A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
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I received the best birthday present last week: a small greenhouse!
It fits perfectly on my living room bookshelf, and I had such fun choosing plants to go in it. I may change them out later, but for now, I chose asparagus fern, fluffy ruffles fern, and fern moss. Do you see a pattern? 😊 |
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Of course, this greenhouse makes me think of an analogy:
Just as some plants (especially new or delicate ones) need protection and extra care, proofreaders and editors need a safe place to grow. They can thrive with mentorship and support. That's what The Proofreader Greenhouse is all about! 🪴 |
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A few weeks ago, I read a LinkedIn post that asked people to share their favorite editing tool (physical or digital). All the comments were great, but one stuck out to me: Jon Trobaugh's idea of a “cooler drawer.”
After he writes a piece of content, he prints it and puts it in an empty drawer overnight to let it “cool” down. When he looks at the content the next day with fresh eyes, he always notices things he wants to improve.
Now, the concept of setting work aside and coming back to it later isn't new for proofreaders and editors, but I loved the phrase “cooler drawer.”
If you haven't tried it yet, here's what to do: After you've proofed, edited, or written content, leave it alone for a little while (overnight if possible). There's a good chance you'll find more errors (or wording you want to tweak) when you pick it up again.
Do you do something like this in your work? I'd love to hear your process for letting content “cool" to make errors more apparent. |
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Favorite LinkedIn Posts This Week: |
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Here are three posts I enjoyed reading on LinkedIn this week (shared with permission): - Struggling to find time for self-care? I often encourage us to take restorative breaks from our proofreading, editing, or writing work. Ciera's post about the importance of self-care is great! I particularly loved this sentence: “Think of self-care as small, quiet, daily luxuries.” 🍵
- Use bullets to improve your content's readability: I love using bullets to organize content and make it easier for the reader to understand. In this post, Michelle lists some benefits of using bullets for this purpose. My favorite emojis to use as bullets (especially for conversational content) are 👉🏻 or 🌟. How about you?
- Are some punctuation rules optional? Gabriella's post is a good reminder that not everyone agrees on the placement of certain punctuation marks. The Oxford comma debate is a perfect example of this. It's important to know your clients' preferences and follow them when proofreading or editing their content. ✨
By the way, if you're on LinkedIn, I'd love to connect! |
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“Disperse” and “disburse” sound so similar but have quite different meanings. Just remember that “disburse” refers to money. “Disperse” means to scatter or spread out. 💡 |
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This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor: |
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The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit?
In the editing space, I love working with wealth management companies, their clients' content, banks, and credit unions. I also provide editing for construction marketing, freelance business building marketing, LinkedIn profiles, and public relations. I'm also very interested in providing editing services within the aging care/dementia education area.
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
- Poynter ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing
- Udemy Certification in Editing and Proofreading
- 20 years of experience working with online book club content
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
I love "tweaking" content. Even with the most seasoned writers and marketers, there can always be a different way to approach connecting with an audience. My personality and intuition provide me with a unique perspective that I love tapping into to help my clients create the best content possible to reach their audience.
- What causes you the most frustration in your work?
To be honest, editing PDFs. I wish they were more user-friendly for editors!
- What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors?
If you're considering starting your own editing/writing small business, be sure you make these things your priorities from the very beginning:
- Master your skills
- Create optimized profiles and portfolios (cannot stress this enough!)
- Streamline your processes (still working on this one!)
- Find high-paying clients and take steps to retain them for the long term
- Believe in your personal brand and continuously develop it
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My Christmas cactus was covered in pink blossoms when I bought him last December. Now he sits near my dining room window and gets lots of natural light.
I've heard that I need to adjust his light exposure to help him bloom. I'll work on that this fall. In the meantime, I love seeing the bright green of his new leaves. It's so fun to watch things grow and change. ️🌱 |
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Let's keep growing together! |
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7893 Old US Highway 52
Lexington, NC 27295, United States |
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