Paul Jenulis

on February 14, 2008

category: a look into agency life

Proofreader

Tpyos

The other day I was riding the No. 2 home during one of Seattle's famous rainy days. The sun, hidden all day above a thick layer of gray, soaked clouds, was long gone by the time I hopped on the bus downtown. I was damp, my socks were wet (thanks, holes in my soles), and the bus was humid as all hell. Everyone was crammed in, some standing (hovering, as it were), others coughing and sniffling, the person to my right reeking of liquor and musty clothes. (I can't wait until Hacker Group moves to downtown Seattle, when my commute turns into just a 20-minute walk down Fourth Avenue and I no longer have to deal with getting drunk from merely smelling the alcohol on the person next to me on the bus. Oh, hurry up May!)

To make it through the ride from downtown to my little abode, and to distract me from the horrors of riding that filthy bus, I decided to read the advertising placards above the windows. Scanning over them, one, in particular, caught my attention. It was about abortion, lesbian healthcare, and donor inemination.

Donor inemination?

Is this a word I don't know?, I thought.

A dictionary would have been nice at the time, so I could educate myself, build my vocabulary. Seriously? Inemination? That's a word?

No. It's not. It was a friggin' typo.

This brought me back to a few months ago, when I began carrying a red pen with me wherever I went, so that, when I came upon a typo, which happens fairly often (especially when reading menus), I could correct it. Unfortunately, my red pen decided it would much rather explore this crazy world than be stuck in my pocket all day. (Where are you pen? Have you found a happy home? Are you safe? Or are you in a gutter somewhere, longing for me too?) So I was penless at the time of the inemination, and there was nothing I could do to save the day.

I know we're all prone to errors. We are, after all, human. And we all have bad days. That's a given. It's forgivable (usually), except when you're a proofreader, because, when you have a bad day proofreading, people notice. Hacker Group isn't immune to this. We have produced work in the past that has had errors in it, a fine example of bad days, indeed. (I, for instance, had missed the 'y' dropping off the end of 'handy,' making the sentence read: "Keep your Priority Code hand." And believe me, that's not the only miss I've had these past three years.) So the dropping of the 's' on that placard is forgivable to a certain extent. Except that, when I read other placards on the bus and I see things like "Award Winning Mechanics," I wonder just who is proofing this stuff (it should be Award-Winning Mechanics).

Seeing things like this irks me. So does the confusion with your-you're (your is possessive; you're means you are) and its-it's (its is possessive, it's means it is or it has). You're still reading this? That's your fault. It's not mine.

Ugh. I'm such a nerd.

But a nerd who doesn’t need to worry about artificial inemination no matter how it's spelled.

I just need red pens.

And shoes.
 

Comments:

2/21/2008 at 6:40 p.m.
Right on!
Once a proofreader, always a proofreader....even when you move to the account side. Your story made me smile, Paul. It's all so true in the life of people like us.
>>Chrissy Vaughn, Redmond, WA 

Paul Jenulis

on November 13, 2007

category: direct marketing

Proofreader

The world's still spinning

I've gotten a little flack for referring to what Hacker Group does as 'junk mail.' It's been suggested that maybe I should refer to it as targeted media, or perhaps simply: direct mail. That's all just fine with me. Call it what you want. But when people ask me what I do, and I explain it, usually they have no idea what I mean. So I just say, "I proofread junk mail."

They get it then.

Whether you refer to it as such, or prefer a more sophisticated option (which is ironic, since most of what is produced is written at a sixth-grade level. Not that we have sixth graders working for us; far from the truth: we have very talented and creative writers who are smart and know how to influence readers), it all comes out the same. You can't hide the fact that a great majority of society would understand the term junk mail. A small portion probably understands targeted media, or direct mail, but that's because they're the ones creating it.

But why is junk mail considered a negative term?

Hacker Group produces it for our clients, clients who are rather happy with what we do for them. I'm sure they don't care what it's called, as long as it produces phone calls, results, and ultimately, financial gains. And Hacker does that quite well. All things being equal, that's all that matters when the sun sets each day.

But I still don't understand the fuss.

Targeted media?

Direct mail?

Either way, I'm reading it Monday through Friday. And Saturday, after I check my own mailbox. Any way you slice it, it's the same thing. Any way you label it: it's the same thing. You say po-tay-to, John over there says po-tah-to. Either way you slice it and fry it, it's French fries...

The point is that we create solid, creative, and innovative packages for our clients. And no matter how you look at it, when all things are equal, it doesn't matter what it's called. If the audience understands it, it's golden. If it does what is intended – changing behavior, convincing someone to purchase something – then it's done its job. Whether it's called targeted media, direct mail, or junk mail.

The point is: why not keep things simple? It's much easier that way, right, when everyone understands, when everyone's on the same page? Simplicity lessens the chance of misunderstanding. The less misunderstanding, the better for everyone involved. It's less stressful. It makes more sense.

Less is more, more or less.

Junk mail doesn't have to be a negative term. It's merely a universal one.

It's okay to say it.

Go ahead, say it.

Junk mail.

See? The world's still spinning.

And no one's any worse off than before...
 

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Paul Jenulis

on October 25, 2007

category: creative

Proofreader

Why slide?

"Why slide?" two former co-workers asked me the other day over drinks. Just beginning my second Captain and Coke, and having not heard the beginning of the conversation, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked them.

"Why slide?" they responded in unison.

