Reference material describes an active organization offering in-person and virtual conferences, regional workshops, member networking, newsletters, scholarships, educational resources, career listings, and an editors-for-hire board.
- 2008
ACES expands its professional remit beyond traditional copy editing[1]
Other
The board approved full membership and voting rights for copy editors working outside traditional journalism organizations, broadening participation across corporate, nonprofit, academic, publishing, and other communications settings.
Sources2 sources
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