It works now.
community.wvu.edu/~jbb022/
There were several issues, the most consequential of which was my addition of a period to the "www" file, making it "www." which, trust me, doesn't work.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Final Post
The web address for my site is community.wvu.edu/~jbb022/
As of this moment, it may be forbidden to view, but I'm working on clearing that up.
As of this moment, it may be forbidden to view, but I'm working on clearing that up.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Week 13
The chapters got edited at the expense of sleep and another project. But, considering that they are considering using me in the future (and for pay), I figured I could sacrifice a little over there for some confidence in my abilities on the part of my bosses. Hopefully, that paid off and I didn't miss glaring mistakes.
Tomorrow is the poster presentation. I have a title, at the prompting of Dr. Wible's email this morning, but that is about it. The rest of today will be dedicated to reviewing the "things" I've done this semester (i.e., those things I can hold in my hand or, better, hang on a poster) and determine what should be included on this poster. Last week I got my first experience really writing substantially for FIT. I wrote a press release for a book about female athletes that have broken down barriers for future, today's, generations. I wrote a template which will be used to send to the universities the athletes in the book attended in hopes that a mention of an alum in a book warrants their buying several copies of the book. The template was written for Pat Summitt, an alum of UT, so was written to UT. The first couple of paragraphs introduced the book in the context of Pat Summitt's achievements (which are many) and then segwayed into a talk on the book generally and, lastly, the author and his achievements (which are also many). It will serve as a template, primarily, because of the segway sentence and last two paragraphs but will have to be tailored to the individual athlete and university.
Wednesday, Matt and Val are taking me to lunch to finish up the internship (awesome) after a short talk on what was good and bad about this internship. They told me last week to think of some constructive things to say so that they can address any problems or concerns with the next intern. To be honest, though, its hard coming up with any point on which they could better. It's been great.
Tomorrow is the poster presentation. I have a title, at the prompting of Dr. Wible's email this morning, but that is about it. The rest of today will be dedicated to reviewing the "things" I've done this semester (i.e., those things I can hold in my hand or, better, hang on a poster) and determine what should be included on this poster. Last week I got my first experience really writing substantially for FIT. I wrote a press release for a book about female athletes that have broken down barriers for future, today's, generations. I wrote a template which will be used to send to the universities the athletes in the book attended in hopes that a mention of an alum in a book warrants their buying several copies of the book. The template was written for Pat Summitt, an alum of UT, so was written to UT. The first couple of paragraphs introduced the book in the context of Pat Summitt's achievements (which are many) and then segwayed into a talk on the book generally and, lastly, the author and his achievements (which are also many). It will serve as a template, primarily, because of the segway sentence and last two paragraphs but will have to be tailored to the individual athlete and university.
Wednesday, Matt and Val are taking me to lunch to finish up the internship (awesome) after a short talk on what was good and bad about this internship. They told me last week to think of some constructive things to say so that they can address any problems or concerns with the next intern. To be honest, though, its hard coming up with any point on which they could better. It's been great.
Week 12
Posting for last week:
The internship is winding down now. For most of these larger projects, while it is good to get as many sets of eyes on a piece as possible, it is best if the same people can review the whole thing. Consistency is a primary goal of copyediting/proofreading, so if I were to start a project and do, say, four chapters, the next person to look at the work and do the next chapters may take, unintentionally and for better or worse, a different direction with the minutiae making two sections of the book inconsistent.
I was, however, given six chapters of a new edition of a book to copyedit. I've tried to use "comment" as much as possible on points that I may not get to see again to try and keep it consistent. I filled out some paperwork to become one of their freelance copyeditors/proofreaders, and am superpumped about that as I can work from wherever and communicate via email. So, hopefully, I will be the one to continue editing this edition so I can make sure I maintain consistency. Just in case, though, there are quite a few "comments" to the side of the piece. Now, especially, at the end of the semester when real things are becoming due, time management is crucial for me. Projects and papers for several classes are just about falling over one another and I'm trying to work at my "real" (though crappy) job as much as possible these few days so I can do as little as possible just after graduation. So in order to finish the chapters by the time I leave, I need to priortize and work in large blocks of time on individual projects. We'll see how it goes.
The internship is winding down now. For most of these larger projects, while it is good to get as many sets of eyes on a piece as possible, it is best if the same people can review the whole thing. Consistency is a primary goal of copyediting/proofreading, so if I were to start a project and do, say, four chapters, the next person to look at the work and do the next chapters may take, unintentionally and for better or worse, a different direction with the minutiae making two sections of the book inconsistent.
