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Rob Springer is Supervisor of Quality Control and Proofreading for Wiley Publishing, a publishing group known for their "For Dummies" series. After graduation with an IUPUI English degree, Springer taught English as a second language. In order to provide a more stable income for his family, fifteen year ago he made a career switch after being hired at IDG Books, which soon became Hungry Minds and was eventually purchased by Wiley.
"Publishing is a barebones industry-not one with a big profit margin," says Springer. He advises that the many people who undertake freelance work understand that they will have to get at least two years of experience and work for multiple publications before they will be successful in applying to freelance for Wiley. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart.
"It’s important to know the difference between editing and proofreading," Springer points out. Editing is "fixing" errors of context and style, often moving text around and re-writing it. Proofreading is finding and correcting the mechanical errors. Proofreaders can’t change the meaning of a sentence; editors can. While no degree is required for a job with Wiley, no one without a journalism or English degree has passed "The Test."
"When I was hired, there were so many corrections on my test, I was surprised they called me," Springer remembers. "And now after taking on the responsibility for hiring proofreaders, I’ve just made the test for applicants harder." When Wiley has an opening, Human Resources sends applicants’ resumes to Springer who then sends them "The Test."
This impressive looking packet thins out many aspiring proofreaders, with only one-fourth of the applicants fulfilling the criteria for passing the test: finding 70% of the errors. Errors on the test are weighted by importance to the readers. "They don’t really care about a comma, but readers do complain about a wrong figure," he says.
The ability to set a page correctly is another part of Springer’s job: quality control. Much of quality control is knowing how the page is supposed to look and knowing how to code it properly to assure that look. The work requires complex computer programs, and Springer has had to work hard to keep up with all the technological advances in his field. More and more work is being done "paperless" or through electronic proofreading and editing.
Speed and accuracy are important skills in the editing world. Springer’s department runs on a tight schedule. With ten workers, they can put out up to twenty books a week-ready for publication. "Supervisors don’t get overtime: we work as long as it takes to get the job done in this competitive market with razor-thin margins," he says.
The best ways to get experience for work in his field, Springer told the students enrolled in English W426, would be to take an editing class at IUPUI, work in the IUPUI Writing Center, and above all, do something that involves practice in writing and editing. It takes a good eye and awareness of errors. Train yourself to read with purpose. "People who can’t write well probably can’t proofread," says Springer.
by Rachel Winzeler
Missy Engler—IUPUI graduate, 2008
Frank and Patte Owings—IUPUI graduate, 1971
"Children’s issues make me tick," states Missy Engler, IUPUI graduate and grant writer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana in a presentation to the students of W426, Writing for Popular and Professional Publication. Engler, who graduated in 2008, detailed her job-seeking experiences as well as the challenges and the rewards she has faced in grant writing.
Engler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, an American Humanics certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and an undergraduate Nonprofit Management certificate from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). Engler explains that after she raised her children, she decided to embark on a second career where she could "parlay her skills as a writer into something that would make a difference for kids."
After graduation, when an internship opportunity she investigated had already been filled, she offered to work free "just to get the experience." She worked for three months without a salary, and then the organization paid her for the next three months. Engler states, "It was some of the hardest work I have ever done. And because it was a small nonprofit, we did a lot of writing that didn’t get funded."
Next, Engler obtained a position at Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Indiana where she focused on writing small grants of $500 to $15,000 for the organization. "A grant begins with a need," she says. "A grant writer must state up front what she is asking for. The next requirement is to answer the questions that make up the grant form specifically and thoroughly. They are doing you a favor," she emphasizes, "by reading your proposal."
Researching suitable grants is another important part of Engler’s job: "A big part of research is finding the right match." Grant writers must find funders whose goals are similar to the priorities of the nonprofit submitting the proposal. For example, at Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Engler looks for funders whose grants are specific to children.
Engler says that the greatest misconception about grant writing is that if you can write, you can be a grant writer. "Nonprofit employers are also looking for people who know how things work in the nonprofit world. The best tools for understanding grant writing, for me, were the American Humanics and SPEA certificates I added to my English degree."
