Emily Haag of Polished Pen Editorial often has some interesting posts on LinkedIn! They tend to focus on horses and grammar. Emily kindly answered some questions about her editing work.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
That partly depends on how horsey the project I’m working on is. If it’s horsey, then quite a lot, but I also work outside of my niche. In terms of being with horses in person, I’m saving up for my own. When I get them, every day will have a lot to do with them! Right now, I have a lot less to do with horses than I’d like, which is partly why I’ve chosen an equestrian niche.

What is it exactly that you do?
As a proofreader, I check people’s writing for errors and inconsistencies in spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and formatting. When writing comes for proofreading, it should already say what the writer wants it to say. I do the final polish to make sure that it looks professional, that readers will have a smooth experience and that there’s nothing left that will distract or confuse them. Think of it as getting a horse ready for a class where turnout is important. You want it to look immaculate.

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full-time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes! Although most proofreaders offer editing as well, there are some like me who stick purely to proofreading and proof-editing (which adds awkward wording and such to the things checked). I’m the only one I know of with an equestrian specialization, but any writing that’s seen by the public can benefit from a proofread. This includes websites, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, advertising and signs, as well as the more obvious books and magazines.

Profile On: Emily Haag, Polished Pen Editorial

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
Although some proofreaders are employed in-house by publishers, many are self-employed. In general, training by your national editorial society, or another country’s, would be a good place to start.

In the UK, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and the Publishing Training Centre have good quality, widely recognized courses. In Australia, there are the Canberra Society of Editors, the Institute of Professional Editors and province-specific editorial societies, most of which have workshops, and some have courses or mentorship programs. The Society for Editing (ACES) in the US offers a wide variety of webcasts.

Favourite horse memory?
It’s so hard to choose! Possibly spending time with Robin, my favourite pony. My funniest horse memory is from early on. The other pony in my riding lesson, Lucy, tried to drink from the instructor’s bottle of water, which was on a block in the middle of the arena.

Future goals?
My business goals are to become well-known for what I do and expand into copyediting. I’d also like to network a lot more with equestrian business owners.

My personal goals are to buy some land and keep my own horses, as well as a few other animals. If things go according to plan, one of my first two horses will be a Dales pony.

Best thing about your profession?
Some of the things I proofread can be very interesting, and I’m always learning something new. The flexibility of being self-employed is an added bonus.

Recently Hannah from HC Social took the time to answer some questions about her horse focused career.

How much of your day/week is related to horses?
Pretty much every day! I have my own horses, but in my role as an equestrian social media manager I always have to be up to date with the latest equestrian news.

What is it exactly that you do?
I manage social media accounts for equestrian businesses. This includes content creation, posting content, creating strategies, digital advertising, replying to comments… the list goes on!

In this field of work, is it possible to be a full-time professional and earning a liveable income?
Yes definitely. The need for digital skills worldwide is increasing every day, it’s the same in the equestrian industry. Being in a specific niche, it’s vital to know the industry inside out and back to front. Lots of digital marketers could get a message to the right audience, there’s very few with equestrian experience – this gives you an immediate advantage at targeting and reaching your client’s ideal audience and customers.

Profile On: Hannah Cullen, HC Social

What are the general steps taken to be employed in such a role?
I previously worked at an equestrian marketing agency, where we taught ourselves many of the skills I use today. There’s lots of resources online to learn how to be a social media manager, Facebook and Google actually have free courses.

Favourite horse memory?
The first British Eventing track I ever rode. I mainly show jump now but there was something so special about being out on a cross country course, just me and my horse.

Future goals?
Professionally, I would like to continue to grow my client base and to invest in my own learning, the digital world evolves so quickly, and it can be hard to keep up to date!
Personally with my horse, I would like to compete at some of the big shows in the UK- Bolesworth, Hickstead etc. as well as aim for second rounds.

Best thing about your sport/profession?
The people in it. We’re a unique bunch but there’s something about a horse which brings us all together. Most recently I felt this with Laura Collett’s amazing win at Badminton. The response and support is second to none, we’re competitive but also all rooting for each other.