I was, however, given six chapters of a new edition of a book to copyedit. I've tried to use "comment" as much as possible on points that I may not get to see again to try and keep it consistent. I filled out some paperwork to become one of their freelance copyeditors/proofreaders, and am superpumped about that as I can work from wherever and communicate via email. So, hopefully, I will be the one to continue editing this edition so I can make sure I maintain consistency. Just in case, though, there are quite a few "comments" to the side of the piece. Now, especially, at the end of the semester when real things are becoming due, time management is crucial for me. Projects and papers for several classes are just about falling over one another and I'm trying to work at my "real" (though crappy) job as much as possible these few days so I can do as little as possible just after graduation. So in order to finish the chapters by the time I leave, I need to priortize and work in large blocks of time on individual projects. We'll see how it goes.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Week 11
Dr. Wible's comment on my Week 9 blog entry contained a link, so I felt I needed to check it out. It linked to an article on the future of academic journals and scholarly research generally. From where I currently sit, this was a very interesting article. It talked of the evolution (or devolution) of this field because of the recent trend toward (towards is the more generally British version of the word, just so you know--I didn't until recently) internet based information. I am in a unique position in this debate because, not only can I see it from both sides, I am living both sides. As a student writing papers, the internet based journals, JSTORs, and google.scholars have been fantastic. Without them, a forty works cited paper becomes a four or five month process. But as an intern for a publishing company, I hear the debate from their perspective. Their are definitely opponents to this trend because of the likelihood of it completely replacing the existing system. This system not only generates money, unlike blogging and the like, but provides an order and a context for the information provided in the articles. The grouping of articles around themes, for instance, is one of the main goals of academic journals, but with the advent and takeoff of internet based resources (including blogs), these articles are more and more likely to be seen as an individual piece without allowing a reader to see the same topic in a different light or otherwise being presented an argument from a context different than that provided by just one piece. The end of the article had a quote from one of the editors of Victorian Literature which summed up the state of print journals nicely: "You could think of our kind of scholarship," he said, "as something like 'slow food' in a fast-food culture." Very true.
And from what I've heard and what I'm seeing done at FIT, it seems like adaptation will be the necessary route for these articles, to some extent at least. For example, right now I'm designing a blog for one of the journals FIT produces, the International Journal of Sport Finance. This blog will have different contributors, the editors of the journal, and will be linked to FIT's Twitter page (yeah, that's right). This is an outfit that produces sport management/psychology textbooks and scholarly journals. The fact that they are creating blogs and tweeting should give a good sense of the direction these things are taking.
And from what I've heard and what I'm seeing done at FIT, it seems like adaptation will be the necessary route for these articles, to some extent at least. For example, right now I'm designing a blog for one of the journals FIT produces, the International Journal of Sport Finance. This blog will have different contributors, the editors of the journal, and will be linked to FIT's Twitter page (yeah, that's right). This is an outfit that produces sport management/psychology textbooks and scholarly journals. The fact that they are creating blogs and tweeting should give a good sense of the direction these things are taking.
Week 10
For last week:
The FIT team, Val and Matt at least, went to Cumberland on Wednesday to meet with two of the designers they use. I got to tag along as it served as a learning experience of the publishing process. The designers do not work together but are very familiar and friendly with one another. The trip counted as work for both Val and Matt and myself because we dropped off some articles I had edited for a sport finance journal. Business was talked, but it was mostly catching up, exchanging stories, and hanging out over lunch ("When Pigs Fly" in Cumberland has some awesome pulled pork). I didn't see both of the designers' places of work, but the one I saw was pretty neat. Jamie works out of a toy/trinket shop she and her family owns. Behind the counter was one computer hooked into a register and another computer that probably cost more than all of the electronics I own put together: clear and crisp resolution and colors, big screen, and I'm sure more and better programs than I can name. One of those programs is a design program called Quirk which she prefers because she is so familiar with it. The other designer--this was the business that was talked over lunch--used a newer program, though I can't just now think of the name, N-something.
