I don’t proofread, it’s a different breed. I have had several types of jobs at the bank I work at. A big part of it has been Presentation work (Powerpoint, Freelance, Word, etc…). The bank I work for has Templates. That is to say, every document that comes out of here is supposed to look a certain way. I am trained on the templates and get paid pretty damn good for a temp as a result.
In the main presentation center (which I no longer work in), I would prepare the presentation and then send it to the proofers. They don’t make as much as us (operators), but they still get around $20/hr. More if it’s a late shift.
The presentation center was a little too intense for my liking, so I’ve made my job alot easier by switching to the position of Assistant instead of Operator. but because I’m a registered operator here, I get that rate still. My job these days focuses on expense reports and travel arrangements. Boring as hell, but I’m getting paid well so I can’t really complain.
I proofread at a commercial typehouse in NJ before becoming (in a roundabout manner) a copyeditor. You have to apply at publishers and at typehouses. I don’t know where you would find them in your area, but search for “typographer” and Georgia.
If you get book work from a typehouse, you will be getting multiple pages (multiple chapters, even) all set to the same style. You will be responsible to some extent for making sure that the style is correct (bold, italic, point size, etc.).
The downside to it is that it is available as freelance work (almost exclusively so). I think that would be the biggest recommendation against it – no benefits. Also bear in mind that it is production work – done to schedule, with the schedule written backward from the ship date for the book, journal, etc. Several people are accorded the privilege of screwing up the schedule; however, the proofreader is not one of them. Keeping to the schedule is as big a plus in your favor as doing good work.
Today I received the book that Scarlett recommended to me, Karen Judd’s Copyediting A Practical Guide, and I plan to spend the weekend reading it.
Following the reading I hope to know if this is something I really want to pursue. For the record, though, I wouldn’t want to leave my present job as a respiratory therapist, so I hope that this is something I can do in the “down-time” periods, since I work the graveyard shift.
True – you must provide your own benefits, plus you pay the other half of your SS tax that an employer would normally pay. In my case, finding my own health insurance became a Good Thing after Mr. S got downsized in February and we lost our coverage through his employer. Now that we’re set up with me as the provider, it doesn’t matter what kind of job he has – we’ll never lose our coverage.
One of these days I should get around to setting up that SEP IRA or some other retirement plan. And it’s important to take about 30% off the top of every check and stick it away for tax time, which is every quarter for full-time freelancers in the US. But that can come in handy, too – I occasionally borrow from my “Uncle Sam” account when a check is late (essentially paying myself in advance), and pay it back when the check comes, if my regular savings doesn’t have enough to cover my bills.
So yeah, the bennies are more intangible than tangible, but they’re there – being my own boss, taking breaks and vacations whenever I want, dropping PITA clients rather than being forced to work with them (I’ve only had to drop one client), setting up my office the way I want it, and so on. On the other hand, I have no sick days or assistants, and I have to do all my own computer maintenance. (Oh, how jealous I am of folks who can just call IT to bring them a new computer and take away the old one!) It’s not for everyone, but I love it. And, as Quasi suggests, it can be a good way to fill in the gaps if you have other employment. I still had my “real job” (also graveyard shift) for about 8 months after I got my first freelance project, before I took the plunge and quit to freelance full-time. And even then I had a couple of part-time jobs for several months more, both for fun and to fill out my still-meager workload.
Well, Scarlett (Man! I just got this great urge to tell you “I don’t give a damn!”;)) I didn’t get as much of a chance to read this weekend as I would have liked, but her style (“Here’s how it’s done, Dummy”) is just what I need.
I probably should have asked about this, but the edition I bought on half.com is copyrighted 1982 and in it she mentions that small town newspapers are a great way to get started in the “biz”. Well, not in my small town. Here in Dallas, Georgia they still print their paper the old fashioned way and there is absolutely nothing in the way of hard news in it. Mostly ads and big pictures of the mayor snipping away at another “grand-opening” of another store that’s gonna close its doors in 3 months. :rolleyes: So did she write a newer version?
But, be that as it may, from what I have read so far Ms. Judd is just what I need to help me make my decision, and I thank you for the recommendation.
BTW, I noticed that she does make a distinction between Proofreader and Copyeditor (page 11).
All in all, I am finding her style very easy to read and retain, and if nothing else I will learn to avoid sentence fragments, how to use semi-colons effectively and maybe even make a few bucks doing it.
Thanks. Oh well, I think the medium may be newer, but the message is the same. I will still read the '82 version and treat myself to the newer one when I get my first copyediting check. Hopefully in this decade!
