A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
|
I learned this week that a beagle + poison ivy + my skin = no fun!
My husband and I get so much enjoyment from Harley, our one-year-old beagle. He's an inside dog, but he loves to explore our fenced backyard.
Unbeknownst to us, a patch of poison ivy has been growing behind our backyard shed. And guess who found it?
Now my husband and I have a bad rash on our arms. Thankfully, my doctor prescribed some cream which seems to be helping. But it's been an itchy week, to say the least!
If you have any tips for easing the effects of poison ivy, feel free to send them my way! |
|
Are you feeling wilted as a proofreader or editor?
Here's some encouragement. |
|
My fittonia plant was feeling a bit droopy this week. After a drink of filtered water + my favorite liquid plant food, he felt much better a few hours later.
Do you ever feel wilted as a proofreader, editor, or word enthusiast? Here are a few ways to perk up: - Ask yourself how you're feeling or check your ability to concentrate. If you're distracted or sleepy, you probably need to take a break from focused work for a little while.
- Cal Newport suggests using a timer to focus intensely for a certain amount of time, then taking a short break. Gradually increase the amount of focused time. He calls it interval training. I've been trying this with my transcript proofreading lately.
- Make sure you're not holding your breath (or taking shallow breaths) while working.
- Improve your posture.
- Do focused work during your biological prime time.
- Take refreshing breaks. Here are 50 ideas.
- Have something to look forward to when you finish your focus session.
What else do you do when you're feeling wilted? I'd love to hear your tips! |
|
Favorite LinkedIn Posts This Week: |
|
Here are three posts I enjoyed reading on LinkedIn this week (shared with permission): - Thinking of increasing your pricing? Claire breaks down the numbers for what would happen if you increased the pricing of your services (and maybe even lost clients because of it). An eye-opening read! ✨
- Stop doing and “just be.” I enjoyed reading Susie's story of being inspired by her dog's ability to rest and recharge.️ ️😊
- Consider using email autoresponders: If you live in a part of the world that is different from many of your clients, I think you'll enjoy reading Toni's tips about setting up email autoresponders. Smart! 🧠
|
|
In this context, LIO stands for “lesser included offense." The acronym was used multiple times in this file I was proofreading, and because the capital letter “O” looks almost identical to a zero in the font my client used, I used the search function in my iAnnotate app to look for instances of both “LIO” and “LI0.”
Sure enough, I spotted one instance of “LI0.” Whew! 💡 |
|
This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor: |
|
The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit?
Websites, emails, PowerPoint presentations, marketing copy, blogs, but no academic papers
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
No proofreading or editing courses, but I taught EFL (English as a Foreign Language) for 25+ years, with a Master's in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Many semesters I taught writing, so I have decades of experience editing and proofreading English.
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
Helping people for free. I state on my website that I'm so passionate about helping people get their English copy correct, I'll help for free on small tasks (i.e., short slogans, business names, etc.). I talked about some of those experiences in a recent blog post.
- What causes you the most frustration in your work?
I work primarily with Korean customers (though I've worked with clients around the globe). In Korea, seeing "Grand Open" signs everywhere drives me crazy!
- What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors?
Here are my two favorite proofreading tips:
1. Use the "find" feature to search for double spaces. I always catch a couple in my own writing when I do that.
2. I find that reading out loud to myself, it's still easy to fall into the trap of going into "autopilot." I prefer to use Word's Read Aloud function to have my text read back to me (I also use an extension in my browser called Read Aloud). I find that mistakes jump out at me when I do this.
|
|
Have you gotten your free resource yet? 👇🏻 |
|
Simply reply to this email and ask me to send you the PDF. |
|
Here's some feedback I received about the resource from Leaflet subscriber Kristin:
"Thank you for sharing your guide on weeding out more errors. There are so many tips that I can apply to line editing and copyediting, too. Noting what you learn in a spreadsheet is such a great idea. I appreciate the tip on breathing properly; it never occurred to me that part of my resulting fatigue was from shallow breathing. And I have an upcoming proofread that will let me try out viewing the manuscript in two formats side by side."
Here's another tip for weeding out errors, sent in by Leaflet subscriber Margot:
“One thing I've just begun to do is to keep a list of words that I always question whether they are one word, two words, or hyphenated (and if so, when). It dawned on me that I look up the same words over and over, and it is not only a waste of my time, but it also interrupts my flow, even if I'm only highlighting them to check later.” |
|
The leaves on this philodendron are at least two feet long, so I always get excited when I see a new one tightly rolled up, ready to open in a few days. Isn't new life inspiring? ️🌱 |
|
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 |
|
|
|