We also got some things from the printer. The catalog is now a "thing" I can hold in my hands. As soon as it came in, Matt found a mistake. That kind of sucks but perfection is rarely achieved. Just about every book on Val's shelf has post-it notes sticking out of the top or side marking something that wasn't caught. For the catalog, the mistake was the addition of an authors name who didn't help write the book, merely part of the foreword. A tiny thing, probably no one will notice save those at FIT and the real authors themselves. But a mistake nonetheless. Other than that, it turned out quite well, I think. We also received hard versions of one of the journals I was working on and the book 100 Trailblazers for which I get credited as "Proofreader."
The FIT team, Val and Matt at least, went to Cumberland on Wednesday to meet with two of the designers they use. I got to tag along as it served as a learning experience of the publishing process. The designers do not work together but are very familiar and friendly with one another. The trip counted as work for both Val and Matt and myself because we dropped off some articles I had edited for a sport finance journal. Business was talked, but it was mostly catching up, exchanging stories, and hanging out over lunch ("When Pigs Fly" in Cumberland has some awesome pulled pork). I didn't see both of the designers' places of work, but the one I saw was pretty neat. Jamie works out of a toy/trinket shop she and her family owns. Behind the counter was one computer hooked into a register and another computer that probably cost more than all of the electronics I own put together: clear and crisp resolution and colors, big screen, and I'm sure more and better programs than I can name. One of those programs is a design program called Quirk which she prefers because she is so familiar with it. The other designer--this was the business that was talked over lunch--used a newer program, though I can't just now think of the name, N-something.
We also got some things from the printer. The catalog is now a "thing" I can hold in my hands. As soon as it came in, Matt found a mistake. That kind of sucks but perfection is rarely achieved. Just about every book on Val's shelf has post-it notes sticking out of the top or side marking something that wasn't caught. For the catalog, the mistake was the addition of an authors name who didn't help write the book, merely part of the foreword. A tiny thing, probably no one will notice save those at FIT and the real authors themselves. But a mistake nonetheless. Other than that, it turned out quite well, I think. We also received hard versions of one of the journals I was working on and the book 100 Trailblazers for which I get credited as "Proofreader."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Week 9
This week I'm still editing a few articles, but nothing like at the beginning of this semester and internship. Thier work is fairly cyclical, especially the articles, published quarterly. So after a wave of articles and deadlines, their seems to be some slackening off. Of course books and other projects, along with general housekeeping items (and actual housekeeping), are still coming in and some are nearing completion.
One of the books that has been sent to the printer will actually credit me as "Proofreader," so that's cool for me. We got a copy of the cover to make sure everything (text too, but mainly colors and layout) was just right before they roll off 500 of these. The paper it was printed on seemed flimsier than that on a previous book of the same series, but other than that, it turned out very nicely. Again, I can't stress enough how important the littlest things are. The pdf sent to the printer had text blocks that looked very boxy, the version sent to us, though, had aligned the text sort of diagonally down one side to better match the graphics wrapping around from the front cover. It looks good and I can't wait to see it.
Matt and I were discussing how I felt the internship was coming, whether I was getting the hours I needed, whether I was learning, etc. when we started talking about what I was going to do after graduation. I told him I wasn't entirely sure, but I sort of had some things lined up (strong emphasis on sort of), and he told me they may like to keep me on as one of their freelance copyeditors/proofreaders. He said, I believe, that three of the last four interns were doing such work, in different capacities and volumes. I said that I was very interested as I have been looking into doing such freelance work over the internet. (God love the internet--I can work from a beach.) So that is very exciting for me, now I sort of (with less emphasis) have more things lined up.
One of the books that has been sent to the printer will actually credit me as "Proofreader," so that's cool for me. We got a copy of the cover to make sure everything (text too, but mainly colors and layout) was just right before they roll off 500 of these. The paper it was printed on seemed flimsier than that on a previous book of the same series, but other than that, it turned out very nicely. Again, I can't stress enough how important the littlest things are. The pdf sent to the printer had text blocks that looked very boxy, the version sent to us, though, had aligned the text sort of diagonally down one side to better match the graphics wrapping around from the front cover. It looks good and I can't wait to see it.
Matt and I were discussing how I felt the internship was coming, whether I was getting the hours I needed, whether I was learning, etc. when we started talking about what I was going to do after graduation. I told him I wasn't entirely sure, but I sort of had some things lined up (strong emphasis on sort of), and he told me they may like to keep me on as one of their freelance copyeditors/proofreaders. He said, I believe, that three of the last four interns were doing such work, in different capacities and volumes. I said that I was very interested as I have been looking into doing such freelance work over the internet. (God love the internet--I can work from a beach.) So that is very exciting for me, now I sort of (with less emphasis) have more things lined up.
