Editing::Digging For Support

I spent a good deal of today digging through the internet looking for editor’s blogs, thinking I would be able to locate/create/hobble together a support network of freelance fiction editors similar to the DOC.  Guess what I found.  Not much.  Most of the “blogs” I’ve come across are just business websites using BlogSpot or WordPress to support and advertise their services, instead of setting up an actual business website.

In contrast, when I first started looking for online support after our middle son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes four years ago, I pretty much just stumbled across a T1 Mom’s blog (I think someone may have even sent me the link), and right there on the side panel was a list of DOZENS of T1 Mom Blogs.  And every time I clicked on a link to a new blog, there was another side panel with a list of DOZENS of T1 Mom Blogs.  It was a virtual Rabbit Hole of online diabetes support.  The biggest challenge was deciding which blogs to follow and which to leave off my reader.

Anyone contemplating moving into a new endeavor is generally told to seek out support from like minds who are doing what you want to do (or have been forced to do, in the case of diabetes care).  So, where is the support network for fiction editors?

Editing: So What, Exactly, Can I Do For You?

I decided I want to do both editing and proofreading.  But, what is the difference, and why are they both important?

Overall, the publishing process goes something like this:

• The author writes something.

• The editor checks out and corrects “overall” issues.

• The proofreader nitpicks the details.

• The piece gets published.

Now, that’s quite a generalization.  But from what I've been reading, the publishing industry has become so varied and flexible in recent years that in many arenas standardization has become a thing of the past.  My focus is on self-publishing, so that’s the process I’ll be learning about.

Editing::Learning the Basics

I decided that proofreading would be a great path for me.  I have a passion for reading and books of all kinds, and I have a knack for spotting errors in published materials.  All that remained was to turn my passion and knack into a small, part-time cottage business. 

First came the “learning” part.  How, exactly, does one become a proofreader?  What, exactly, is involved in the proofreading process?  What, exactly, would a client expect from me as a professional proofreader?

And, where do throngs of people turn when they want to learn about a skill or area of interest?

The Dummies series of books.

Yep, there is actually a reference book called Copyediting & Proofreading for Dummies, and it turned out to be a great place to start.

Helped me decide between proofreading and copyediting.

I ended up deciding to do both.

Hobbit Feet

One word.

Michael.

Drama Camp Climax

In addition to "Hell Week" rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet, Thomas was also attending Drama Camp at New London Theatre.  The students worked together to write, direct, and act in a play of their own, based on Peter Pan.  Thomas played The Evil Captain Hook.

Captain Hook!

The Dastard!

Got the better of by a bunch of kids

Taking the Final Bow

Opening Night R&J

You may have noticed I've been really, really bad about posting pictures of the shows David and Thomas have been participating in.  It's not that I don't want to post pictures, it's just that we're not allowed to take pictures of the actual show, so there's not much to share visually.

So, for want of a better picture, here's a picture of the poster for Rome and Juliet, and the theatre where it was put on.

Posters

It was a good show.  Honest.

Operation Sheep Rescue

File this one under "Random Occurrences at Park Day."

Just about every Tuesday afternoon, our local homeschool group meets up at a local park to hang out.  The kids run off in small packs (much like wild donkeys) to do what they do, reappearing only for sustenance, while the moms hang out under the pavilion and ... do what moms do when the get together.

Today, just prior to departure, it was brought to everyone's attention that one of the girls' stuffed sheep somehow ended up on the roof of the pavilion.

Michael, of course, had to come up with some way to rescue said sheep.

A moving strap in the hands of Cowboy Mike

Yes, that is a trash barrel he is standing on

Got the alignment just right...

...and pull gently.

It took a number of tries, and a few adjustments to his approach and execution, but in the end the sheep was returned to her grateful owner.

Happy Sheep Mama!

Go, Mike!

Editing::In The Beginning . . .

Several months ago while contemplating the possibility of beginning a small cottage business I could establish and run part-time, I began reading a little book called The $100 Startup: Reinventing the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau. I didn’t have a clear idea what I would like to “do” for this little business, so was pretty open to options as long as it would not cost much (or anything) to start up. The $100 Startup seemed like a good place to start.

The author wrote this book because he was interested in a business model that most of us may not think about as being “successful”; unconventional but profitable businesses usually run by one person and started with very little up-front investment.  He was particularly interested in the “follow your passion” model, but particularly wanted to study those that translated into a successful business.  He gathered and examined data on these types of business, and The $100 Startup was the result of that research.

So, if I was going to start up a little venture doing what I love, what would I want to do?  What do I love to do?  What do I spend as much time as possible doing?  What do I stay up way too late at night doing?  What am I passionate about?

Books.

Pretty simple.  Create a business in which I get paid to read all day long.

More than that, I’m one of those “picky” readers who gets distracted and annoyed because she finds every little error in a book that she is (supposedly) reading for pleasure.  So, proofreading seemed like a pretty good path for me.

But, I had no idea how to make a living as a proofreader.

Time for some research…