Blog Post

Accountant to proofreader – a decade full of change

Lisa De Caux • 13 December 2019

Ten years is a long time. You expect a lot to change.

I started the 2010s working as a full-time chartered accountant and I am going into the next decade as a mum, a proofreader and a business owner.
 
In January 2010, I was working full-time as an internal audit manager for a major food retailer in Manchester city centre. 

I used to catch the train every day, and change out of my trainers and into my shoes when I got to work – it was a bit of a walk between my house, the two train stations and the office. 

These days I go upstairs to the office in our house, and I wear my slippers. 


Being a team leader and having a flashback

At the start of the decade, I managed a team of up to ten people. I was responsible for audits, departmental processes, appraisals, recruitment, and dealing with anything a team member needed to raise. 

I was involved in interviewing for the graduate recruitment programme too – I volunteered because I knew I’d find it rewarding (and I did).

The people were my favourite part of the job. Some of them became firm friends over the years – I’m still in touch with them now.

I had a flashback a few weeks ago when I met up with some auditing friends and former colleagues for a meal in the city centre. When I first knew them, we’d go for drinks after work before catching the train home. Now only half of us still work in the city centre, and coming into town on a rush hour train was a trip down memory lane. 


Everything changed

I became pregnant in the summer of 2010, and had a baby girl in 2011. 

She changed everything for me.

Milestones

I took a year’s maternity leave and there were a lot of milestones. They were mainly to do with my little girl – first steps, first word, first trip to the seaside and so on. They were lovely moments!

However, I had one awful milestone: an organisational transformation at work. I had to reapply for my job while I was on maternity leave.

To the say the least, it was stressful. I was certainly out of practice when it came to preparing for an interview. 

At the time, I was much better at questions about nap times, board books and when was Rhyme Time at the local library.


Finding a new rhythm

I successfully kept my job, and I returned to work part-time, three days a week.

We found a new rhythm: my little girl started nursery, my husband dropped her off on his way to work and I picked her up on my way home. 

She was often the last small child waiting to be picked up at the end of the day – though I’m sure that bothered me more than it bothered her.

The flexible working project

Over the years, I’d been keen to understand new ways of working, as well as understanding the impact of an office-based job on a body and mind. I’d tended to spend time researching processes to make work more efficient, understanding mindfulness and taking into account the physical impact of spending a day at a desk. 

I’d been using an ergonomic keyboard for years due to trouble with my wrists. Talking to the physio, I think the source of the problem is probably my posture – I keep doing my exercises and double-checking advice on how to set a desk up!

Working part-time gave me a new perspective on the way I worked.

These interests led me to become the Group Finance representative (covering a number of departments including my own) for our flexible working project – hotdesking, remote working, flexible working hours and more.

It was an amazing experience, and I can easily see how that project helped me understand the principles that I’d apply to running my business from home. 


To reapply again or not to reapply again?

And then, in 2015, there was another organisational transformation at work. 

I’ve talked about what happened next in a previous blog, but, suffice to say, I was looking at the world differently by this time. I made different decisions and I was pleased when redundancy coincided with my little girl starting primary school. 

There followed a lot of contemplation, lightbulb moments, and more decisions. To sum it up, I decided to become a proofreader, and I saw 2017 as the pilot year of my new proofreading business (another blog!).


A new chapter
 
I went into 2018 prepared to build the business in earnest.

I received requests for repeat work and I was so proud to be able to say that I had regular clients. 

Patience was really important when it came to finding new work or hoping for repeat work. For instance, editing and proofreading an annual report is only needed once a year, and academic authors typically spend months on research between papers that need my services.

The emotional rollercoaster I’d been aware of in 2017 continued (and still continues today).

I ran a summer marketing campaign: I did some cold calling and sent out a lot of emails with my CV attached. This was brand new to me, and cold calling was definitely outside my comfort zone – referring to it as a campaign helped me to get into a positive mindset.

I embraced being the coordinator for the Manchester Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) local group, and I attended my first SfEP conference. I learnt a lot and met people who’ve become friends!

