Since 1988… Yes, this is my major and a foundation for quality control in every project, in print or online. A round-up of my subbing worklife follows and I keep a blog on the subject called Subs’ Standards. I’m available for one-off projects working from home or office-based shiftwork in London or the Midlands.
Skills set
• SUB-EDITING: Legal issues, Fact-checking, Rewrites, Heads, Sells, House style.
• PROOFREADING: Copy-fitting, Revisions, Review/advice on site or publication.
Online
Freelance web editor, January 2009–present: working on digital projects for Seven Squared, including new business pitches, social media, SEO content, blogging and ezines. Also, helped kick off a wiki style guide for online subs for journalism.co.uk and a social network for UK subs.
Before that, I worked on various freelance web projects, including copywriter and sub-editor for Asda Magazine Online and the Boots Change One Thing microsite, blogs and email programme. I also did casual shifts as web producer on relaunch of BBC Gardener’s World and worked as homepage editor for Freeserve (now Orange), responsible for three daily publishings of Freeserve’s homepage, developing strategy for maximising hits, and analysing web statistics for senior management.
For a short time, I worked for Moonpig as commissions editor, where I was responsible for all aspects of editorial and production, and helped develop a range of 50 customisable front page greeting cards for The Sun.
Familiar with several CMS, Dreamweaver and Photoshop.
Newspapers
From 2000-2007, I worked occasional casual shifts on weekly and daily papers including The Independent on Sunday, Birmingham Post, Sunday Mercury and Birmingham Mail. Familiar with PageSpeed, Copydesk, QuarkXPress and InDesign.
Consumer/client magazines
Freelance since 1990 across the consumer and (more recently) contract magazine industry. Familiar with InDesign and QuarkXpress. Have worked at all production levels, usually as senior sub-editor or chief sub-editor.
Recent clients have included Asda, Sainsbury’s, Debenhams, Ryanair, Homebase and Superdrug. At Homebase Ideas magazine, I worked as freelance deputy editor/chief-sub for several issues. Work involved client liaison, repro, going on shoots, generating ideas and copy, writing advertorials, sub-editing and lugging boxes.
In 1999, I spent a year subbing and chief subbing on TV, women’s and health magazines in Sydney and Melbourne.
Training
Proof-reading: planned and held seminar for IMI (Institute of Medical Illustrators) annual conference, 2005.