A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
|
You know that feeling when youâve been steadily working on a project but it isnât coming together as quickly as you hoped? Itâs hard to stay encouraged when progress feels slow.
For weeks, my Parallel Peperomia has been sending up one tall stem with tiny leaves at the tip, and those leaves barely seemed to grow. I kept wondering why the plant was putting so much energy into that long stem when the leaves are what make the plant beautiful.
But those little leaves were growing all along. They just needed the stem to develop first. Once it was strong enough, the leaves finally began to open and take shape. |
|
Can you see the tall stem? If you want to see how much it's grown since I featured it in Issue 103, click here and scroll to the bottom of that issue. |
|
Iâve been thinking about this as I work toward launching a line of physical products for The Proofreader Greenhouse. The behind-the-scenes work has taken longer than I expected. Designs, research, writing, revising⌠it feels like one long stem.  Maybe youâve felt that same slow progress in your own business. You pour yourself into something, but the growth comes more slowly than you hoped.  You might be: - waiting for that first (or next) client to say yes after working hard to make your business visible
- working through a training that's taking longer than you expected
- building a website or portfolio that needs small tweaks before it feels ready
- learning how to use a tool you know will help your business
- creating behind-the-scenes systems that no one sees yet but will support everything later
Those long-stem seasons can feel frustrating, but theyâre the moments when the real groundwork is happening, the kind that makes future growth possible.  If youâre in a long-stem season of your own, Iâd love to know what youâre working toward. Reply to this email and tell me what youâre growing.  P.S. If youâre curious about what Iâm building for the TPG shop, Iâll be sharing more soon. Canât wait! 𪴠|
|
Favorite LinkedIn Posts This Week: |
|
Here are three posts I enjoyed reading on LinkedIn recently. Click the links below to read them. - The fragile truth about your client pipeline: Daniel usually writes for CPAs, but this post applies to anyone working with clients. He reminds us how risky it is to rely on one or two anchor clients for most of our income. While he doesnât dive into solutions here, itâs a strong case for building a system that consistently brings new potential clients our way. đď¸
 - Editing with heart: what your clients really need: Laura reminds us that great editors care as much about the writer as they do about the writing. Her post is a thoughtful reflection on how kind, constructive feedback can help a piece grow without losing what makes it special. đ¤Â
 - Why editing isn't an eight-hour-a-day job: Adina explains something most people outside the field donât realize: Editing is deep, focused work that maxes out at just a few hours a day. Her post is a great reminder that our pricing reflects not just the time spent, but the intensity and value packed into those hours. đ
|
|
Sights are things you go to admire: the pretty, memorable, or noteworthy views. Driving around town to look at Christmas lights is a perfect example of âseeing the sights.â Â Sites are simply locations. An inspector might travel around to âsee the sitesâ if heâs reviewing different buildings or job locations, but that usage is much less common. Â In most travel or sightseeing contexts, âsee the sightsâ is the spelling you want. 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. |
|
This Week's Featured Proofreader or Editor: |
|
Kate Harold Freelance Writing LLC |
|
 The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit?Â
Printed marketing collateralâeverything from brochures and patient guides to directional signage and pet therapy ID cards; web content; professional journal articles. Most, but not all, of my work is in the healthcare field.
 - Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
I double majored in English and Communication in undergrad, so Iâve got my BA in the field. Since then, Iâve participated in various activities to keep my skills current. Most recently, I earned the Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing (May 2023).
 - What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
I enjoy knowing or finding out all of the language details: When hyphens are needed in a compound word, what the preferred spelling is for a particular word, why a comma is needed in a certain spot. And I like helping people (if theyâre interested!) understand why Iâve made a particular edit and that my decisions are not made haphazardly.Â
 - What's the most challenging part of your work?
Keeping the editorial styles of my different clients separate. One uses healthcare as one word all the time; another uses it as two words when itâs a noun and one when an adjective. Making sure Iâm on top of that is enjoyable but can sometimes get confusing. I often refer to my AP, APA and AMA style booksâsometimes all in the same day!Â
 - What tip(s) can you share with other proofreaders or editors?
I just came across this cool tool recently that will capitalize titles for you based on whatever editorial style you need. Here's a link: https://capitalizemytitle.com
 |
|
Remember those tiny Thanksgiving cactus buds I showed you in Issues 103 and 104? Take a look at them now! It's amazing how much a plant can change in just a few days. đľ |
|
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. |
|
7893 Old US Highway 52
Lexington, NC 27295, United States |
|
|
|
