Blog Post

Proofreading – the pilot year

Lisa De Caux • 25 November 2019

Committing to proofreading and becoming a business owner was only the start of the story. After the lightbulb moments and the business planning in 2016, I felt as though I had laid the foundations and I was ready to get started.
 
I look back at 2017 as my pilot year: the feasibility study to see if I could make my proofreading business a success.

My mission was to build a sustainable business – I needed to find work!

Two underlying goals

I had two underlying goals that would help me with my mission.

The first was to complete my Publishing Training Centre (PTC) course, and gain a thorough, professional grounding. I wanted to be sure that I had the appropriate skills. I knew from my research that this was not going to be a quick course – it was likely to take a few months. 

The second goal was to upgrade my Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) membership and become an Intermediate Member. This required training points, which I’d get from completing the PTC course, as well as 100 hours of experience.

The training and the membership upgrade would support my need to offer a professional service and to be confident that I had the relevant skills. These goals supported each other.

The nuts and bolts of running a business

I was back to the main question – where would I find my first job? I’d set up my website, and I hoped it would quickly bring results – at that stage I hadn’t learnt much about SEO and how websites work!

I decided to move on to an area I was more familiar with – the nuts and bolts of running a business. I happily set up the spreadsheets for my accounts, and thought about the analytics that I’d use once the business was under way. I built templates for my invoices. I wrote my terms and conditions. 

My finance background, and all the governance work I’d done over the years, really helped me there. I asked a couple of friends with legal backgrounds to look at my terms and conditions to see if they seemed sensible.

And I started thinking about the other areas of my business. I had no background in marketing, and I was right out of my comfort zone. I knew it was an area that would require a lot of learning. I was trying to work out where to start.

The pilot year already felt like an emotional rollercoaster – self-doubt and imposter syndrome made regular appearances.


Marketing – and a breakthrough

Then I had a breakthrough. When discussing how to find work at a Manchester SfEP local group meeting, someone suggested telling everyone about your new business – you never know where that first job was going to come from.

I took that advice to heart, and my first project came as a result of chatting to another parent at a children’s birthday party that my little girl had gone to.

I wish that I could have bottled that feeling. 

It felt so fantastic that my quote had been accepted, I had completed the work, the client had been pleased and I had been paid. I really felt like my business was going to be a success! 

I still think of my first piece of work fondly. That first client has become a regular one, and I smile every time I see an email from them in my inbox.

I gained other work, paid and voluntary, in similar ways. On one occasion, chatting to a friend’s brother-in-law at a party resulted in a referral. On another occasion, I was talking to the organiser at a local community event and volunteered to help them out with their newsletter.
Changing my focus

I believe in making plans and research, and also recognising when you need to be flexible enough to adapt those plans.

Halfway through 2017 I realised that it would help the business if I changed my focus. The training course required more concentration than I’d planned for, and I knew I was going to struggle to learn about marketing while committing to the course.

It’s a chicken and egg situation. As you progress through the course, having a little real-life experience helps you to understand and put the learning from the course into practice. And the course helps the service that you are providing in real life. 

I pulled back from trying to market myself so that I could concentrate on the course. I continued to build up experience through the contacts I’d made from talking to people. At the back of my mind was that need for 100 hours’ experience for my SfEP upgrade.

An unexpected opportunity – the Manchester SfEP local group

Towards the end of the year, an opportunity came up. The coordinator of the Manchester SfEP local group, Graham Hughes, was going to step down – was anyone interested in taking over?

I mulled it over. By that time, I’d nearly finished the course and I was sure that, with patience and effort, I was going to be able to make the business a success. 

I didn’t think that I was likely to be the one to take over as I was a ‘newbie’ when it came to proofreading. Though, if I did get the role, I knew I’d be fine as my accountancy years had taught me how to chair a meeting. 

I’d given great emphasis to the SfEP since before the start of my business, and it felt like being a local coordinator would really suit me.
After thinking about it for what felt like ages, I decided to volunteer.

As it turned out, there hadn’t been anyone else who was keen, and I did take over the role. I was reassured by Graham that it wouldn’t matter that I was an Entry Level member. He shared all the relevant data and the templates he’d created over the years, and made it straightforward to step into the role.

The fact that I was going to become the local coordinator certainly added to my determination to get that SfEP membership upgrade! In my head, I’d decided that it was important that I was an Intermediate Member by the time I chaired my first meeting. Imposter syndrome was getting to me, and I thought that the upgrade would help me to deal with that as well as meeting one of my underlying goals.
Past the feasibility stage

After spending 2017 proving to myself that the business could be a success, I saw 2018 as the first real year of my business. 

In January 2018, I received my PTC certificate – confirmation that I’d passed with merit. I’d had to follow this up as it turned out that my results had been lost in the December post! I’d spent Christmas on pins and needles for no good reason…

In March 2018, I achieved my upgrade to Intermediate Member of the SfEP. It was a huge deal for me as I proudly added my new logo to my website. And it felt like it was just in the nick of time… 

In April 2018, I took over as the coordinator of the SfEP Manchester local group. 

Some things stick with you: I remember rehearsing how to open my first local meeting all the way there in the car; I remember getting a cup of tea at the bar as I’d read that having something warm to hold helps with nerves; and I remember the other SfEP members being really kind and welcoming me to my new role.

Now, for me, it’s all about moving forward, continuous improvement and working on what I have to offer. There’ll be times of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but my proofreading business makes me smile – I love what I do.

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. 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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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