Week 8
For last week:
The catalog is finished and we should see a copy next week or the week after. That is good considering this serves as the Spring Catalog. Holdups had occured because of pricing changes, title changes, and general uncertainty about the dates certain projects would be completed and ready to roll off the printer. I recieved a copy of the invoice from Jamie, the designer, and realized that that is an OK field to work in.
I've started editing a few articles, to stay ahead of the game and schedule, of another journal. This journal is the International Journal of Sport Finance (IJSF). One of the articles was just a book review and took less than an hour. One of the articles was written by an editor for another journal, so was already in fairly good form. The last article required the most work, but was by far the most interesting. The authors had developed a test to determine the criteria professional golfers used in choosing in which tournaments each should play. I don't even like golf very much, but the article was actually interesting, as it outlined and tested various skills a golfer possessed as well as psychological factors (including the Tiger Woods phenomenon).
This is a part of my work this semester that I have really come to enjoy. In working, I have learned about things I had no knowledge of but, apparently, did have some interest in. I have read a lot about a wide array of general sports topics addressing the psychological, physical, social, and business of sport. I think that is one of the great benefits of doing the type of work I have this semester (that is, if the editor/proofer enjoys learning about new things). It is an opportunity not many receive. Especially working at FIT, which produces academic journals, is great for this because even if a person already knows a lot about a subject, these journals only exist to introduce new ideas to the field.
The catalog is finished and we should see a copy next week or the week after. That is good considering this serves as the Spring Catalog. Holdups had occured because of pricing changes, title changes, and general uncertainty about the dates certain projects would be completed and ready to roll off the printer. I recieved a copy of the invoice from Jamie, the designer, and realized that that is an OK field to work in.
I've started editing a few articles, to stay ahead of the game and schedule, of another journal. This journal is the International Journal of Sport Finance (IJSF). One of the articles was just a book review and took less than an hour. One of the articles was written by an editor for another journal, so was already in fairly good form. The last article required the most work, but was by far the most interesting. The authors had developed a test to determine the criteria professional golfers used in choosing in which tournaments each should play. I don't even like golf very much, but the article was actually interesting, as it outlined and tested various skills a golfer possessed as well as psychological factors (including the Tiger Woods phenomenon).
This is a part of my work this semester that I have really come to enjoy. In working, I have learned about things I had no knowledge of but, apparently, did have some interest in. I have read a lot about a wide array of general sports topics addressing the psychological, physical, social, and business of sport. I think that is one of the great benefits of doing the type of work I have this semester (that is, if the editor/proofer enjoys learning about new things). It is an opportunity not many receive. Especially working at FIT, which produces academic journals, is great for this because even if a person already knows a lot about a subject, these journals only exist to introduce new ideas to the field.
Week 7
For a few weeks ago:
The 2009 Catalog is nearly finished. I've gone through and proofed it again after getting it back from the designer, again. It went through several drafts as seeing something can be very different than discussing it and other possibilities earlier in the drafting process. This go-round, I was just quickly reading through, making sure nothing was missed, and checking the ISBNs, cover images, and prices against their listings on the FIT website. I found a few mistakes, but not many. One thing, which ended up serving as an "in-service" (a meeeting in an organization to teach the members, here myself, of that organization something new), that I found was an ISBN was listed very differently on the website than what it was in the catalog and from the other books listed in the catalog. When I asked Matt and then Val to find out which one was correct, we found that the listing on the website was the incorrect one.
This set off a learning experience for me as to how to purchase ISBNs and how to register books online (which is a tremendous improvement from the old "paper" days). Apparently, ISBNs are generally purchased by publishing companies in bulk, up to hundreds at a time. This way, the books they put out have ISBNs different from each other by only a digit or three. That helps the publishers stay organized and helps me when proofreading ISBNs as i can memorize about nine or ten of the series and just focus on the last few digits.
Though the work for my internship has been primarily copyediting and proofreading, it has been instances like that just described that have taught me the most. Matt, Val, and the other folks at FIT have done a wonderful job of introducing me to the whole production process. I have seen articles and books develop from the earliest stages. I have seen and participated in the communication of changes suggested, changes necessary, and changes necessary that the authors keep changing back. Now I have learned how to register a book with the library of congress and have even learned what the "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on the copyright page is (it is a leftover from publishing using plates, where all the printer had to do was cover a digit to show that this was the second printing, third printing, etc.).
