Use a LibraryThing Widget to Showcase Your Projects

Freelance editor Katharine O'Moore-Klopf generously shared a stroke of brilliance via Twitter today. She suggests using LibraryThing, an online book-cataloging service, to put a widget on your blog or website that features the covers of books you have edited. This is kind of an off-label use for the site, which was meant to catalog the books you've read, share them with others, and find new people who have "eerily similar" libraries. But how perfect for the publishing professional, whose accomplishments consist primarily of finished books.

As you'll notice, I put her advice to work immediately. To do the same, follow these steps:

1. Go to LibraryThing and register (it's free).
2. Search for books you've edited and add them to your list.
3. Go to the widget-making page.
4. Select your widget preferences.
5. Copy the "Embed this widget" code.
6. Paste it into your blog or website. (As Katharine tutored me, in Blogger you have to go to the Customize page, open one of your gadgets, and paste the HTML into the window.)

And there you have it: a rotating display of your bookly accomplishments. Thanks, Katharine!

Spellr.us Shames Me

Professional resume writer Teena Rose's blog on becoming a resume writer recently featured Spellr.us, a site that will spell-check entire websites for typos. You pay for various levels of access, but can check 100 pages for free. This is useful because once you have content on a site, it's tough to go back and spell-check each document on it.

I decided to give it a try with this blog. Yikes, people. You didn't tell me I used "everytime" 27 times, as well as a couple dozen other howlers. It also looks like I have a particular penchant for "youself."

I've said before that bloggers should get a little slack because of the nature of the medium. But come on: I'm supposed to be the eagle-eyed editor, here. The problem is that I have been working without a net by composing all my posts directly in Blogger. No more, folks. From now on, I'll be typing things in Word first before publishing them into the blog. (I also just discovered, the hard way, that the new version of Word won't let you copy and paste into Blogger; instead, you compose posts in Word and then hit the Publish button.)

Coveting the Netbooks

Last night I was flipping through the channels and saw that QVC was selling Dell netbooks. For the first time in my life, I actually watched that channel without making fun (except yelling "They're almost sold out of the green ones! Must call now!"). The thought of a thoroughly portable (and oh so cute!) computer really appeals to me. I could take it anywhere!

But I wonder whether a person could really edit on one of those things. Can you even get Word on them? Would the tiny screen drive me insane? I'm wondering whether anyone out there has used one and what they think about it. (Also, has anyone had any success actually editing poolside, or is the glare insurmountable?)

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but notice that it's not much bigger than a Kindle. At what point will all of our various devices morph into one all-purpose thing?

I guess today I'm asking more questions than I'm answering...

Word 2007: Am I the Only Hater?

Change is hard, right? This week my work computer crashed. I was due for a new one, anyway, so overnight the IT fairy set me up with a brand new Dell. What they didn't tell me was that it came with Word 2007 installed. I've been using various word-processing programs for 23 years now, and rarely have I been so stumped by a new version as I am with this one.

Oh yeah, it's supposed to be easier to use. But I think that they've dumbed it down too much for my purposes. How do I attach a template? (I figured out a work-around that will probably cause production foul-ups down the line.) It even took me way too long to figure out the purpose of the "Office Button," which is really just a glorified File menu.

I'm biting my quivering lower lip and resisting the urge to go fetal. I know that in a few days it will feel like I've been using this version forever. I just wasn't prepared to have to retool this week.

Negotiating the Freelance Economy

This article in today's Wall Street Journal careers section caught my eye. It substantiates my theory that a lot more people are going to be free agents in the future, getting their work on a contract-by-contract basis.

But what bugs me is the suggestion that Elance is a freelancer's panacea. The few times I have explored this site, I have seen thousands of people vying for jobs that pay ridiculously low rates. I've seen offshore freelancers underbidding to the point that no American could afford to take the job. Personally, all freelancing work I've ever gotten has been the result of carefully cultivated personal networking, anyway.

From the employer side of things, I can't imagine hiring someone I'd never met before. I just know way too many talented editors to take a chance on an unfamiliar face. I'm betting that the majority of publishers feel the same way.

What are your experiences with sites like these? How on earth can you stand out in a database like that? Have you ever gotten a job through a site like this? Have you ever hired someone through Elance or a similar site?

Meanwhile, we're chuckling here about an over-eager potential freelancer, with zero experience, who keeps desperately calling our home office and practically demanding that we send her some work.

I'm Just Sayin'...

