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Topic: proofreading for book publishers
| Author | Message |
| harlemwriter | Posted – 6/6/2007 4:40:08 PM | show profile Does anyone know how to get into proofreading for the bigger publishing houses? Are these positions all in-house? I currently do freelance proofreading for a few educational publishers, since I used to work at one of them, then someone from my former company moved to another company & hired me. But I'd like to branch out & get more work elsewhere. I never see many ads for proofreaders (aside from medical/business) so I wondered about this. Also: do bigger houses require that you take a proofreading/copyediting class? I've never taken a class, just learned what I know on the job at a small company where we EAs did a lot of proofreading/editing. I have done some copyediting for my current clients, but I'm not as confident at it since I don't know all the coding rules. Seems pretty easy to pick up, though--I'd rather not take a 6 week class since I know most of this stuff already. Any suggestions? |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 6/6/2007 7:16:29 PM | show profile I used to be very friendly with the head of the copyediting department at S&S. I had a friend who wanted to get into copyediting and so I asked her what he would need to do. I imagine similar requirements would be made of proofreaders. She said that prior experience was very important, and failing that, coursework from a reputable source (such as the NYU program) was key. For copyeditors (probably not proofreaders) she liked to see a strong interest or background in topic areas--i.e. gardening, cooking, self-help, etc.--so that she could match freelancers to projects they'd have a practiced eye for. At the time (a few years ago) I believe there was a skill assessment test. Above all, like anything else with major book publishers, network and try to meet someone on the inside who can get you that first project, that toe in the door, so you can show your stuff. A lot of copyediting and proofreading is still done in-house, and the freelance work is often sent to a stable of former employees and friends. That's how I get a lot of my editing/writing work--from my former employers and coworkers. Good luck! |
| harlemwriter | Posted – 6/7/2007 11:04:05 AM | show profile Re: the head of c/e at S & S--is her name Gypsy? Because I think I have a connection to her. Thanks for the advice. That makes a lot of sense. I have gotten all my freelance work through connections. It's just branching out beyond that is tricky. |
| louiebob | Posted – 6/7/2007 11:21:22 AM | show profile I hire proofreaders for a big trade house. This stinks for new proofreaders, I know, but you absolutely have to have proofreading experience for other trade houses. Proofreading fiction and/or creative nonfiction is much different than proofreading straight educational materials, etc. No proofreading is done in-house for the bigger trade publishers--we don't have the people or the time. My house still has in-house copy editors, but this is also rare in trade. I don't really care whether or not you've taken a proofreading/copyediting class--what's important to me is that on the proofreading test you show that you're comfortable with all the different markings, you don't confuse proofreading with copyediting, you know how to properly query, what to query, where to go to get info; you understand what words to look up. I get a million resumes from former English teachers and the like who are sure they would be good proofreaders b/c they have a grasp on grammar, but I'm afraid I toss most of those resumes. A good grasp on grammar does not make a good proofreader--you've also got to understand when to let things go b/c the copyeditor, acq. editor, and author let them go. Often times, blindly following the rules leads to a poor proofreading job (in book publishing, anyway). Also, not all of my proofreaders are also copyeditors, but it's important that they understand to look for more than typos--consistency, logic, sensitivity to language, etc. are so important. In book publishing, anyway, proofreaders are the last ones to thoroughly read the pages before they go to the printer, and if the copyeditor sucked, then I really need an excellent proofreader. And, lastly, you need to understand book publishing typesetting issues--stacks, widows, etc. |
| harlemwriter | Posted – 6/7/2007 12:47:16 PM | show profile Thanks for the advice. So are you hiring? :) |
| Mr. Beemis | Posted – 6/7/2007 5:23:48 PM | show profile One way is to start as a temp. Get in with a temp agency that handles publishing. They will administer the proofing test and send you on jobs. Then you can find out if you like proofreading for a living. I did it for a while I was between jobs (as a copywriter). Proofreading is good if you like to read; are meticulous; and like to be left alone while you work. The downside is, proofers only make $23 per hour or less. One big house, a major children's and educational publisher, even negotiated the rate down to $20 per hour just because they are a big client of the agency. (Talk about cost-cutting "wizards.") When you have enough temp experience you can look for something else, since temp clients aren't allowed to poach workers from the agency without paying a huge fee. One last thing, all of the proofing marks are found in the front of a good dictionary. Skip the course. |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 6/7/2007 9:02:08 PM | show profile Gypsy is one of them, when I left I don't think she was head of the dept. The head was Nancy Inglis (or maybe I am confusing the copyediting department with the proofreading staff--it was some time ago). Gypsy has been in the biz forEVER. If you have a connection to her, take her out to lunch and pick her brain about how to break in. Anything she has to say will be valuable. And she's a hoot :) |