The 2009 Catalog is nearly finished. I've gone through and proofed it again after getting it back from the designer, again. It went through several drafts as seeing something can be very different than discussing it and other possibilities earlier in the drafting process. This go-round, I was just quickly reading through, making sure nothing was missed, and checking the ISBNs, cover images, and prices against their listings on the FIT website. I found a few mistakes, but not many. One thing, which ended up serving as an "in-service" (a meeeting in an organization to teach the members, here myself, of that organization something new), that I found was an ISBN was listed very differently on the website than what it was in the catalog and from the other books listed in the catalog. When I asked Matt and then Val to find out which one was correct, we found that the listing on the website was the incorrect one.
This set off a learning experience for me as to how to purchase ISBNs and how to register books online (which is a tremendous improvement from the old "paper" days). Apparently, ISBNs are generally purchased by publishing companies in bulk, up to hundreds at a time. This way, the books they put out have ISBNs different from each other by only a digit or three. That helps the publishers stay organized and helps me when proofreading ISBNs as i can memorize about nine or ten of the series and just focus on the last few digits.
Though the work for my internship has been primarily copyediting and proofreading, it has been instances like that just described that have taught me the most. Matt, Val, and the other folks at FIT have done a wonderful job of introducing me to the whole production process. I have seen articles and books develop from the earliest stages. I have seen and participated in the communication of changes suggested, changes necessary, and changes necessary that the authors keep changing back. Now I have learned how to register a book with the library of congress and have even learned what the "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on the copyright page is (it is a leftover from publishing using plates, where all the printer had to do was cover a digit to show that this was the second printing, third printing, etc.).
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Week 6
Last week I was surprised and a bit amused by how the new prices for the catalog were determined. This week, I was again surprised by the process for determining the prices of these ebooks FIT is trying to go to more and more. They are trying to determine the correct balance between printed material and electronic material. The printed material costs more to produce so represents a large cost for FIT. The electronic material costs, really, nothing, at least not after its production, so is purely revenue. So the discussions about ebook prices were basically to determine the correct markdown. The discussed markdown right now is about 50%, but nothing is definite.
Besides the hold up by discussions of prices for ebooks and the like, the catalog is about done. Once the designer puts a draft together, it will come back and be proofed, then will be printed and sent out. I am still copyediting and proofing, though now it is mostly scholarly articles for FIT's International Journal of Sport Exercise Physiology (IJSEP). Each article is, generally, written by a different author with his or her own style and background. Some use MLA, others APA, others sort of make up rules as they go. FIT and the IJSEP use APA, something with which I am not, or was not before this internship, well acquainted. Most things are consistent, but its the little stuff, the minutia, that is different and must especially be watched for. An example is the use of square brackets and parentheses. Chicago, and PEMDAS, says that square brackets are to be the outside parentheses and (ordinary) parentheses are to be the inner brackets. APA, I think MLA, and teachers since I was about 12, say that that should be opposite ( [ ] ). I learned that today, so must go back through about six articles I just copyedited to change it from [ ( ) ] to [ ( ) ].
Journal articles
Besides the hold up by discussions of prices for ebooks and the like, the catalog is about done. Once the designer puts a draft together, it will come back and be proofed, then will be printed and sent out. I am still copyediting and proofing, though now it is mostly scholarly articles for FIT's International Journal of Sport Exercise Physiology (IJSEP). Each article is, generally, written by a different author with his or her own style and background. Some use MLA, others APA, others sort of make up rules as they go. FIT and the IJSEP use APA, something with which I am not, or was not before this internship, well acquainted. Most things are consistent, but its the little stuff, the minutia, that is different and must especially be watched for. An example is the use of square brackets and parentheses. Chicago, and PEMDAS, says that square brackets are to be the outside parentheses and (ordinary) parentheses are to be the inner brackets. APA, I think MLA, and teachers since I was about 12, say that that should be opposite ( [ ] ). I learned that today, so must go back through about six articles I just copyedited to change it from [ ( ) ] to [ ( ) ].
Journal articles
Week 5
Week 5 saw deadlines come and pass. When I showed up to work on the catalog, I learned that new prices were being settled on and that FIT is trying to incorporate ebooks into their catalog this year. The new prices are being selected in an interesting way. I'm sure it is the usual way these things are decided, but it is fascinating and sort of fun. I asked my boss what the new price for a certain book would be, he looked at me, and picked up another company's new catalog, flipped to a page, and said $52. I must have looked sort of perplexed, so he turned the catalog around and I saw the other catalog had a similar book listed at $55. Other prices were shifted in similar ways, just by a few bucks, usually, and always with an eye to the competition.
