A Note from Julie, the Greenhouse Curator: |
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It's spooky season, so let's talk about some things that scare us as proofreaders, editors, and freelance business owners. 👻 - Making mistakes: Discovering an obvious error after sending a file or finding a typo on our own website. Yikes!
- Not having enough work: A usually reliable client goes quiet, and suddenly we're wondering where next month's income will come from.
- Having too much work: Every client needs something at once, and we're wondering how we'll get it all done. (Funny how we can be afraid of both too little work and too much!)
- Putting ourselves out there: Raising our rates, marketing our services, or reaching out to potential clients means risking rejection.
- Not being good enough: Second-guessing our abilities, comparing ourselves to others, or worrying that someone else could do a better job.
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A little seasonal color from my Orange Princess philodendron |
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I'll share one of my own fears: I'm preparing to take some time off in November, and there's a little voice in the back of my mind asking, What if my clients need someone while I'm gone and discover they like that proofreader (or their rates) better? I know taking time off is important, and I don't want that fear to keep me from enjoying time with my family. But that doesn't mean the worry isn't there. And that's the thing about fear. Sometimes it causes us to make decisions based on what we're afraid might happen. We hesitate to raise our rates, say yes when our schedules are already full, or avoid taking time off because we're worried about losing clients. We can't control everything that happens in our businesses. But we can pay attention to when fear is influencing our decisions and ask ourselves whether it's helping or holding us back. What's something about your work or business that scares you? Have you found a way to deal with it? |
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Last week, I mentioned that I'm opening our November live training session in The Propagarium to Leaflet subscribers. Good news! Registration is now open! 🎉 On November 18, guest speaker Michelle Baum will be sharing how to position yourself on LinkedIn to attract the kinds of clients you'd really like to work with. You don't have to be a member of The Propagarium to attend, and it's completely free! Space is limited, though, so be sure to reserve your spot if you'd like to join us. |
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I almost missed this error while proofreading this week. My eye told me it was the right word, but I had to look carefully at the last several letters to spot it. 👀 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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Let's keep growing together! |
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Lexington, NC 27295, United States |
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