AJ Collins is managing editor of AJC Publishing, established in 2014. She is an Accredited Editor with the IPEd (Institute of Professional Editors), holds an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT and is a published author. Collins specialises in assessments, developmental editing, copy/line editing and proofreading.
ArtsHub asks her about her fine-tuning, word-wrangling experience.
When did you first get started in proofreading?
I completed my Associated Degree in Professional Writing and Editing in 2014 but, because I was inexperienced, I did some freebie jobs to build my skills, confidence and client base. My first paid job was a 150,000-word stream-of-consciousness novel by an indie author – talk about a baptism by fire. I ended up making AU$7 an hour (3.50 pounds sterling) because I was still effectively learning and terrified of making mistakes. Professional reputation counts a lot in this industry if you want referral work, so I went as painfully slowly as a queue for coffee on a rainy morning. Each job since has built my knowledge, improved my speed and allowed me to be more selective in what I choose to proof or edit.
For those not in the arts industry, how do you describe what you do?
I’m a professional editor by trade, so I do assessments, developmental editing, line/copyediting and proofreading. The proofreading portion of my work is fine-detail scanning of a manuscript to catch any last-minute errors that may have crept through after a copyedit. Call it a ‘spit and polish’ if you like, a cleaning up of the last breadcrumbs a copyeditor may have missed – because we’re only human after all. Nerdy, pedantic, keen-to-spot-the-error humans. I’m not ashamed to call myself anal.
It’s easy to become too close to your work and see what you want to see instead of what’s actually on the page, which is why I always recommend a copyeditor should never proofread their own work. I once had four different people miss the word ‘check’ when it should have been ‘cheek’. Fresh eyes please.
But proofreaders still need to be editors, in a sense. We need a strong grasp of grammar, punctuation and spelling. We should be well-read with sound general knowledge, or know how to research a fact. We need to know how to use a style guide/sheet and how to use a comma or semicolon (don’t get me started). We need to be able to focus on the minutiae – a missing hyphen or closing quote mark, a backward-facing apostrophe, an extra line or space, a homonym, incorrect capitalisation or style inconsistency, a missing reference date.
We also need to keep in mind that, because this is the final stage of the publishing process, we should keep our fingers out of style preferences and wanting to improve the text – that can lead to actually introducing errors.
It’s also essential to understand that the expectations placed on a proofreader can change depending on whether they’re working with a trade publisher or an indie author who is self-publishing. With an indie author, you will likely still be working in Word with track changes, and you may never see the final product. The author is also free to make further changes (and introduce errors) before it goes to print. Whereas, the trade publishing process is more tightly controlled, and proofreaders are expected to mark up typeset PDF proof pages, while also looking for layout errors.
What are some of the misconceptions of being a proofreader?
The biggest misconception among authors is that a proofreader is a line/copyeditor – that their job is to find and fix things at an early stage, where stylistic and grammatical issues still abound. Nope. Not so. A proofreader is your last ‘Hail Mary’ before going to print. Think of them as a water filter – an extra layer of protection to remove fine impurities. I usually refer all my clients to this blog on types of editing so they can get a clear idea of the different stages in the editing and proofing process.
From a freelance proofreader’s point of view, I think it’s important to be patient and acknowledge that a lot of our clients may be first-time writers, so simply have no idea of the publishing process. It’s our job to provide that guidance. Just this week, I had a client approach me for a proofread when what they really needed was a developmental (structural) edit. They had no clue, which is no indictment on them – we all have to start somewhere. When I first ventured into writing I was in the same position. And, holy moly, when I went back to uni, I had a shock at how much basic grammar I wasn’t taught at school.
I’d encourage every budding writer to do a writing course through one of their state’s writing centres to gain this type of basic knowledge. Going it on your own or relying on social media groups that often spout bad advice isn’t going to provide a solid grounding, which is essential if authors are serious about their writing.
What is a typical job like for a client?
I have an online form for clients to fill in, which gives me an idea of where they are at with their writing and what they understand about the process. I then take a look at the manuscript to see what condition it’s in and decide whether it’s actually ready for a proofread. A good indicator is whether the client has a style sheet to hand over, as this tells me they’ve worked with a professional copyeditor. I will then go back to the client and either provide a quote or tell them the bad news: they need to go back a step.
If it’s all systems go, I’ll decide if the manuscript is something I would work on myself or pass to one of my team of editors who perhaps has better knowledge of a particular genre. I’ll then take a deposit to secure a date. When I start work, I don’t read through the manuscript first – that’s a developmental editor’s job. I just dive straight in with track changes while referring to the style sheet. I may go back to consult with the client if there’s something consistently out of place, as that could indicate a deliberate style choice, else I will stick to standard conventions of the genre I’m editing.
It may take several weeks to complete a job, depending on the word count. Once the proof is ready, I’ll notify the client, send an invoice for the final payment, then return the manuscript once the funds have cleared. Job done. If the client wishes me to run my eyes over the final manuscript once they’ve taken in changes, I can easily run a compare documents process in Word to see any differences or introduced errors.
Do you need any particular qualifications?
Yes. Being a good writer, journalist or teacher (again I mention the lack of grammar I was taught at school), doesn’t qualify you to be an editor or proofreader. There are intricacies involved and style rules change over time. I highly recommend doing a Professional Writing and Editing course or graduate certificate in editing.
For those thinking of being a proofreader, what are some of the qualities you would look for if you were hiring?
Obviously, a love of reading and attention to detail. The ability to sit for long spans at a computer, while concentrating on minutiae. A strong grasp of grammar and knowledge of style guides (Australian Style Manual – ASM, Chicago Manual of Style – CMOS, American Psychological Association – APA). You also need to be someone who can keep their fingers from trying to improve the text or change style choices based on personal biases. ‘I prefer to capitalise “God” regardless of how the word is used’ is not a justification for making a change.