It goes without saying that if you're applying to be an editor, there shouldn't be a single typo in your resume or cover letter, right? Do I also have to say that you should not write your cover letter in lolcats dialect? Somebody forgot to tell this guy.

Coworker Exposes Bad Grammar "Spree"

My coworker Stephanie is famous today on the Red Pen, Inc., blog. She noticed an egregious error in an online version of a TV news report on our city's preparations to host the Super Bowl in 2012. I won't spoil it for you: Go read it here.

We're still waiting to see whether her submission yesterday to the FAIL Blog turns up. She used her iPhone to take and submit a photo of a packet of salmon from a gift basket an author sent us. It had three conflicting expiration dates on it. Expiration date FAIL! Seriously, if you are not yet familiar with the FAIL Blog, but you like making fun of other peoples' mistakes (and who doesn't?), get over there and check it out right away! It's currently my favorite place to get a reliable chuckle (and the occasional blow-your-drink-out-your-nose guffaw) when I need one.

New Writing, Editing, and Indexing Classes from the EFA

The Editorial Freelancers Association is announcing a new slate of publishing-related courses to be offered online in the next quarter. You can see the full list here on Katharine O'Moore-Klopf's EditorMom blog. The courses last from 4 to 6 weeks each, and some of them even have (gasp!)homework. If you're an EFA member, you can get a discount on the enrollment fee.

For more information, keep an eye on this page. The courses aren't yet posted there, but will be soon.

Wal-Mart Deletes Hyphen

Okay, call me a little slow on the uptake, or perhaps just distracted. But I just noticed this week (while convalescing on the couch) that Wal-Mart is now Walmart. They changed their logo and their font and dropped the hyphen.

This post on Brand New (from back in June) knew of no explanation for the change. It's all well and good, and makes it simpler for those of us who literally spent hours arguing over whether the star in the old logo was a hyphen (seriously!). Except how are they ever going to get rid of all the instances in the world with the hyphen? Their own site is riddled with the hyphenated version.

I feel an inconsistency nightmare coming on. What's worse, I don't think the rest of the world really cares.

What do you think of the change? Does the new logo make you more willing to fight the angry hordes in ever-narrowing aisles for bargain-priced Sam's Choice items? For me, it depends on the day. If I'm feeling strong, have a couple hours to blow, and am girded with my coupons and my walking shoes, I might venture in. Otherwise, I'll just duck into my local "lifestyle" Marsh and enjoy a relatively spa-like experience.

Solution Tree Seeks Copy Editor in Bloomington

I heard through the grapevine today about this opportunity at Solution Tree in Bloomington, Indiana:

Solution Tree, a growing K–12 educational publishing and services company, seeks a full-time, onsite copyeditor in Bloomington. This position is responsible for copyediting manuscripts efficiently, thoroughly, and accurately; the copyeditor may also check and correct outsourced copyediting. Requirements include: A college degree and minimum 2 years’ experience copyediting books in a professional, supervised publishing setting; Knowledge of CMS style; APA familiarity preferred. For consideration, please send cover letter and resume to: jobs@solution-tree.com. EOE.

Managing editor Caroline Wise, who put the word out about the job through the local freelancer network, attests that Solution Tree is "truly an amazing [company] to work for." It produces books, videos, and other materials for teachers and administrators who work with at-risk students. Caroline also says that the commute from Indianapolis is relaxing compared to the hectic rat race that is I-465 at rush hour.

Despite the bad economy, they are having trouble finding the right person for the job. They require someone with book editing experience; yet most of the applicants have newspaper experience instead. We see this everytime we post a job, too. I think it's a problem unique to the Midwest, where chances to get book publishing experience are more scarce than in New York or Boston, for example.

JIST's books are all about knowing and promoting your transferrable skills, and you would think that someone who has edited or written for a newspaper would have the ability to learn to be a good book editor (after all, I did). But I guess the difference comes in the length of the material (and the need to maintain consistency across hundreds of pages), the style guide used, and the pacing of the deadlines. If we can find someone who has done all that before, we'd rather do that than have to break in someone who hasn't.

Anyway, looks like a good opportunity for someone who lives on the southside of Indy.

