(no subject)

[wickedflea]

Cool, it looks like I just picked up a regular freelance proofreading job w/ Legal Affairs magazine. Twenty buck an hour for maybe a total of ten hours every six weeks or so. Not a lot, but every little bit helps. I also signed up this week for a farily big project in November -- some sort of university-wide policy guidelines. Should be fifty hours or so at $22 per hour. That'll definitely come in handy when the holidays roll around.

Now if I can just get rid of this blasted lysdexia that I've come down with.

Comments

[ex-thebellja885.livejournal.com]

congrats chris!
when i write my life story, will you be my editor?

thanks!

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Totally -- I'm there, dude mama. ;)

Re: thanks!

[ex-thebellja885.livejournal.com]

yay!
thanks bong Master!
( sidenote:I also got my MBA in Bong-ology.
small world. )
so yeah, I'll start my life story now.
problem is, i have no life! :P

[mipplet.livejournal.com]

What other kinds of freelance work do you do?

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

I've only been doing it for a few months and a few projects, but I've proofread various campus publications, most having something to do with the nursing school -- newsletters, policy manuals, etc. I also did proofreading and light editing on a book for a professor in the school of management. A co-worker was telling me that you can search for "proofreading test" on google and find a lot of publishers who have their proofreading and editing tests online, so that you can print them out, take them, send them back in, and maybe get hired. I want to look for some of those soon, but I haven't managed to get around to it yet. We hire freelance proofreaders at my press too, but I can't do any of our books because of a crazy union stipulation that says that I'd have to be paid overtime. But the people who are in the classification above me (and who make more money than I do) can, because they're not in the union. God, I'm glad I have such vigilant representation on my side. Grrr.

Re:

[mipplet.livejournal.com]

Well, I also work in publishing, and we hire proofreaders and copyeditors all the time. If you send me your resume, I'd be glad to pass it around to the other people in my unit and get you some work: this is our busiest time of year. (And maybe you'll let me give you my resume, too! :)

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Oooh, kick ass--I didn't even think of that! Let's do it! I don't actually do the initial hiring of our proofreaders; our managing editor and asst. managing editor look at resumes and proofreading tests and then determine whether to put someone on our list. Once they're on the list, I check with them about individual projects. But I will definitely give your resume to them with my recommendation. (You're too good a writer not to be a good proofreader.) I'll have to work on my resume a little this weekend, but I can send it to you early next week. Maybe we could just email them to one another. How 'bout cover letters? It would probably be a good idea, huh?

Re:

[mipplet.livejournal.com]

Can you send me a proofreading test that I could take and send in with my resume?

The only reason I asked for YOUR resume is so I could forward your info to the other people in my unit, in case they wanted to use you. I have the freedom to use whomever I choose, so I could start using you right away. I probably won't be getting a new slew of work until next month, but then it will be plentiful!

[mipplet.livejournal.com]

FYI, we try and keep our rates at $30/hr. for proofreading and $35/hr. for copyediting. We also have our own style manual that you'll need to adhere to, and I will send you a copy of it with your first job.

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Nice--thanks so much! And wow! I'm embarrassed to say that we only pay $16/hr for proofreading, $17 for a complicated or rush project. I guess that's a trade vs. university press thing. (?) But yes, I will definitely send you our proofreading test when I get back to the office on Monday.

Re:

[mipplet.livejournal.com]

I don't care about the money as much as I do about the experience. We have books and newsletters, as well as manuals and other automated products. It's health care, so it's not the most interesting subject in the world, although since 9/11 we've been doing a lot of emergency management stuff, which is kind of cool.

[alicdeni83.livejournal.com]

what was your major in college?

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Advanced bong management Techniques. :) (apologies to arielmeadow)

Nah--as an undergrad I double-majored in English and communication, then I was in the M.A. program in English for a couple of years.

[goatsupreme.livejournal.com]

So I'll be getting extra good birthday and christmas presents?? Rock on!!

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Hell fuggin' yeah--it's gonna be Welcome Back, Kotter lunchboxes and Nick Rhodes lipstick for you, my dear.

[goatsupreme.livejournal.com]

You know the way to my heart sweet pants. Check out this beauty that I just bought!!

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Rock!!! Hey, have you seen the E! True Hollywood Story on Kotter? I just saw about the last twenty minutes of it. It was great! Horshack was talking about the "Kotter curse," and then they cut to Washington, who said Horshack should just go have a spam sandwich and get over it.

Re:

[goatsupreme.livejournal.com]

I don't get that show on my cheap Canadian cable...we only get Anne of Green Gables, Fraggle Rock and Hockey Night in Canada up here.

Horshack kinda turned into a weirdo, like he tries to pretend to be normal, but I think he wishes he had way more celebrity status. I've never seen Epstein since he was a sweathog - I wonder what he's doing now?? I can't believe that John Travolta turned into such a dork. He was my first *true* love. I carried my Barbarino action figure with me everywhere - I even brought it to bed with me.