Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire

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Proofer spotlight: Lauren and Priscilla.

Wow, it's been a while since we've had one of these, hasn't it? The proofer spotlight is my way of publicly of thanking the tireless workers in the Machete Squad, who go through endless reams of bad prose and bizarre typos so that you won't have to. Seriously. I would have a lot more problems on the publisher end if I didn't travel with a trained squad of comma-killing, modifier-munching bad-asses. Hail to the Machete Squad!

It used to be a lot easier to get new proofreaders, because I didn't need to find people with the time, appropriate skill set, interest, and proven ability to keep their mouths shut until publication. I could literally just throw thirty people at a project, let them winnow themselves out, and keep whoever survived. Now I need to practice care and...gulp...discretion. But once in a while, someone new comes along.*

Enter Lauren and Priscilla.

Lauren has an amazing eye for time. She actually catches flow and logical progression in a way that none of the other currently active Machete Squad members tends to manage, which makes her invaluable to our cause. She also does line edits and presents herself with a dry, entertaining wit (I like funny in my critique). She's worked on Blackout, One Salt Sea, and Ashes of Honor, and she's amazing.

Priscilla is great with dialogue, flow, and detail work. She's one of my Manhattan-area subject matter experts, which is good; she's also a keen eye applied to general editorial matters, which is great. She's fun, she's funny, she's accessible, and she's enthusiastic, which is not something to be overlooked in measuring the value of a proofreader. She's worked on Discount Armageddon and Midnight Blue-Light Special.

And those are my newest proofers. Look upon their works, oh ye mighty, and rejoice!

(*Please do not comment here volunteering to read for me. I just wind up feeling awkward when I have to turn you down. I don't solicit readers in public, and I don't currently have any openings in need of filling. Thanks for understanding.)
Tags: ashes of honor, blackout, discount armageddon, gratitude, i love my editors, incryptid, lauren, midnight bluelight special, one salt sea, pris, toby daye, writing
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  • 44 comments
I can always appreciate a "proofer love" post. :)
I need to make them more.
Is that Pris Pris?
That sounds like a Pokemon. But yes, it's Pris. :) (Who may be rooming with us next year at SDCC.)
What an unexpected attack of warm fuzzies! Thank you, Seanan! It's a treat to be involved. Love to you and all my fellow Machete-keteers!
Hugs to you!

vixyish

5 years ago

priscellie

5 years ago

ladymondegreen

5 years ago

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

bookblather

5 years ago

Yay Lauren and Priscille!!
They make me better. :)
I'm the anti-volunteer. I'm a horrible proofreader, and I try really really hard to keep my writer friends from asking me to proof a story. I'm either overly positive about it, or I do alot of hemming and hawing trying not to hurt feelings.

Yay for having a good support team. Do they get machetes as well ?
They do!
Sorry, the last line of that post screams for: 830.

Mostly in memory of Madeline Kahn.. Or it just shows how screwed up my brain is:)
Speaking as an editor, and a former proofer, bless you for calling out the invisible legions and honouring them. :-D
I love them soooooooo.

filkferengi

5 years ago

Yay proofers of awesome!
I'm grateful to your proofers, because they're all part of the process that makes the books as good as they can possibly be.
Me, too.

bookblather

September 13 2011, 22:26:19 UTC 5 years ago Edited:  September 13 2011, 22:27:05 UTC

Priscilla is most awesome, and Lauren must be too if she's in such exalted company. HUZZAH FOR THE MACHETE SQUAD!

ETA: self, howsabout you spell exalted right.
Good plan. :)
Congrats on your Newest Proofers! (And congrats to them in turn!)
*beam*
My thanks to the Machete Squad.

Your work is appreciated.
That's because they are AWESOME.

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Totally.
At first I read that as "Look upon my words, ye mighty, and revise!" which is quite appropriate actually.

Keep 'em close. Good proofers are really hard to find. Although I know I'm preaching to the choir on that one. But yeah, there's been times I was desperate for someone like Lauren, who is good with time, because I'm not, not so much.
...you're right. That IS quite appropriate. Hee.

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I'm the same with tyops, and grammar, and details ("wait, how come she just put her spacesuit on twice?"). However, by the time Seanan's books get anywhere near me there's nothing left for me to do! Oh, I've read one of her ARCs, with dire warnings on the front about "THIS MAY CONTAIN ERRORS" and all that -- I believe I found one use of a word in a way I found syntactically dubious (not even definitely wrong, just "I wouldn't use that word there"). In the whole freaking book, where even the best authors normally trigger me at least ten times with clear typos alone plus numerous incorrect words ('that'/'than' being probably the most common; it's also one of mine so I believe that the author knew which one they wanted but it came out of the fingers as the wrong one). Seanan and the squad spoil me for reading other people.

It would be wonderful if everyone had (and used) a Machete Squad like Seanan's. But there probably aren't enough people in the world as good as them. All Hail the Machete Squad!

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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aw, wow, thank you for that, I'm glad you find my comments useful AND entertaining, and very happy to be a part of this!
You rock, m'dear.

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Yaaaaaay Lauren!

(And Priscilla, of course. But I'm biased here.)
Understandable.
YAY! All Hail the Machete Squad!
Glee.