A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
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My husband and I recently took a trip from North Carolina to Laurel, Mississippi. We spent two nights in an Airbnb, the house that Ben and Erin Napier renovated in season 3, episode 3 of the HGTV show Home Town.
Right inside the front door of the house, this map covered in colorful pins showed where past guests had come from. The map reminded me of how client testimonials serve a similar purpose for proofreaders and editors. Each piece of feedback reflects the projects we've worked on and the people we’ve helped, mapping out the impact of our work.
Testimonials aren’t just a reflection of our past work—they show prospective clients what’s possible when they work with us. |
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To build your own “testimonial map,” start by asking clients for feedback right after completing a project, when the experience is fresh. Ask specific questions like “What did you find most helpful about my process?” or “How did my work improve your project?”
Display testimonials where potential clients will see them: on your website, LinkedIn profile, or even as quotes in your email signature. The key is to make it easy for happy clients to leave their “pin” on your map. What steps will you take today to start building your own map of testimonials? 📌 |
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Strengthen Your Roots This Holiday Season |
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I saw this beech tree (affectionately called the Medusa Tree) in Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina, last week. Look at those roots! |
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As the holidays approach, work sometimes slows down for proofreaders and editors. Instead of feeling unsettled, use this dormant season to strengthen your roots: build skills, refine systems, and prepare for future growth. Here are some ways to make the most of what can be a slower time: - Refresh or update your website or portfolio: Make sure everything is up to date, polished, and ready to impress future clients.
- Organize your workflow or systems: Refine your project management tools, client intake forms, or time-blocking methods for smoother operations when work picks up.
- Learn a new skill or brush up on old ones: Study a new style guide, grammar resource, or industry-relevant course to stay sharp and confident.
- Reconnect with clients or colleagues: Send a friendly check-in email to past clients or engage with peers in professional communities to maintain and build relationships.
- Tidy your workspace or digital files: A clean desk and organized files can set a productive tone for the new year.
What other ways can we strengthen our roots if work slows down during the holidays? I'd love to hear your ideas. 💡 |
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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): - Business seeds can take a long time to sprout: Anyone who's planted seeds (in a garden or a business) understands that it takes time for those seeds to sprout. Liz shares examples of seeds she's planted in her own business. She has some great tips about getting organized with prospects and avoiding discouragement along the way. 🌱️
- Tips for handing over editorial projects to clients: Hazel has launched a new course, and it sounds amazing! As service-based business owners, we need to consider how our clients feel when we return projects to them. Are they overwhelmed? Excited about seeing our edits? Hazel's course can help you return projects to clients with confidence. She even offers a 20% discount on this course to her newsletter subscribers. ✨
- Holiday gifting for clients: an unusual approach: If you're considering sending holiday gifts to clients this year, read Rachel's post first. 🎁
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The phrase “run amok” means to behave wildly, out of control, or in a chaotic way. According to Merriam-Webster, “amuck” is a less common variant of “amok.” 💡 Catch of the Week screenshots come from my transcript proofreading. I can't change what a person said, but I can make sure words are spelled correctly and punctuation marks are in the right spots. If you're interested in learning more about transcript proofreading, I wrote an article about it here. |
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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?
Academic articles, research proposals and reports, primarily from the social sciences. I also work with corporate clients, editing their websites, newsletters and other marketing texts.
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
I rolled into English editing when I was studying in The Hague. Most of my fellow students were non-native English speakers and asked me to look over their essays. I found that I had a flair for this and enjoyed it, so I started doing it more and more. Since then I've completed proofreading and copy editing courses with the College of Media and Editing.
I also do a lot of reading on editing, especially academic editing, to keep myself updated. I'm currently reading The Conscious Style Guide by Karen Yin.
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
Can I mention two favourite things? The first is that I love the variety of work that I'm involved in. I've worked on so many different topics from which I've learned so much—from healthcare for dairy cows, via jewellery design, to the benefits of cash grants for farmers in Burkina Faso.
The other thing I love about editing is the impact it can have on my clients. By working with them on their text, I can help them express themselves more clearly in English. One of the nicest things a client said to me was that thanks to the editing I did on his paper, he was now able to write better English. He understood where he was making mistakes and knew how to avoid them. I loved hearing that.
- What causes you the most frustration in your work?
The fact that, as an editor, I'm the last in the line before the publication process starts. That means there's always a lot of pressure to meet a deadline and the editing has to be completed sooner rather than later.
- What tips would you like to share with other proofreaders and editors?
In my experience, leaving an assignment for a day or two and then reading it again before sending it to the client reveals all sorts of small typos and other mistakes that I missed in the first edit. Time-wise this isn't always feasible, but I find it results in a better edit. I'm not sure that's much of a tip, though, as most established editors and proofreaders probably do this already 🙂.
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Fiddle-leaf figs are notoriously fickle. The light and temperature have to be just right for them to grow well indoors.
My FLF has been thriving in front of this large window in my living room. The only problem is that this spot is where I normally put my Christmas tree. Now where do I put my fig? I'm afraid if I move him to another spot for December, he won't like it and might drop some leaves.
Wish me luck as I look for another spot with similar lighting conditions. 🤞🏻 |
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Let's keep growing together! |
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Lexington, NC 27295, United States |
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