A Medical Editing Audio Conference

Freelance editor and friend of this blog Katharine O'Moore-Klopf has asked me to pass along the following information about an upcoming audioconference she will be copresenting. The healthcare field is one of the hottest in our economy and will continue to be so for the rest of our careers. Here's a way to use your editing talents in an industry that is growing.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS, will be a copresenter of an audio conference, sponsored by Copyediting newsletter, on common problems in medical editing. The conference is for new medical copyeditors and for those who would like to become medical copyeditors. You can get more details and register by going here. The main topics will be

• When to stet jargon and when to eliminate it
• How to describe patients—they aren't their diseases and they aren't on meds
• Where to find solutions to problem reference-list entries
• Which sections of the AMA Manual of Style you'll keep returning to

Katharine has spent the last 18 years as a medical copyeditor, most of them as a freelancer, and she is also certified by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences as an editor in the life sciences. She will be speaking from the viewpoint of an editor who works on both medical textbooks and medical journals. There will be Q&A periods scattered throughout the conference.

If you can't change your schedule to participate in the audio conference, you can go here to order an audio CD of the conference. If you can't afford the cost of the conference yourself, you and one or more colleagues can register under one name and make arrangements among yourselves to share the cost. International callers are welcome; consider using VoIP software such as Skype to decrease the cost of your time on the phone. And remember, if you're already self-employed as a freelance editor in the United States, the cost of the audio conference (and the audio CD, if you purchase it) is a business expense that you can write off on your income tax forms.

Get ready to pick up your phone and learn from the comfort of your employer's office, your home office, or your home. If you've wanted to know what makes medical copyediting different from copyediting in other fields, this is the conference for you.

How to Future-Proof Your Publishing Career

Everyone is in agreement: Book publishing is changing so rapidly, we might not recognize it 10 years from now. Today you might be on top of it all; but if you don't start thinking outside the proverbial box, tomorrow someone's going to ask where you got all your fossilized notions about what book publishing is.

But just what should we be doing today to make sure we're still employable in the future world of book publishing? Here to answer that question is Wiley VP and Publishing 2020 and Kindleville blogger Joe Wikert. I posed a few questions to him about the brave new world of publishing careers, and his responses are enlightening.

I'd love to get your insights on how all the new technology in publishing will affect the careers of individuals. What sorts of retooling should we be doing to make sure we're still relevant to the publishing industry of the future?

I think the most important thing we need to do in this (and probably any) industry is make a commitment to being lifelong learners. Technology is causing rapid change everywhere and if you're not keeping up with it, you're highly likely to fall behind. That's why every time I see a new and interesting applet, website, tool, device, etc., I try to test-drive it. I miss quite a few, but I also think I do a reasonably good job of staying on top of the important ones.

As far as our own industry is concerned, it's pretty clear that e-content is the future. E-books only represent a tiny fraction of any publisher's revenue base today, but that's likely to change--maybe not tomorrow or next year, but it will happen. (Btw, I'm still a big believer in print books...that's not going away in my lifetime, but e- is where it's at.)

With that in mind, I'm amazed to talk to so many people in our industry who have never touched a Kindle or Sony Reader, for example. Even though the Kindle is harder to find (because of Amazon's online-only distribution model), the Sony product isn't; just go to your local Borders or Target and check it out. I've had my Kindle for three months now and I can't tell you how much it's influenced my thinking, not just for the Kindle but for e-content in general.

Social networking is another critical area. Every publisher will want their content where communities are forming. What better way to accomplish that goal than to tap into social networks? You can't be overly obtrusive, of course, but I'm convinced we'll see all sorts of innovative ways to expose our content through this sort of platform.

Do you think book graphic designers should be learning skills for laying out/converting e-books, such as XML and whatever other technologies are being used?

Yes, I definitely think designers should be familiarizing themselves with the new challenges involved in e-devices. It's a totally new world and it introduces a new set of challenges from the print space. Every time I get a file/book/newspaper on my Kindle that looks like a simple port from print I just about want to scream! The tricky thing here is that we're working with rapidly moving targets. Right when you think you have all the angles figured for something like the Kindle or Sony Reader, boom, they'll probably release a new version or add new functionality. There again, staying on top of all the developments will be crucial.

What about editing--if the world moves to an e-book-heavy model, will editors need to adjust how they do their work?

The same goes for editors. This brings me back to the "content layering" drum I like to bang from time to time. It also applies to authors as well as editors. Just because a print product features a two-dimensional reading surface, why should we feel compelled to limit ourselves to that in the e-world? Simple hyperlinks are one thing and should be considered baby steps in this area. What I'm talking about is building a truly collapsible and expandable work.