I assumed the blank face I returned them was a sign I didn't understand, but you know what happens when you assume.

"Are you drunk?" the female asked me.

Another dumb-founded look from me. I wasn't drunk, but I might as well have been.

"Why slide?"

I was getting overwhelmed with the questions.

And I didn't have an answer, so I got up and went to the bathroom.

So today, during an in-between of two projects, I was perusing Hacker's new website and realized just what the hell they were talking about. It's on the home page, right after the Hacker logo shoots out of nowhere onto the screen.

Strategy to the left. Ideas to the right.

With a slider in between.

If you slide it left, the Hacker logo dances away and you get five options from which to choose (the who we are and what we do pages). Slide to the right, and after that little dance of the logo, you get samples of some of the work Hacker has performed in the past. Although there's a bar at the bottom of the page for easy navigation, this sliding option is what has caught the eye of at least two people. And they seemed perturbed by it. Having raked over this new site repeatedly for typos and such (and then checking to make sure the edits were made, and then marking up more edits, and then checking to see if THOSE were made, and repeating, and repeating again), it never occurred to me that this slider option may not make sense. Well, to me it did, but that's not saying much.

In any case, the question was raised again: "Why slide?"

I had no answer then, and I have no answer now. I'm just a proofer, you know. I'm all about words and syntax and punctuation, and not much else (well, I know a lot of useless sports statistics, but where's that gonna get me in life?).

The slider made sense to me at the time. (Disclaimer: I'm about as technologically advanced as dinosaurs. Even now, typing this blabbery out, it amazes me that I can hit some keys with symbols on them and the thoughts in my head appear on screen.) I have no idea why Hacker chose the slider option, except that perhaps it's fun. It's modern. It's technologically savvy, baby.

But that's not what's important, right? What's important is that the site is navigable.

So why slide?

Is it that important? What's important is that, although some things have no answers, it's the questions we CAN answer that need to be dealt with. Because, really, why mess with questions that can't be answered? It'll drive you crazy. You might as well be a dog chasing its tail. Or a sports nut proofing junk mail. (Or a bored reader checking out some lame blog about sliding navigation bars.)

It's important questions like, "How did you miss THAT error?!" (I was distracted) and "You're a proofreader?" (on some days, yes) and, perhaps most importantly, why have you, dear reader, read this far?
 

Comments:

10/29/2007 at 12:32 a.m.
Here's why
The slider is all about choice! It gives people the opportunity to navigate the site the way they think about marketing. Some focus on ideas that can be turned into marketing strategy, while others start with strategy -- and the perfect idea falls outs -- when the strategy is right. However, never forget you always need both!
>>Spyro Kourtis, Bellevue WA10/25/2007 at 12:58 a.m.
Are you drunk?
Damn straight... "it's fun. It's modern. It's technologically savvy, baby." But "why"? Well... I believe the designers were thinking it would make people think. And wonder. And play with it. And go to bars and talk about it. Or at least mumble incoherent incomplete sentences about it. :)
>>Tara, Bellevue WA

Paul Jenulis

on October 4, 2007

category: creative

Proofreader

The Game of Proofreading

That’s what I do: proofread junk mail.

I’m the coolest person you know.

The green tea is warm in my stomach, and the sweet and salty granola bar (with almonds!) will keep me going until lunch as I continue to read about being Pre-Approved for everything under the sun.

And so: I read. And snack. I mark up, in red ink, of course, corrections to incorrect grammar usage, adding a period here or an exclamation point there; I cross out words and add others that I believe will work better (but few agree with me); I transpose words that flow better when transposed; and I suggest different words that may work better according to the audience involved. All while keeping the clients’ style preferences, which vary considerably, in mind.

Often, I am stetted. Usually, this ticks me off. And so, I’ll argue my cause. Sometimes, the point is proven and agreed with, and change is made (yay for change!). Other times, my requests fall on deaf ears. No matter how big I write in red ink.

You learn to choose your battles and accept losing others, regardless of correctness. But half the battle is learning to choose which battles to fight.

It’s okay, though, friend. That’s how the system works. Keep chugging along, catch the errors, move on to the next project. It’s rather delicious, like the granola bar.

And so: I read. I mark the shit up.

Repeat. All day long, baby.

Move on to the next fun project: it’s all part of the game of proofreading for this, one of the Best Coast’s top direct marketing agencies.

What I’m telling you is that every day I get to come to work and play a game. And get paid for it. Just sit down, drink the tea, and find the errors. It’s like doing a crossword puzzle, or finding Waldo. Only it’s junk mail; and if I’m not 100% on my game, I may miss something. Which could be costly, unless it’s caught later on, but not too late. Too late, and you’re thrown to the dogs. If you miss something, you get lambasted. Lambasted, I say! How could you miss THAT! they say. I’m only human, I reply. But that don’t fly. That don’t fly at all, baby.

Okay, I’m exaggerating. But that’s okay.

We can edit that out…

Until next time,

Paul the Proofer
 

Comments:

10/5/2007 at 11:51 a.m.
Junk mail? No...
What some may call "junk mail", others may call "targeted media". That's what I prefer to call it anyway. Sounds better, more sophisticated. As a proofer, wouldn't you agree?
>>Michelle Schmoelzer, Bellevue WA10/4/2007 at 11:45 a.m.
Awesome post!
Great post PJ! I didn't realize proofing was so much fun... :)
>>Tara, Bellevue WA