Slowly, but surely, I felt as though I was getting there. And at the end of the year, that summer marketing campaign led to work, and I had the chance to proofread fiction for a publisher. It was such an enjoyable experience!


2019 – a busy year

2019 has been a busy year – it’s been wonderful, and very motivating, to look up at my wall planner and see all the scheduled or completed projects for clients.

Copy-editing the 2018 Annual Report for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children was one of the highlights of my year. On a completely different note, I’ve proofread a number of fiction books. More fiction proofreading will be in my 2020 annual plan!

We’ve had four Manchester SfEP local group meetings and a Christmas get-together. I always learn from colleagues and friends and I find these meetings a valuable part of my year. I generally consider networking to be outside my comfort zone, but I don’t see these meetings as ‘networking’. They’re get-togethers with a group of people who are really generous when it comes to sharing their time, their experience and their thoughts.

When it comes to marketing and social media, I’ve embraced LinkedIn, learnt a great deal, and met some lovely people. I’ve also accepted that I need to be in this for the long-term!

It was a friend on LinkedIn who pointed me towards an unexpected opportunity: speaking at two events for the Society of Young Publishers about how I became a proofreader. While this was outside my comfort zone, it caused me to think about how my business started. These events became my gateway to blogging.


The next decade?
 
Writing in December 2019, I could never have predicted the way my life would change over the 2010s. As I was thinking about this blog, I’ve looked forward and wondered…

I’ve started working on my business plan for 2020 – the short term is more predictable. 

By the end of the next decade, my little girl won’t be so little any more… And I’m hoping that I’ll feel that my business is established. A prediction that I can make with confidence is that I’ll still be loving it!