The ebooks, for those of you who haven't heard of them, are books online. There are even little computers designed just for these ebooks. Matt and I spent probably fifteen minutes looking at ebooks and the portable screens to read them with. They hold a ridiculous amount, thousands of books. But, there aren't many books in this format yet. FIT wants to be ahead of the curve, so is going ahead and putting some of their textbooks into the correct format. We talked about the problems of theft (students printing one copy and then copying it over and over again) and price determination. Only incredibly cheap students, like myself, woulk likely print one and copy the rest, so theft shouldn't be that big of a problem, especially since the real benefit of an ebook is that it can be read from a laptop or other device.
I am still doing some copyediting and proofing, and Professor Wible's suggestion to use style sheets for this type of work has worked out well. The sheet provides me, and more importantly, those above me and the authors, with the reasoning behind and description of the decisions I made. I recommend them highly for anyone doing this type of work, where the same types of problems need to be dealt with again and again in the same work.
The ebooks, for those of you who haven't heard of them, are books online. There are even little computers designed just for these ebooks. Matt and I spent probably fifteen minutes looking at ebooks and the portable screens to read them with. They hold a ridiculous amount, thousands of books. But, there aren't many books in this format yet. FIT wants to be ahead of the curve, so is going ahead and putting some of their textbooks into the correct format. We talked about the problems of theft (students printing one copy and then copying it over and over again) and price determination. Only incredibly cheap students, like myself, woulk likely print one and copy the rest, so theft shouldn't be that big of a problem, especially since the real benefit of an ebook is that it can be read from a laptop or other device.
I am still doing some copyediting and proofing, and Professor Wible's suggestion to use style sheets for this type of work has worked out well. The sheet provides me, and more importantly, those above me and the authors, with the reasoning behind and description of the decisions I made. I recommend them highly for anyone doing this type of work, where the same types of problems need to be dealt with again and again in the same work.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Week 4
Continuing:
Today, Tuesday, February 10th, I will turn in a manuscript with the author's revisions incorporated, an academic journal consisting of eleven different articles, and I will send the first pieces of text to the designer so she can start putting the catalog together by the end of this week. I have the eight promo pieces written, but still need some information on two of the books (ISBN, price, and whether the person mentioned is the author or editor so I know whether to write [Ed.] or [Eds.] after the name[s] or not). Val, one of my bosses at FIT will have written some background information for, I believe, seven more books/manuals/directories which are new to the catalog.
The rest of the week should be finishing up the catalog on my end: I have to cut down some of the older title descriptions, and reorganize the titles based on whatever precedence Matt (my primary boss) decides. This week should be less time-consuming, but a lot of tangible material will be produced. The most important skill one can have in this work, or should develop in doing this work, is time management, especially if doing the work as I am, sort of making the hours up as I go. Sometimes I work from about 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., other times from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. I enjoy doing the work this way, chunking it whenever I have time I can devote to it, but when there is a lot to do, days get full pretty quickly.
Today, Tuesday, February 10th, I will turn in a manuscript with the author's revisions incorporated, an academic journal consisting of eleven different articles, and I will send the first pieces of text to the designer so she can start putting the catalog together by the end of this week. I have the eight promo pieces written, but still need some information on two of the books (ISBN, price, and whether the person mentioned is the author or editor so I know whether to write [Ed.] or [Eds.] after the name[s] or not). Val, one of my bosses at FIT will have written some background information for, I believe, seven more books/manuals/directories which are new to the catalog.
The rest of the week should be finishing up the catalog on my end: I have to cut down some of the older title descriptions, and reorganize the titles based on whatever precedence Matt (my primary boss) decides. This week should be less time-consuming, but a lot of tangible material will be produced. The most important skill one can have in this work, or should develop in doing this work, is time management, especially if doing the work as I am, sort of making the hours up as I go. Sometimes I work from about 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., other times from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. I enjoy doing the work this way, chunking it whenever I have time I can devote to it, but when there is a lot to do, days get full pretty quickly.