Recently, her responsibilities have changed, to include recruiting "alums," young people who were mentored through the agency’s program to sign on as a Big Brother or Big Sister. She has also expanded her work to engage the corporate community to become active in providing volunteers as well as funding for the agency. She notes that working for a nonprofit organization calls on a wide range of abilities and offers a wide range of experiences.
by Hayley Frandsen
Frank Owings—IUPUI graduate, 1971
Inform members of the English Department about your news; send an email with the subject heading FYI to awilliam@iupui.edu. You can also view past issues by clicking on the links below.
Enjoy Amy’s participation in the Indianapolis Fringe Festival. More Information.
Frank Owings, Jr (BA, 1971, English)
"Living Generously" is this year’s theme for the Spirit and Place Civic Festival managed by the Polis Center of the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. It is also a good description of how Frank Owings, Jr. (BA 1971, English) and his wife, Patte, have spent their time since retiring from Service Supply Co., Inc. nearly a decade ago.
This is the story of how one couple, with the love and support of a generous family, makes a difference in our community. It begins with the inspiration of Edith C. Seitz Owings, Frank’s mother and one of Service Supply’s first employees. Edith Owings set an example of spending her life in the service of others through her work as a civic volunteer and community leader for many cultural and philanthropic organizations.
Music, literature, and art were part of the Owings family life, contrasting with the nuts and bolts and other fasteners that made up the product line of the Company for 50 years. Indeed, when Frank was old enough to go to college, despite his initial foray into business studies, it was writing and literature, art and architecture, and history and historic preservation that held his attention. Attending IUPUI in the summers and for his final two semesters, Frank graduated in 1971. He went on to get a Master’s in Library Science and English Literature from Butler University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Indiana University Bloomington. His passion for books found expression in working at bookstores and ultimately, he took a chance and started one. His passion for music (rock and roll in particular) and literature took form in music composition and in playing in bands; it continues today with the group Graal.
He is, however, a generous man. Instead of following a career in the arts or academia, he worked for over 20 years in the family business, devoting his efforts to streamlining processes and adding efficiencies that would later make the business attractive to others. With two degrees in library science, as a specialist in archives, Frank was able to work at least part of the time as the Company’s archivist/ historian, organizing Service Supply’s extensive archival holdings and maintaining the company’s corporate records.
During this time, he met and married Patte, a talented artist and photographer who shares his enthusiasm for historic preservation. Together, they have stabilized and revitalized a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places. Their interest in Wright’s design philosophy and architecture is further evidenced by their involvement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The Fall 2006 issue of the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly features Patte’s photograph of a Wright designed sculpture on its cover, which accompanyies the feature article, "Frank Lloyd Wright: Shaping the Spirit," authored by Frank.
Over the years, the Frank N. Owings Family Foundation and its predecessor, the Seitz- Owings Foundation, have established a number of important endowed scholarships at Butler University, where both Frank and Patte hold degrees.
Recently, in recognition of their generosity, and of the years of service of Frank’s mother, Clowes Hall dedicated the Edith C. Owings Reception Suite. Perhaps their greatest satisfaction, though, comes in the shape of the 50 plus students who have benefited from the Edger C. Seitz, Sr. and Mabel B. Seitz Memorial Scholarship that was established honoring Frank’s maternal grandparents. The opportunity to meet these students and watch their successes inspires the Owings’ interest in helping others, which they carry out in many ways throughout the community.
Today, Frank and Patte head up the Frank N. Owings Family Foundation. They offer their time, talent, and treasure in support of the culture of Indianapolis, working behind the scenes to assist various nonprofit arts organizations achieve their stated missions. Theirs is truly a story of lives lived generously.
Originally published in Advances, Fall 2008: V. 8 Iss. 3
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|---|---|---|
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| Turner-Davis Faculty Boundary Crossing Endowment | Income from this endowment supports English faculty work outside of their disciplinary home, including participation in conferences and engagement in collaborations with colleagues in other fields and other interdisciplinary initiatives. The fund was created to mark the retirement of Professor Richard Turner and Professor Ken Davis from the Department of English. | Give Now |
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