How many of you-- write articles and/or books? have websites? ever have a need to draft a winning resume?
These are just a few places where your thoughts and ideas translate into words that need to relay important information to your particular audience. These are the moments when your work needs to reflect excellence, as these are opportune times to shine and convey your professionalism, the times where you may not get a second chance at that first impression, times when it's important to have someone edit your work.
Our ministry spotlight person today is someone that can help you make that good impression.Meet Carla Ives, Editor, who helps your written work be the best that it can be. Carla has a delightful, quick-witted personality and is an easy person to converse with. We talked about her 'gifting' of eagle eyes and of that inner ear that can hear and help you convey the heart-message of your written word.
Joan: Carla, tell us what you do and a little background on how you discovered your gift.
Carla: (laughing) Well, I call myself a 'Purveyor of Fine Words.' Fancy way to say that I am in love with language, expression and presentation! I'm not sure exactly when I discovered this "gift." As a child, I read everything I could get my hands on. I practically lived at the library. Good spelling has always been instinctive with me. I won every spelling bee I ever entered. I guess it naturally flowed that I would "learn" to spot things. I've been proofing and editing for over 15 years now. I "formally" turned it into a business two years ago.
Joan: You've had battles with your keen sensitivity to words and writing. Will you share on that?
Carla: I would be reading an excellent book and, all of a sudden, it would be. . . "Hey, that's not correct!" As a high school student, I have to admit to developing into a bit of a word/grammar snob. A few of these glaring mistakes and I wouldn't even finish the book. I even went so far as to write the authors. Some of them gave me the courtesy of a reply, usually blaming their editors. :) Some of them replied in a "not-so-nice" manner. Most never took the time to reply, but, still, I wrote. At that point, I wasn't so sure it was a gift. Most of the authors were not too fond of me (HAH!) and my school chums hated me for winning all the contests. Nobody liked hearing they made a mistake.
However, I just read on, and, of course, the maturing process of life helped get rid of the snobbishness. I
now just have the heart to serve and help others be the best they can be with their written work.
Now let me say I'm far from perfect. I do strive to continually hone my craft, but things DO get by me. Still, typos and grammar oopsies just seem to jump off the page at me when others write them. My own work? Not so often. This is one of the reasons I say you should NEVER proof/edit your own work, if you can avoid it. You know what it's supposed to say and you will read right over what it actually DOES say without noticing it. If you DO have to proof your own work, let it sit at least 72 hours before reading. It will make a big difference!
Joan: What is the difference between an editor and a proofreader?
Carla: Good question! I get asked this a lot. A proofreader reads with an eye for spelling and grammar mistakes in an attempt to achieve a technically-correct manuscript. The proofreader corrects technicalities, but makes no actual changes or suggestions to the author unless it is about the use of a more technically correct word.
Notice how I'm overusing forms of "technical" here? I want to emphasize that proofreading is nuts and bolts reading. Editing, on the other hand, encompasses proofreading; however, the editor makes suggestions to the author on how to strengthen, clarify and focus the author's work. When I edit, I proof and suggest, all the while doing my best to keep the author's style and tone intact. Again, my aim as an editor is to strengthen, clarify and focus the author's ideas, NOT change the work.
Joan: We know presentation is SO important, in person, in print, on the web. Do you find resistance where, perhaps, people don't think they need an editor for their work?
Carla: Yes, I often find resistance to editing. Why? I think it comes in two basic forms. One, people simply do not think they need this type of service. A lot of people simply do not know they are making mistakes that will impact the reception of their work. Therefore, they don't recognize their need for an editor.
Secondly, I think people feel that it simply doesn't matter. They feel that everyone makes mistakes and it is p
erfectly acceptable, especially in this age of internet communication when the language has been abbreviated into a collection of acronyms and symbols. The increasing use of texting as a main form of communication further abbreviates this into an art form, how to get the most language into the fewest actual characters! Everyone seems to be on a Twitter mission. . . say it in 140 characters or less!
Let's take job applications. In today's economy, there are oftentimes upwards of 50 applications for one part-time job! The first ones to be weeded out will be the ones with obvious mistakes in them. The screener will then look for something that makes the application stand out. The best way to do this is with a professional presentation. Appearance and presentation DO count, even in today's world, maybe not so much in emails and text messages, but when you want to make an impact, they are vital aspects of your presence.
Joan: Carla's business is A Word Aptly Written. Let her help you shine, while you take time time to smell the roses!