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Alumni Spotlight

 

Rob Springer

IUPUI Graduate

 

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

 

Former Spotlights

 

Missy Engler—IUPUI graduate, 2008

Frank and Patte Owings—IUPUI graduate, 1971