A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
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While on a walk with my husband and Harley this past week, I spotted these white peonies. They were beautiful and smelled amazing, but they were also completely top-heavy. The blossoms were so large that the stems couldn’t support them anymore. Peonies are known for this. In fact, gardeners often place wire cages around them before blooming season because once those blooms open up, the flowers become too heavy for the stems to support. |
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Yet again, a plant is teaching us a lesson.
Those peonies were struggling because they were thriving. Their biggest strength was also what weighed them down. I think that happens to many proofreaders and editors too. When you do good work, more projects tend to follow. Your schedule gets tighter because your business has grown. The month of May often brings packed calendars, overlapping deadlines, or clients who need projects done quickly. And our workload isn't the only thing that weighs us down. Sometimes it’s family responsibilities, financial stress, or simply the pressure to always be productive and have everything under control. If you feel stretched thin right now, it doesn't mean you’re failing. If you need stronger boundaries, better systems, or extra support, it doesn't mean you’re weak. Gardeners expect peonies to need support once they fully bloom. Maybe we should expect the same of ourselves. If this season feels heavy, remember this: You can still blossom while carrying a heavy load. |
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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. - Should we care so much about the Oxford comma? Jennifer brings a practical perspective to the Oxford comma debate. She explains that good editing is less about rigid rules and more about clarity, context, and knowing when grammar battles are actually worth fighting. 🧠
- An unexpectedly fun out-of-office email: Leah turns a standard out-of-office reply into something delightful. I love her reminder that small touches of personality can make routine work communication feel memorable. She’s convincing me to start treating my birthday like an automatic vacation day too. 🎉
- A simple system for remembering your wins: Jenny shares a weekly email habit that helped her document wins, track progress, and communicate her value at work. Even for those who are self-employed, I think there’s something powerful about keeping this kind of record for ourselves because it’s easy to forget what we've accomplished week to week. 📈
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A TENS unit is a device that sends mild electrical pulses through the skin to help reduce pain. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.
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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Michelle from Blue Leaf Editing |
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The Proofreader Greenhouse asked: - What type of content do you proofread or edit?
I'm a sucker for academic and non-fiction manuscripts, mainly monographs, edited collections, and journal articles. Because I was a publisher in a previous life, I now work directly with different publishers to get their work publication-ready.
- Did you complete training for proofreading or editing?
I have a BA Languages (English Studies) degree and a BIS (Hons) Publishing degree, both of which included editing courses.
- What's your favorite thing about your proofreading or editing work?
1. Making the content the best it can be. The serotonin rush of cleaning up a draft AND having the client love it is something I think only fellow editors and proofreaders will understand. (Confession: reference lists are a total guilty pleasure.)
2. There's always something new to learn. I hate feeling stagnant. Language is always in flux, so I try to keep up with new rules, learn new processes/software, and get tips from other editors and proofreaders.
- What's the most challenging part of your work?
Knowing when to say 'no' to a project and when to stop editing. I think that comes from being a freelance editor. Freelancers are always hustling for new projects, and editors have an inner perfectionist they need to keep in check.
- What tip(s) can you share with other proofreaders or editors?
Consistency. It's the editorial hill I'll die on. Not just as a best practice in your editing work itself, but as something you apply generally in your professional life. You'll get further by consistently showing up, taking small steps every day, than by making one huge effort every few months.
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My husband treated me to an early Mother's Day dinner last night, and afterwards we drove by one of my favorite local spots. I caught a glimpse of this gorgeous climbing rose and instantly asked if he would stop the car so I could hop out and snap a photo. Isn't it beautiful?
Wishing all of you who are mothers a Happy Mother's Day. 🩷💐 |
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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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