Today I finished a book that I have been proofreading for the past week. Unlike the historical book I just had to work on, this one I had a lot of fun with. The book was very well written and the storyline was intriguing and easy to follow. I couldn't wait to get into work today to finish the story. It did have some errors and confusing wording, but the hardest thing for me was to stop reading as part of an audience and begin reading as an editor. This was my first real proofread and sometimes I found myself getting too caught up in the story and forgetting to do my job. As I kept reading this balance between audience and editor became easier to handle. Some of my changes may not go through but with some changes I know I have made a valuable contribution to the book, which feels pretty good.
I also voiced my opinion on the cover today as well. I wasn't even asked a question but I took the initiative to tell Than my opinion that could possibly make the cover better. I was a little concerned how he would take my criticism, but he ended up really appreciating what I had said. And he encouraged me to keep voicing my opinion to him whenever possible because sometimes I could see something that possibly he may not catch. Then we worked together to create the vision of the cover that I saw, and he will show my version to the author and see which he prefers. This made me so happy and made me feel that my work and opinion is appreciated at the Press. I love this job!
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7 comments:
I appreciate that you voiced your opinion. My boss has made such a comfortable, inviting atmosphere for me at work to do that as well. I had an instance similar to yours where I voiced my opinion thoroughly when I wasn't asked in front of board meeting with at least ten other faculty of Marshall University (including professors). I was so surprised because I am usually a very shy person, I keep my professional relationships very respectful and professional. I have never felt like I could talk to someone I worked with about my thoughts or even personal life. Here, I feel that I can. It feels great to voice your opinion and actually see that it makes a difference, doesn't it?
Your internship and the experience you are gaining sounds wonderful. I think that I would have the same problem that you did- to stop reading as part of an audience and read as an editor. From your writing tone, I can tell that you really enjoy your internship and feel like you are contributing to the Press. I think it is great that you voiced your opinion, especially since your boss obviously values your opinions.
At least as a reader you can say the book was interesting enough to continue on regardless of mistakes, and it seems you have realized that as a editor you have to step outside the work in order to do your job.
Hey Emily!! It was great to see you at the last PWE meeting!
I think it's GREAT that you were able to voice your opinion and it was appreciated AND respected. Good for you! That can be so scary, especially considering that we are students and I find some people don't completely respect our opinions because we don't officially have our degrees yet. However, that doesn't mean we don't have good ideas/opinions and I think it's fantastic that you were brave enough to voice your opinion and that it was accepted!
Your project sounds very interesting! I look forward to seeing your poster presentation and to hearing more!
Natalie makes a great point here -- expressing your opinion or expressing your disagreement is an important part of -- not a divergence from -- being a professional! The key is learning how to express this disagreement in a respectful tone.
I'd be interested in hearing more about the audience/editor distinction that you make, Emily. In what ways do you, even as you're reading with an editor's eyes, still keep in mind the audience's interest, knowledge, and needs? What are some examples in which your understanding of the writer's audience influenced the editorial decisions you made?
I sometimes find myself getting lost in the articles as a reader and not an editor. And then I have to go oh, damn and move back a page or two. It's a bit easier to stay focused when the articles are dry, but than they're obviously not as much fun to read!
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