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Topic: Changing jobs to proofreading...Advice?
| Author | Message |
| holliman61 | Posted – 8/24/2008 2:06:22 PM | show profile I have been a medical transcriptionist for 10 years. If you know anything about this job, you know it's basically editing/proofreading, just with the medical jargon. I am wanting to start part-time with some freelance proofreading jobs just to get my feet wet and get some experience with it and then eventually get a full-time job with one of the major book publishers. Any advice about getting any of these first freelance jobs? I have bought (and extensively studied) several proofreading how-to books and have bought "The Chigago Manual of Style" and am rarin' to go! Thanks! |
| editordebit | Posted – 8/24/2008 8:53:02 PM | show profile Medical transcriptionist is a terrific background to have. I wish I had more medical experience, as medical/scientific editing can pay very well. You might want to pursue certification through the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences: see www.bels.org. Other useful organizations are the Council of Science Editors and the American Medical Writers Association, and the Copyediting-L listserv is always good. It's entirely possible (depending on where you live) that you could get some experience through temporary agencies that specialize in technical writers and editors. |
| holliman61 | Posted – 8/25/2008 7:56:35 PM | show profile Thanks so much for the reply! This sounds like something worth checking out. Thanks again. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 8/25/2008 8:38:20 PM | show profile You're better off learning the AMA style. Your background would most likely lend itself to proofreading for a medical education company, and they use that style. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 8/26/2008 4:18:36 PM | show profile Look up some nursing or other medical education books and get in touch with the production editors at the companies. With your background, I'm sure they'd give you freelance work. I second the recommendation for learning APA style as well as CMS. In-house proofreading jobs don't really exist in book publishing any more, so if that's what you're looking for, think about full-time freelancing instead. Good luck! |
| rhino writer | Posted – 8/26/2008 4:20:07 PM | show profile APA, AMA... I did mean APA style, since I was thinking college-type books. AMA style might be handy too, however. You can never have too many different styles under your belt. |
| epenthesis | Posted – 8/26/2008 5:02:51 PM | show profile AMA is an extremely marketable skill, and with your background you're nearly there. Think advertising or medical communications agencies instead of publishing houses. |
| holliman61 | Posted – 8/26/2008 5:52:31 PM | show profile Thanks, everyone, for the replies. It would seem obvious for me to find work specifically for medical stuff, but I'm really open to much more. I've always been a big reader all my life, and I'm really more interested in freelance fiction proofreading (that's why I got "The Chicago Manual of Style"). I also know a lot about gardening and animals (ex-zookeeper!) as well as Shakespeare. I also LOVE anything having to do with history. I have a lot of interests! |
| rhino writer | Posted – 8/26/2008 8:28:41 PM | show profile Fiction proofreading pays the least of any type of proofreading. And reading for proofreading is completely different than reading for pleasure. Start with medical-oriented proofreading and see how it goes. |
