All About Proofreading Jobs
As indicated in a previous post, i am putting this one up to share a few details about publishing houses and what you can expect as an editor/proofreader. From my experience of working for a prominent publishing house, I can tell you that simply a command over English will not do. Proofreading involves more than spotting spelling and grammatical errors and requires you to be familiar with some technicalities of publishing.
Since the requirement of rectifying spelling and grammar is well known, i will talk more about the aforementioned technicalities. To work in a publishing house, you will need to be familiar with a few symbols and abbreviations that editors use to describe several functions. You can see a list of commonly used symbols and abbreviations here. However, symbols and abbreviations may vary from publisher to publisher and you will have to get the hang of using them pretty fast. While proofreading, you will have to observe the flow of arguments and overall coherance of the piece. If there are illustrations accompanying the text, look closely whether they correspond to what is being said. You need to keep an eye on the colours and make sure there is no spillage. Also check if the font and it’s size is the same throughout the piece. Headings and important points could be of one font (or font size) and the rest different, so observe closely.
Finally,while proofreading a book, you need to check whether the page numbers correspond to those mentioned in the contents page and whether all pages have been numbered. If the book is a textbook and contains exercises then you might have to solve them to see if they work and if the answers given (if any) are correct. You might also be asked to comment on the layout and the cover pages.
Proofreading involves all of this and when it comes to editing a raw manuscript, it is all this and some more. Details of that will follow in another post.
Exploring Technical Writing Jobs
Time to look at another prominent and attractive opening in the domain of language and communication, namely, technical writing. A basic research reveals that almost all big and small companies in the industry have requirements for technical writers. So if you happen to be good with the English language and are looking for a job that involves writing and also exposes you to cutting edge technology and latest products launched by different companies then technical writing could be a profile you will enjoy.
Most companies would require you to write about their products, launches and other news related to their research. So you will be writing user manuals, designing brochures and working closely with the development team to form a good understanding of the offerings of your company. As a technical writer, you will be catering to all the users of your company’s products and that can be a big number. You need to remember that your audience will consist of people with and without an understanding of technology so your writing should explain things in a clear and straightforward manner.
People generally get put off by a lot of text so you will have to cultivate a skill for designing. If you take a look at the user manuals of products launched by some big names, you will see almost every page carries pictures, illustrations and the text is arranged in short paragraphs. Often buletted points are used so that the main features get highlighted. If you are trying to explain to your clients how to operate a product, it is important that you show the various processes through pictures in addition to writing the steps down. Using different font colours and formatting will make your work visually appealing. You can consider using different background colours for different sections. Needless to say that a good knowledge of MS Office and a few photo-editing software will be an added advantage.
As for the origin of technical writing, I got a surprising piece of information in the process of finding out more about it. According to Wikipedia, the practice of technical writing can be traced back to ancient Greece and the Renaissance (fourteenth to seventeenth centuries). However, the full fledged utilisation of it came into being during the first world war when a lot of technical documentation was required by the military,manufacturing, electronics and aerospace industries.
Right Selection=Fun Reading
Many of us are advised to read English books, articles and newspapers to learn the language and improve our vocabulary. But I feel it’s not enough to just tell someone to read English. You need to tell that person where to start and how to go ahead as far as reading material is concerned. I have heard people advising others to read the editorials of English newspapers and English novels to start off with. While it’s true that a lot of editorials are really good pieces of writing, they can come across as quite cumbersome, boring and incomprehensible to beginners.
I would say start with comic strips which are fun to read and in addition to learning the language; you get a good idea about people and places unknown to you from the accompanying illustrations. Forget about what people around you have to say and pick up books on nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fables and other children’s literature. In no time you will be hooked to the wonderful world of English literature and will start picking up books that use more advanced English. Before going to novels, try short stories and when you read the newspaper, start with articles that interest you before going to the editorials.