I took a week or so off in August, and it was nice to have a break – I needed a few days to relax. I had my friend’s dog, Mini, for a while, and she went on some adventures with Ella, my spaniel. Ella seemed pleased to have a friend to hang out with, but the house is now back to being very quiet. In other news, I had to invest in an air conditioning unit to get me through the latest heatwave. I find it impossible to concentrate in the intense heat. Now I have to find storage space for it until I need it again next year…

What I’ve been working on

August saw the return of some of my regular publishing work, but not paper proofreads. I miss them, actually. Working on a screen all day is hard on the eyes, and I like the simplicity of BSI marks. But things change. My break means that I had only one competed project this month: the copy-edit of a memoir. I’m still working on the copy-edit of a YA fantasy epic that I had previously critiqued – it is really rewarding to see my advice turned into so much improvement. I’m also working on a critique of a novel set in Europe during the 11th century.

Professional development

I do a formal training course every year as part of my continuing professional development. I find myself picking up more and more potential copyright issues lately, and I thought it would be useful to take the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s course Copyright for Editorial Professionals. I don’t plan on clearing permissions myself, but it is good to have some knowledge of how to assess and deal with copyright issues.

What I’ve been reading

I finished Queenie and The Black Hawks, both of which I’d started reading in July. They are very, very different novels, but both worth reading. I pre-ordered Matt Haig’s latest novel, The Midnight Library, and I’m very glad I did. I loved it. It’s a beautiful book and a beacon of hope in the quite often dark period we find ourselves living through.

Looking ahead

I hope to organise a Zoom meeting for my CIEP local group; we are due a catch-up. And I’ll be taking a few more days off – my birthday approaches and I’ll have cake to eat.