A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
|
Have I told you about the ruby-throated hummingbird couple that comes to the feeder outside my office window? Here's a photo of the female. I just love how her little feet dangle while her wings keep beating. |
|
The male is much more colorful and spends less time at the feeder, which makes it difficult to get a photo of him.
I want to think of better names for them than Mr. and Mrs. Hummingbird (😅), but I haven't come up with any good ones yet. If you have name suggestions, feel free to email them to me. |
|
Online Tool I Spotted This Week: |
|
I love discovering online tools that help me do my work more efficiently, and this week I came across Readwise, a fantastic resource worth sharing. I'm sure you read lots of content for your proofreading or editing work, but you probably enjoy reading other content as well: articles, books, newsletters, or social media captions. If you've ever wished you had a way to remember the interesting things you find in your reading, you might enjoy Readwise. This tool helps you capture, organize, and remember important points from books, articles, and blog posts. It integrates seamlessly with note-taking apps (I prefer Notion) and sends your highlights there. If you have the Readwise app, you can even save passages from physical books by using your phone's camera! I signed up for the free 30-day trial and am enjoying it so far. Check out this video by Tiago Forte to learn more about Readwise. |
|
Favorite LinkedIn Posts This Week: |
|
I've been inspired by all the great content I've seen on LinkedIn recently. Here are three posts I loved this week (shared with permission): |
|
"Rote learning” is a method of memorizing information through repetition without necessarily understanding its meaning or context (e.g., multiplication tables or historical dates).💡 |
|
This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor: |
|
Betsy from Maine Woods Editing |
|
The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit? I edit books. For fiction, I mostly read romances. I'm working on some nonfiction business books at the moment, I've done a nonfiction anthology, and I'm working as a freelance proofreader for a science fiction publisher. I'm open-minded.
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
I got my training on the job working as the copy editor for Kirkus Reviews magazine. Since starting my own business, I've taken every opportunity to find classes, blogs, presentations, and books that will help me improve and better serve my clients. My fellow editors have been invaluable resources.
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work? I love it when authors take things I've passed along to heart and incorporate them into other manuscripts. It makes me feel like I've made a difference beyond just the one book; every book that author writes in the future will benefit.
- What causes you the most frustration in your work? I have two things that are frustrations. I know what I want my website to look like and do, but making the site match that idea is a huge headache for me. Even worse, though, is AI. Putting aside the facts that AI is energy-intensive and that it uses content without credit or permission, cover designers and editors are losing clients to AI, and for the most part, the books being put out with AI-generated content, covers, and/or editing are not high quality; they could have been so much more. If you have a brilliant story idea and you're going to invest the time and money to bring it to life, make it truly yours, not AI's, and give it every chance of success.
- What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors?
I'm a big fan of using macros to streamline the editing process and provide an extra level of checks on a manuscript. Paul Beverley's macro collection is a wonderful gift to editors.
|
|
Plant Photo of the Week:
Marble Queen Pothos Guttation |
|
Did you know that many plants (like my marble queen pothos pictured here) get rid of extra moisture by pushing water droplets to the tips of their leaves? The process is called guttation. I wrote a blog post a few months ago about guttation and how proofreaders and editors should consider letting go of some things in business and life. Here's a link to the post if you're interested in reading it. |
|
Let's keep growing together! |
|
If this newsletter was forwarded to you or you found a link to it online, why not get The Leaflet delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe now for grammar tips, tricky word pairs, client strategies, and helpful online tools. Click here to subscribe today. |
|
7893 Old US Highway 52
Lexington, NC 27295, United States |
|
|
|