Are you familiar with any of those book summary services out there? getAbstract is one and I believe another is called Executive Summaries. These guys take a 300-page book and boil it down to 4-5 pages. So in the e-world, what I'm describing is a product that could be read as a four- to five-page summary or a full-blown 300-page book. The reader gets to decide based on how much they want to drill down in each area. So I envision a getAbstract-like approach that allows me to click on any of the summary paragraphs and they expand into more in-depth coverage of that particular topic. Maybe there are only a few small pieces of the four- to five-page summary that I want more info on, so I expand there and cruise right through the rest of the summary. The key is I can shrink and expand as needed.

Authors and editors would have to learn how to write to this layering model I've described above, and that's no small task. But think about how much more usable the resulting product could be! Then again, I tend to get overly excited about this stuff...and I might be the only one!

How will acquisitions editors compete against people self-publishing their own e-books and selling them online?

We'll have to look at reinventing ourselves, don't you think? Author platform is such an asset to any great book these days and it doesn't matter whether it's self-published or done through a big publishing house. So where do we add value? Marketing and PR are two areas. Then there's the editorial/selection process. I'd like to think that editors still play an important role in finding the highest-potential projects, but there have been enough self-publishing hits to show that we don't catch everything. I think it will also be important for publishers to play a role in helping authors build their platforms. It should be a joint effort, not something an author should have to do on their own.

Wiley Is Looking for a Copy Editor

In a world where more and more copy editing is being outsourced (and offshored), it's encouraging to see the local Wiley office posting a job for an in-house copy editor (see here). Requirements include prior editing experience, a four-year degree, and tact. I suppose that eliminates a lot of us.

Tim Huddleston on Making the Leap to a Freelance Career

Tim Huddleston is another of my publishing heroes from way back. After a successful career in publishing management, he became a freelance editor in 1995 and has been equally successful at that. He is now the owner of docugistics, inc., in Charlotte, North Carolina.

So if you're thinking of starting your freelance career, Tim's got some great advice for you. Take it away, Tim!

• On timing and the economy: I’m not sure there’s a perfect time to make the leap from in-house editing to freelancing. You just have to prepare yourself as best you can, then jump. Strangely enough, in my area of specialty (college textbooks, apprenticeship training manuals, software documentation, and self-training manuals), a bad economy means more work for me. When things take a downturn, more people go to school or look to improve their skills; this creates a greater demand for the products I develop.
• On how much money you need to make: The big question is whether you can find enough work to generate the income you need. So, your first step is to figure out what that income has to be. You might want to discuss this with an accountant, because whether you become self-employed or incorporate your business in some manner, your tax situation will change. And it’s much more painful to pay your taxes yourself, especially 100% of your Social Security tax, than to let an employer do it for you.
• On setting rates: Once you determine what your income (including enough to cover all your taxes) has to be, you can figure out how much you need to charge your clients. I suggest determining what your average hourly income should be and then using this as the basis for negotiating your contracts. If a client wants to pay by the project, you can estimate the number of hours required and multiply that by your desired hourly rate. Rates, by the way, are all over the map. Some clients are happy to pay $65/hr and up for a top-notch developmental editor, writer, or revisionist. Others can’t see spending more than $30/hr for the same set of skills. You have to decide what you’re comfortable with and be open to negotiating. I have found that some clients don’t bother negotiating; they ask what your standard rate is, then they pay it.
• On demonstrating your value to clients: I try to position myself as a “utility player” with my best clients. They know I can edit, develop, write, author online help, do acquisitions or project management, capture screen shots, walk their dog, or clean toilets. I try to remind them frequently of the value I can create for them, so they tend to think of me first no matter what they need. This is helpful because it means a variety of projects without having to juggle a large list of clients. In situations like these, where a client needs you to do a lot of different tasks, you may be able to land a retainer-style contract that guarantees you a specific amount of work over a set period of time. Such contracts can help you manage your time and provide an excellent sense of security.
• On emergency employment situations: If you think your employment is about to end, start lining up clients as quickly as possible. Don’t walk out the door without at least one contract in your back pocket. Having a freelance arrangement with your current employer can cushion the blow if you have to exit. However, don’t look for other clients on company time/phone/network; do it at home, at lunch time, or on a day off.

Typo Eradicators Arrested

Back in April I blogged about Jeff Deck, who was on a mission to fix typos in signs all over the nation. Well, it seems he took it a step too far when he altered a sign at Grand Canyon National Park and was arrested (read the story here). He was fined, sentenced to probation, and banned from the national parks.

