Wanted: Proofreader

Yes, I'm looking for a proofreader right now.

No, it's not for me. I like to think that I can proofread my own stuff, which makes it all the more painful whenever somebody finds the inevitable grammatical error in one of my writings. Nevertheless, the need is not mine. Rather, it's for an acquaintance who's putting out his first book.

Yeah, that's right. You get to be part of an author's first foray into the world of self-publishing. If this book makes the bestseller list or wins a national award, then your name goes down in history as the grammatical expert who made this work fit for publication.

Or maybe not. You'll just be proofreading it, after all.

But you will relish the feeling of a job well done, and you'll still feel proud of yourself when you realize that the book that you helped out has made the shelves. Perhaps you'll even get a copy.

Whatever the case, I'm looking for a proofreader right now -- not to mention, wondering where all the good proofreaders have gone. Let's be honest here: Just because you're good at writing doesn't mean that you'll be good at editing. I'm not looking for somebody who's merely had exposure to the writing world... I'm looking for somebody who has had actual experience piecing together the nuances of the English language. If the names "Strunk" and "White" aren't familiar to you in some way, then you're probably not who I'm looking for.

Your job will require you to look over a little less than 200 pages' worth of work. That's not as long as some of the thick-headed novels out there, and it's obviously not going to be an elephant on your back.

There won't be much pay involved. Aw, come on... you knew that I was going to say this at some point. This shouldn't stop you from making a deal with the client at all: Maybe you can get a share of the royalties. Maybe you can trade services at some time in the future. Maybe you can just waive the fee completely, knowing that at least your hours will be appreciated. Whatever the case, you can just name your terms.

If you're interested in taking this on, then feel free to contact me. You can leave a comment down here if you like. You'll most likely speak to me via e-mail, though, and that's why you should send any messages to saito_ichikawa at yahoo dot com.

I'm just the middleman here, so I'll probably only check up on your background and portfolio, introduce you to the client, and then step off to the side. From there, the quality of your work should be entirely your responsibility.

There you have it, then -- I've given you the scenario, and I've given you the setup. I'll just be waiting in the back corner if you find yourself willing to play.