Spring is officially in bloom here in my part of the world, First name / friend. Autumn is definitely my favorite season, but spring is a close second. Here are some of the beauties I photographed in my yard or nearby areas this week.
Has spring arrived where you live?
📩 How clean is your email inbox? 📩
We had an interesting conversation in The Trellis community this week about email inbox tidiness. I admit that I haven't been keeping my inboxes as organized as I probably should. I use Gmail, by the way.
Here are three techniques I'm using to get things under control: (1) organizing messages into folders (Gmail calls them Labels), (2) setting aside time blocks each week to clean up my inboxes, and (3) unsubscribing from unwanted emails. I also want to set up some filters to automate what happens to emails from certain senders.
Wish me luck in this process. I'd love to hear about your experience with inbox tidiness, too!
I'm writing a blog post about the power of sending voice messages to clients and colleagues versus written messages via text or email.
To help me with some research, would you reply to this email and let me know if you ever communicate with clients or colleagues using your voice (phone calls, Loom videos, voice clips on social media, Voxer or Slack messages, etc.)? Or do you prefer to communicate by text or email only?
Catch of the Week:
I know it's not polite to chuckle about a person being in a coma, but I have to admit I smiled when I saw this in a transcript I was proofreading. 💡
This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor:
Kerry from Beeline Editorial Services
The Proofreader Greenhouse asked:
What type of content do you proofread or edit? Court transcripts, online business content (e.g., blogs, web pages, product descriptions, newsletters, marketing content), and book manuscripts
Did you complete a training course for proofreaders, or are you self-taught? I achieved a distinction grade in my general proofreading and editing training with The Proofreading Academy, which included training in different dialects of English, such as American, Australian, and British. Later, I completed transcript-specific proofreading training through The Proofreading Business Coach.
What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing business? First, I love helping people feel more confident in their writing before they submit or publish it. Second, I'm not ashamed to admit that I adore reading all the juice in court transcripts. Last but certainly not least, I really enjoy getting to meet people from all over the world. I'm very lucky!
What causes you the most frustration in your business? As a mum to two young children with very limited childcare options, working from home can be both a joy and an absolute nightmare. I often have to work while I'm with my children, and I feel guilty about not being present enough when this happens.
What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors? Remember that what you're proofing or editing is their work, not yours. You can make suggestions, but your client is absolutely free to ignore those suggestions! You'll save yourself a lot of stress if you're able to lean into that.