Deck's Typo Eradication Advancement League website has been taken down, although it seems poised to host a forthcoming statement from him.

So they've put his head on a pike as a warning to the rest of us grammar vigilantes? I assure you, we will not be deterred. But we will avoid defacing government property for sure.

Thanks to fade theory for her post about this.

Simmons College Career Resources for Publishing and English

This morning the trusty Google alerts turned up the fact that Simmons College in Boston has a special section of its library devoted to career resources, with corresponding online help as well. So check out this great list of links provided by the Miller/Knopf Career Resource Library.

Simmons Librarian Julie Waddick also keeps a fantastic blog. She's reporting that today is National Punctuation Day; however, I have it on good authority that it's not until September 24. So I'm holding off on fixing that question-mark-shaped meatloaf until next month.

The Editor Edited My Work!

There's an interesting discussion going on over at the Chronicle of Higher Education (a good place to look for writing and editing jobs at colleges, BTW). A professor writes to the forum for a little sympathy on having had an article edited beyond recognition. The range of responses (from "thank her!" to something akin to "my editor sucked!") is fun to see.

This is an age-old problem. Most people don't like to be edited, especially if they feel the edits have changed their meaning or made them look bad. Their writing is supposed to speak for them; if it misrepresents them, it's a huge emotional issue. Even I have felt myself wincing when I've reviewed someone's edits to my writing (but I generally keep my mouth shut because I know all too well how it feels to have an author argue with me over edits).

On the other hand, I have encountered plenty of authors who are grateful for their editors. The good ones will thank you for making them look good.

The Elephant in the Room: Offshoring

Yesterday I hinted at my persistent worry that someday my job will be sent offshore. I've seen it happen with layout and design--thriving departments of hundreds of people working three shifts reduced to just one guy who sends things to India. A whole room full of typesetters in Singapore who work for peanuts overnight. Even JIST has begun sending some software development work overseas.

Of course, it makes short-term business sense to do it. If you can get things done faster and cheaper (and presumably with good quality), why wouldn't you?

In her post Shipping the Work to India, Beyond the Elements of Style blogger Jeannette Cezanne offers some insights and some hope. If editors can find their niche, they can swim alongside the riptide of offshoring.

But this isn't the end of the discussion as far as I'm concerned. I want to know what all of you think about the offshoring trend. Do you see it happening? Are you doing it? Is it taking work away from you or driving down your rates? How can we as American editors justify our continued existence?

Stuff White People Like Takes on Grammar

Stuff White People Like is a sardonic little blog that pokes fun at the white-bread ways of the middle-American/Canadian pseudo-elite. (It's that same blog that recently got a six-figure advance to morph itself into a book.)

Although it's always dangerous to stereotype, at least 16 million people have been able to suspend their outrage long enough to get a chuckle out of the site that profiles all sorts of different things that white people generally agree it's cool to like, such as New Balance Shoes, Starbucks, Obama, Having Gay Friends, Shorts, Dinner Parties, Study-Abroad, and Recycling. So I guess it was inevitable that they'd eventually get around to Grammar.

The post talks about how white people love rules and following them, love finding mistakes in publications (it makes them feel superior), and can't resist it when you ask them to proofread something for you. Funny stuff!

From the Department of Redundancy Department

Ha--couldn't resist that corny old joke from a former marketing coworker. Freelance editor Gayle Johnson today offers some tips on shortening redundant phrases, yet another way to bring clarity to your writing and editing:

You can make your writing (and speech) more concise and economical by eliminating redundancy—words that creep in, unnoticed, that aren’t really needed. For example, I recently read a review of a film that was described as hilariously funny. Perhaps you’ve been in a house that had walls painted a rich chocolate brown, a living room with a large picture window, and a kitchen with a center island. Have you ever encountered a young lad who was said to be a child prodigy? Was he so talented that you wanted to clap your hands? Or did you just shrug your shoulders? How often do you gesture with your hands? Do you ever print out a document, or link two objects together?

One of my favorite examples of redundancy comes from a church bulletin I read many years ago. (This weekly bulletin was always so chock-full of errors that it could have served as an editing test.) One of the items offered “sincere Christian sympathy” to those who had recently lost a loved one.

Remember to watch for redundancy while editing and also in your own writing as well—even though it might not be possible to eliminate redundancy completely.