Dammit

[sanpaku_backup]

The above had nothing to do with the page it was on, like it was a hidden message or something. Maybe it is.

Anyway, when we went to Pittsburgh in May I packed my entire childhood into one trunk -- every book, photograph, paper, memento of the first 18 years of my life, and a few thereafter -- with the goal of driving out there in the summer to pick it up. Then the Board hired me full time, but the first 6 months you can't use any vacation, so we couldn't do the drive. Now my parents are getting ready to move and my father has announced that there's no room for the trunk where they're moving, "so tell me what you want to keep and I'll send it to you and we're dumping of the rest." Of course, the point was that I wanted to keep everything that was in the trunk. I also can't believe that they won't have a space 2'x2'x4' in that apartment. If I just knew one goddam person in Pittsburgh who I could ask to get the stuff and hold on to it for a few months, but I don't. And there's no way for me to get out there between now and the middle of November. So I'm pretty pissed about the whole thing.

Comments

[ex-fauxpas266.livejournal.com]

Can't they put it in storage?

Re:

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

They keep insisting that they get very little storage at the new place. And, being my parents, they are not really aware of/interested in the concept of putting something in a storage space. Also the trunk is heavy as all get out and my dad has a replacement hip and bad knees, so they'd need to find someone to do the schlepping, and they don't want to do that either. The only way moving it will work is for the guys moving the rest of their furniture to move the trunk at the same time -- at least that was my thought.

Re:

[ex-fauxpas266.livejournal.com]

Hmmm ... That really sucks. They can't even stick it in a closet or under a table until you can pick it up? Man. If I lived in the area I'd keep it for you!

Maybe they can UPS the contents to you, in separate packages so they could handle the weight? Expensive but maybe worth it?

[ex-fauxpas266.livejournal.com]

By the way, this is unrelated but can you give me tips on how I can get into freelance proofreading? I got the Chicago Manual of Style already, as you suggested. I need some kind of supplementary income until (and if!) I actually find a JOB-job. And freelancing appeals to me because I am nocturnal and stuff.

I have no idea who to contact about all this ... searching for "freelance copy-editing" on Google just turned up a bunch of websites that didn't strike me as particularly legit. I might be a bigot against poorly designed webpages, though.

Anyway, any advice you have to impart would be incredibly appreciated.

advice

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Freelancing is a great way to make a transition until you find a job that appeals to you. It will take a while before you get good assignments, but in the meantime you should check out the Web sites of some academic or legal publishers -- they sometimes have applications for freelance proofreaders/copyeditors on their sites.

Most publishers are chronically understaffed and desperate to build up a "bank" of freelancers they can work with. What they will usually do after getting your resume is send you a test, and so long as you make the cut you don't have to worry too much about having experience. (But make sure you really know Chicago inside and out, and be prepared for the odd question about kerning and other esoteric machine-handled printing issues. There are other books than Chicago that can help with that sort of thing.) They might try to work you into the mix of their assignments, but then again the work they have to pass out can dry up, so they might like you but have nothing for you to do.

You should see if there are any publishers in your area and call them just to see if you can get whatever test they go through (they often consider freelancers even when there is no "help wanted" ad in the paper). Also, another nice advantage to freelancing is that you can sometimes do the whole thing by email and FedEx, so you are not necessarily bound to where you live. A site I checked on often, for example, Bookbuilders of Boston (http://www.bbboston.org/default_frame_job.htm), might have stuff for you even though it is Boston. I landed an academic journal editing gig through the site and have never had to go in to the publisher's office. So you should look for similar types of sites elsewhere around the country.

Also be prepared to take on proofreading before you do copyediting -- really, by the time they send the manuscript to some outside person, most publishers hope that the substance of the text is done and that you will catch things like hyphens and curly quotes. Proofreading is tedious but less brain-work than copyediting.

Overall the freelance life is good if you can handle intermittent work and the insanity of what you have to go through with your taxes, so let me know how it goes. Alas, I'm not quite in a position yet to hire editors, but I can keep an ear to the ground where I am. You can also email me at charapl@yahoo.com if you want to pick my brain at greater length... Good luck!

Contacts

[flw.livejournal.com]

Dude,

I know several people I can ask a favor of in Pittsburgh. Doubtless, one or more of them will be able to accomadate your trunk. What kind of time pressure are we talking about here?

Re: Contacts

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Mid November. If you could help me out, I would appreciate it like you wouldn't believe.

Duuuude!