Week 3
Posting for last week:
Last week was quite busy. I almost turned in a manuscript that was proofed, but was handed a document five pages long with the author's revisions. I was also handed a copy of one of FIT's quarterly journals to proofread, mainly looking for dates and copyrights that needed updating, but also for the usual things, misspellings, commas missing or incorrect punctuation, and consistency throughout the text. And I was charged with coordinating the '09 FIT catalog. This includes updating text, inserting new text and pictures, getting rid of old information, updating the overall look of the 16 page catalog, prioritizing space for the best sellers or hopeful best sellers, and doing all this with the designer in Cumberland.
That seemed like a lot. And it was. But as long as I budgeted my time, I could get things done by the time FIT needs them. The journal will be turned in Tuesday, February 10, as will the other manuscript incorporating the author's own revisions. (By the way, SS in SS America is not italicized. Who knew?) The catalog is coming along in stages and the first of the actual text inserts will be sent to the designer on Tuesday as well, after being run by the people at FIT to make sure I have included all the necessary and relevant information and put it in an appropriate format.
Last week was quite busy. I almost turned in a manuscript that was proofed, but was handed a document five pages long with the author's revisions. I was also handed a copy of one of FIT's quarterly journals to proofread, mainly looking for dates and copyrights that needed updating, but also for the usual things, misspellings, commas missing or incorrect punctuation, and consistency throughout the text. And I was charged with coordinating the '09 FIT catalog. This includes updating text, inserting new text and pictures, getting rid of old information, updating the overall look of the 16 page catalog, prioritizing space for the best sellers or hopeful best sellers, and doing all this with the designer in Cumberland.
That seemed like a lot. And it was. But as long as I budgeted my time, I could get things done by the time FIT needs them. The journal will be turned in Tuesday, February 10, as will the other manuscript incorporating the author's own revisions. (By the way, SS in SS America is not italicized. Who knew?) The catalog is coming along in stages and the first of the actual text inserts will be sent to the designer on Tuesday as well, after being run by the people at FIT to make sure I have included all the necessary and relevant information and put it in an appropriate format.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Week 2
Once again, I went in for only about an hour to my internship. Again, I extracted an exerpt and the tables of contents of books FIT is putting on their web site. I turned in a manuscript I finished proofing, and was handed another.
Today, I will just check in at their office and then head home to proofread the new book I have. It is part of a series of books this office has published so there are plenty of resources I can look to for specific points on style. I remeber from ENGL 302 that there is a word for that type of material, I just forget what it is. Regardless of name, it is invaluable material to be able to look over to see if the series capitalizes this, prefers italics or quotes, etc.
I'm putting in quite a few hours each week. Being able to sit down at anytime of day or night (usually before most people wake up) to proofread or edit allows me to chunk my time, really saving me a lot in the end.
Today, I will just check in at their office and then head home to proofread the new book I have. It is part of a series of books this office has published so there are plenty of resources I can look to for specific points on style. I remeber from ENGL 302 that there is a word for that type of material, I just forget what it is. Regardless of name, it is invaluable material to be able to look over to see if the series capitalizes this, prefers italics or quotes, etc.
I'm putting in quite a few hours each week. Being able to sit down at anytime of day or night (usually before most people wake up) to proofread or edit allows me to chunk my time, really saving me a lot in the end.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Week 1
I went into my internship with Fitness Information Technologies (F.I.T.) on Wednesday for the first time to do actual work. I'd gone once before for an interview and was given a few lines to edit as a sort of test so they could see what I actually knew. That time I found myself knowing there was a problem with some of the document, but forgetting exactly how to fix it.
This time around though, I have references at my disposal, so once I see a problem, if I don't know the right solution, I can look it up. What they use is primarily the Chicago Manual of Style rules, but as much of what they work with is journal articles, APA is also prevalent.
I worked on the computer in their offices for about an hour uploading exerpts of older books and tables of contents onto their website. Then I was handed a manuscript (I guess that's what its called at this stage) to work on throughout the week and have finished editing by this coming Wednesday when I will meet with them again. So far it's going well but is taking what seems like forever.
This time around though, I have references at my disposal, so once I see a problem, if I don't know the right solution, I can look it up. What they use is primarily the Chicago Manual of Style rules, but as much of what they work with is journal articles, APA is also prevalent.
I worked on the computer in their offices for about an hour uploading exerpts of older books and tables of contents onto their website. Then I was handed a manuscript (I guess that's what its called at this stage) to work on throughout the week and have finished editing by this coming Wednesday when I will meet with them again. So far it's going well but is taking what seems like forever.
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