A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
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As November begins today, my houseplants are adapting to shorter days and cooler rooms. The air has less humidity, the daylight fades earlier, and the soil takes longer to dry out after waterings. Their pace slows with the season, and that’s completely normal. |
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As proofreaders and editors, we go through similar shifts at this time of year. Some weeks feel packed with client deadlines as everyone tries to wrap things up before year-end; other weeks feel quiet as people turn their focus toward family, rest, and holiday routines. Either way, this season invites adjustment. Here’s what that looks like for me this month: I’m keeping my proofreading projects steady and setting aside focused blocks of time to work on creating TPG Goods (coming soon!). 🛍️ If your workload feels different lately, you’re not alone. Like our plants, we all need to adjust to the light we have. Sometimes that means pushing forward, and sometimes it means pausing. Here's a tip: Look at your current season and make one small adjustment that fits it. If work is busy, create simple systems to stay organized. If it’s slow, use the space to update your portfolio, review your website, or reconnect with past clients. I’d love to hear how you’re adapting right now. Reply to this email and share one small change that’s helping you stay balanced. 🌿 |
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Harley keeps a close eye on all the happenings in our front yard from his favorite window perch. This past week alone, he spotted a squirrel, a chipmunk, a cat, and the katydid seen in this photo. As the official Proofreader Greenhouse mascot, he’s always on duty—sniffing out errors, watching for anything that moves in our yard, and announcing it all with his high-pitched bark. |
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Favorite LinkedIn Posts This Week: |
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Here are three posts I enjoyed reading on LinkedIn recently. Click the links below to read them. - The proofreader's struggle: thoroughness vs. efficiency: Beverly reflects on the ongoing challenge of balancing efficiency with the need to be thorough. I like her reminder that reading out loud—punctuation and all—is a simple but powerful way to slow down and catch what we might otherwise miss. 🕵️♀️
- What's your client retention percentage? Hazel shares a smart way to measure how much of your income comes from long-term clients, and I love the reminder that strong relationships can lead to both stability and better work. Her 78% retention stat is impressive, and her approach to project handovers, which she teaches in her course (linked in the comments), seems like a big reason why. 📈
- How to spot burnout, even from a distance: Kenna encourages us to watch for signs of burnout in our remote coworkers, but even for those of us who work solo, her advice still applies. It’s a good reminder to check in more often with clients, collaborators, and even ourselves. 🤝🏻
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Faze means to disturb, upset, or throw someone off balance emotionally or mentally. If something fazes you, it shakes your composure. If you're unfazed, you remain calm and steady despite pressure, surprise, or challenge. 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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Kamille from Word Painter Projects |
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The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit?
I do line- and copyediting in fiction (romance, cozy mystery, anything with horses, and art content) and non-fiction (equestrian, art, and art history topics).
I'm a long-time romance reader (and now writer), and I really enjoy curling up with a good cozy mystery. Horses and art are pretty niche, and I edit those because I was always a horse-crazy kid, and now I have a horse of my own!
My academic background is in art history, and I still love the field.
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
I have completed the Professional Editing Standards Certification program with Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario). I'm a member of Editors Canada and am presently preparing for their Editing Essentials exam.
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
What I most enjoy about editing is helping an author realize the full potential of their story or manuscript through careful editing. It's really satisfying when we can take something that has a great premise or foundation, but that maybe isn't quite working for some reason, and fine-tune it until everything falls into place.
I understand how important an author's writing is to them, and I always aim to preserve their voice and vision. At the same time, I also always encourage the author to think about the reader and their experience, helping to ensure that nothing pulls the reader out of the text. There's a kind of magic for me in helping craft an amazing story.
- What's the most challenging part of your work?
Probably the most challenging aspects of being a freelance editor are battling against the idea that editing is an unnecessary expense for an author, and that editors aren't really invested in the success of their clients—neither of which is true!
Tied to that is the misconception that AI can do as good a job (or better) than a human editor. In general, the opposite of that is the case, and AI will diminish and flatten a text. Having a human set of eyes on a manuscript is always better.
- What tip(s) can you share with other proofreaders or editors?
Always be polite and professional, but maintain your boundaries with respect to work and personal time.
Also, look after your health. Long hours on the computer (no matter what you do) is both physically and mentally taxing. Take breaks, strengthen and support problem areas, and look after niggling issues before they become big ones that impact your ability to work.
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Autumn in North Carolina never disappoints. This maple in my backyard is slowly trading its green for shades of red and yellow, a reminder that change rarely happens all at once. 🍁 |
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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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