Thank you to Annie Deakins for proofreading this blog for me.
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My first task is framing myself. I learned this Yorkshire expression from my mum when I was a kid. When my mum said, ‘Frame yourself’, I knew she meant ‘Get on with it’, ‘Make sure you know what you’re doing’, and ‘Sort yourself out’. That’s how I approach all elements of my business. I need to frame myself – understand the context, be clear about my terms of reference, and get on with it. Framing myself is how I start every project. Understanding the client I typically proofread for traditional publishers, first-time self-publishing authors, and self-publishing authors who’ve published already. My process varies a bit for different types of client. Brief overview of how I proofread for traditional publishers Traditional publishers are very familiar with editing/proofreading terminology, and their expectations are clear. I know that their book will already have been edited and there’ll be a style sheet to accompany their house style guide. They’ll share their house style guide as well as the book’s style sheet so I understand exactly what’s needed. It is very easy to frame myself. My proofreading process for a traditional publisher is streamlined. I have templates for my checklists for each traditional publisher client. These reflect their individual house styles. Proofreading for independent, self-publishing authors The rest of this blog will focus on independent, self-publishing authors. First-time self-publishing authors Framing myself to work with a first-time self-publishing author needs a different mindset. To understand what a potential client needs, I provide a questionnaire. I also offer a free introductory video call. The questionnaire and video call give me the chance to ask important questions. For instance, have you worked with an editorial professional before (maybe a developmental editor or a copyeditor). Have you published before? If you’ve had a copyedit, I’ll use the copyeditor’s notes or style sheet so that I can ensure that you receive a consistent service. If I’m the first editorial professional to work with the book, you may need more support. If a style sheet doesn’t already exist for the book, I’ll provide one. That’s why I ask questions about the publishing context for the book. Self-publishing authors who’ve published already If you’re familiar with the self-publishing process, you may have already worked with a professional editor or you may be satisfied that you can rely on your self-editing process. You’ll need less practical support from me and the questionnaire will give me the information I need for consistency. 
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What are prelims for your book and why are they important? The prelims (aka the ‘front matter’) are the pages that come before the main content of the book. For example, a list of other books by the same author, the copyright page and the contents page. Why are prelims important? You want to give your readers a good reading experience and, if you’ve set the stage properly, they will engage with your book, which hopefully leads to positive reviews. Setting the stage The prelims will set the stage for your book. They prepare the reader to receive the book – like the curtain at the theatre before the show starts. They guide the reader. For instance, the contents page is a map for the reader to follow through the book. Prelims give the reader key publication information. The title page and copyright page provide details about the book’s title, author, publisher, and edition. The prelims support legal and scholarly needs – the ISBN number, copyright notice, disclaimers. This is about proper attribution and protecting your rights as the book’s author. Who organises the prelims? If you’re working with a traditional publisher, they’ll generally organise them for you. They may include layout in their style guide, so there’ll be guidelines for consistency across all their titles. If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to pay attention to your own prelims. When prelims become ‘postlims’ It’s important to note that some publishers may prefer to include conventional prelims as ‘postlims’. For instance, acknowledgements may appear at the back of the book. It’s a choice for self-publishing authors, though you may prefer to stick with convention. My top tip if you’re self-publishing is to check how prelims are laid out in any books you’re reading, especially books published in the same genre as the book you’re writing. This will give you guidance on what your readers will expect to see. Essential prelims Title page Title and subtitles of the books, author(s) full name(s) or editor’s) full names, and edition of the books. Copyright page Contains copyright information, the ISBN, edition details, publisher’s info, and legal disclaimers. This protects the author’s rights and helps with cataloguing. ⭐ If your book is a novel, it will need a different copyright statement from a non-fiction publication. After this point, you’ll see a difference between fiction and non-fiction prelims. Not all prelims are relevant for every book, whether fiction or non-fiction. This is an ‘it depends’ choice for an author. Prelims in fiction books (usually simpler) A list of other books by the same author Dedication A short, personal note from the author dedicating the book to someone. Acknowledgements A section thanking those who helped in the book’s creation (sometimes placed at the back as a postlim). Prologue A brief scene or background information before the main story begins. Maps If location is critical to the plot (like a murder mystery set in a rural location), or if the story is set in a fictional location (think about Narnia), maps may be helpful. Glossary This may be a list of characters and their relation to each other, or a list of definitions for concepts specific to the fictional universe. Prelims in non-fiction books (may be more extensive) A list of other books by the same author Table of contents (TOC or contents page) A TOC provides a structured outline of your book. It’s a map to help readers navigate chapters and sections. It’s essential in non-fiction and academic books, though a novel may be fine without a contents page. Foreword This is written by someone else (often someone likely to be familiar to the readers), explaining the book’s significance or the author’s credibility. Preface The author’s explanation of why the book was written and what the reader can expect. Acknowledgments A section thanking those who helped in the book’s creation (sometimes placed at the back as a postlim). For a research-heavy book this is likely to be used. List of illustrations/tables This helps readers find important visual elements. Introduction Provides background information and context for the main content (sometimes replacing the preface). Maps Where a geographical reference is needed to help readers understand the context and follow the narrative. Glossary A list of important words and their definitions mentioned in the book. Key differences between fiction and non-fiction prelims Fiction: You’ll find fewer prelims and they’ll be focused on storytelling. Prologues may be included, but contents lists are rare. Non-fiction: You’ll find more structured prelims, often with a foreword, preface, introduction, and it’s very likely that there’ll be a table of contents to aid readability and credibility. Prelims – what next? Consider how you want to set the stage for your book with your readers. I’ve talked at a high level about the conventional prelims that you’ll see most often. Not all prelims will be appropriate for every book. It depends! For more information I use Butcher’s Copy-editing (Fourth Edition) . I heartily recommend it. There’s a section about preliminary pages. My top tip for self-publishing authors is worth repeating: I recommend looking at the prelims for the book you’re currently reading, and any published books that fall into the same genre as your book. You’ll get a feel for what your readers will expect. **************************** 📚 Stop your readers getting distracted by wordy niggles. I’m Lisa. I’m an editor and proofreader, specialising in business books and fiction. I spent many years as a chartered accountant before retraining as an editor and proofreader. Now I get to embrace my degree in English Lit! Please do DM me to talk about editing or proofreading, or to be added to my waiting list. 
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