Happy December, First name / friend! It's the month of cozy sweaters, twinkling lights, and the final countdown to the New Year. Can you believe we're wrapping up 2023 already?
My husband and I decided to attend as many Christmas events as possible this year. Last night, we attended a concert of Christmas carols performed by dozens of tuba and euphonium players. They called it Joy Tuba World. 😀
This euphonium player really got into the Christmas spirit!
In the Productivity Tools channel in The Trellis, we talked about hoopla, where you can link your public library account and access thousands of books and other types of media. Amazing!
This week's Instagram reel stirred up some strong opinions about how quickly proofreaders and editors should respond to clients. I'd love to hear your input on this topic. Here's a link to the post.
In the Proofreader Mindset channel in The Trellis, we considered writing in a failure journal to track the lessons we learn from our struggles as proofreaders and editors. Here's a link to the post that inspired this discussion. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this idea.
The phrase “raise Cain” means to cause a commotion, create a disturbance, or make trouble. Cain, the oldest son of Adam and Eve, took the life of his brother. Remember to capitalize the “c” since Cain is a name.
This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor:
Bethany Dancel from Dancel Editorial
The Proofreader Greenhouse asked:
What type of content do you proofread or edit? Fiction. Mostly romance, thrillers, and YA.
Did you complete a training course for proofreaders, or are you self-taught? I completed Edit Republic’s High-Level Proofreading Pro and have taken several online writing and editing courses. I also have degrees in education and English.
What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing business? I love the flexibility of my schedule. It’s nice to be able to work from home and attend my children's school events. I also love my relationships with my clients. The best part about my business, though, is that I get to read amazing books every day!
What causes you the most frustration in your business? Being a freelancer means wearing all the hats. On top of editing, I have to make time for admin work, marketing, IT problems, etc. It can get tedious, but being my own boss makes it all worth it.
What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors? Learn how to use macros in your editing to streamline your process. It's a game changer!
