Events/social « Black Cat Editorial Services

I wasn’t at the SfEP’s conference this year, unfortunately, but I had plenty of other things to keep me occupied in September. I have been working my way through the SfEP’s Introduction to Fiction Editing course, on and off, since May and I managed to complete it this month. It’s a lot more in-depth and complex than the course title may suggest; I’m sure it will have a positive effect on my editing practice. The section on critiques and their structure should be particularly useful.

What I’ve been working on

I finished off the two proofreads I started in August: a non-fiction book on cricket and a novel about bereavement. I followed this with the proofread, for a publisher, of a poetry collection. Poetry is not something I have edited before, so this was a great experience – I love being able to work on a wide range of texts. The last project of September was a collection of stories about British-Indian women. It was a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some truly remarkable people.

What I read for fun

I had a week or so off for my birthday (more on that later), which meant that I had a bit more time for for-fun reading than usual. I pre-ordered the collector’s edition of Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom some time ago, and it arrived at the beginning of the month. It’s almost as beautiful as the collector’s edition of Six of Crows. And it gave me an opportunity to use the Boomerang app for the first time. Enjoy:

I’ve had the novella All Systems Red by Martha Wells on my wish list for a while. It was the first book I downloaded onto the Kindle Paperwhite I got as a present for my birthday. Murderbot is a brilliantly written character: introverted, humane, dispassionate and funny. I whizzed through it in a couple of hours and then chose Vivian Shaw’s Strange Practice as my next read. The characterisation throughout could be stronger but I enjoyed it for what it was.

Birthday business

Sandwiches, scones, cream and jam, and cake cubes on a dark-wood stand.

Afternoon tea at Audleys Wood.

I managed to make my birthday celebrations last a couple of weeks. The first treat was afternoon tea at Audleys Wood Hotel in Alton with one of my favourite editor colleagues. I do enjoy posh sarnies and tiny cakes. I had a lovely, chilled birthday at home and then headed up to Yorkshire for a few days away. I stayed in Harrogate, which is a beautiful place. Somehow I had failed to realise the UCI Road World Championships (cycling) would be taking over the area; lots of roads were closed, it was very busy, and there were bikes – almost literally – everywhere. But I did manage to enjoy a good wander round the town and visit the legendary Bettys tea room. There was an Italian restaurant joined to our hotel, and the food there was absolutely stunning.

The local group

Between my birthday and going to Harrogate, I held a lunch meeting of the West Surrey and North Hampshire local group. The topic for discussion was marketing and looking for work, and as usual the group members delivered some great insights and advice. The next meeting will be in November, and we’ll be talking about how to make the most of our professional websites.

I was the guest for the Alliance of Independent Authors’ Twitter chat on Tuesday 6th August 2019. The chat takes place every Tuesday, using the hashtag #IndieAuthorChat, and is hosted by the lovely Tim Lewis of Stoneham Press. We had a great hour talking about proofreading for indie authors. If you weren’t able to join us, you can catch up using the Twitter Moment or read, below, a transcript of the questions Tim asked and my answers:

Q1: How does proofreading differ from editing?

A1: Proofreading is a type of editing, but it is a lot less interventionist than a copy- or line-edit. I think of proofreading as making the smallest possible changes to make the text as correct as possible. Proofreading should occur right at the end of the publishing workflow – it’s the final polish and is not a substitute for a thorough self-edit and professional copy-edit. The SfEP has a handy fact sheet to compare proofreading and copy-editing.

Q2: How much difference does format (print, eBook, etc) make in terms of proofreading a manuscript?

A2: It shouldn’t make a huge difference. It will be more about what the author finds easiest to work with and how much labour they want to put in to checking and adopting changes. Indie authors tend to ask me to mark up a Word doc, which isn’t proofreading in the traditional sense (that’s checking typeset proofs) but is easy to manage. Don’t be afraid to ask for a paper or PDF proofread if you want one – a properly trained proofreader will have the ability to do this. The cost will probably be higher but they will be checking the text and the format in as close to its final state as possible.

Q3: What is a style sheet and why is it important in editing and proofreading?

A3: A style sheet is SO IMPORTANT. A style sheet is a document that collects all your style preferences. You can see a very basic example on my website. It is essential for editing and every editor you work with should provide one for you. If they don’t, ask to see what they compiled. Style sheets are needed to ensure consistency throughout the text, and provide the author with an at-a-glance summary of what has been done and why. I extend mine to record character and location details, and often include a chapter-by-chapter synopsis to help me keep track of events. If you engage a proofreader, it is in your interests to provide them with the style sheet the copy-editor compiled for the project. It’ll save a lot of time and possibly confusion, and should make proofreading cheaper for you.

Q4: How do you work with an author – what is the process of getting your manuscript proofread like?

A4: The process is quite straightforward, but I need the author to give me as much information as possible, really. Be upfront about what you are looking for. Send me a sample so I can see what needs to be done. If I don’t think a proofread would best serve you and the project (i.e. it needs a deeper level of edit) I will tell you. There is a small amount of paperwork involved (I ask clients to sign a project agreement) and I will require a deposit to book my time. Proofreading is usually(!) straightforward so the client may not hear from me until I’m finished. However, I’ll email if I do need to consult on something that’s not easily dealt with. I’ll send over the marked-up document and the style sheet, and a sign-off form for the project. I’m available to answer any related questions and will do my best to assist.

Q5: How much should an author pay for proofreading and what factors affect the cost?

A5: This is a tricky one. It depends. If the text is in excellent shape, and the client provides a comprehensive style sheet, I’d charge around £7 per 1,000 words. If we are looking at something complex that needs to be done within a tight time frame, I’d charge £10–12 per 1,000 words. It’s all about time. The longer it takes, the more I charge. My pricing isn’t at the top end of what you could expect to pay. The SfEP suggested minimum is £25.00 per hour. Format, time frame, complexity, level of intervention – these will all affect the cost.

Q6: What is one thing you wish all authors understood about proofreading and editing?

A6: What a question! Well, one of the important things for me is that authors understand that we are a team. Don’t be afraid to give me as much information as you can. Tell me what you want to achieve. If I don’t know, I can’t tailor my editing to support you.

Q7: How can people find out more about Hannah McCall and Black Cat Editorial Services?

A7: You can check out my website (https://blackcatedit.com/) or follow me here on Twitter (I’d love it if you did).

Got your own questions about proofreading? Feel free to leave a comment below. Thinking about joining ALLi? You can find out more here.