 During my 25 years proofreading, I have worked directly with just one female proofreader. Just one. I’ve worked with plenty of women who were typesetters and page make-up artists, who also turned their hand to proofreading but only one full-time dedicated female proofreader. The women who contributed to and supported the proofreading function of the businesses I worked for were, without exception, first-rate proofreaders, and the full-time female proofreader was one of the best proofreaders I’ve ever worked with. She was meticulous, observant and inquisitive. She would never have allowed me to complete a sentence with “one of the best proofreaders I’ve ever worked with.” She would have insisted upon “one of the best proofreaders with whom I’ve ever worked.” She was a far better proofreader than me. Sorry. She was a far better proofreader than I. I’m not sure why the proofreading specialism is so male-dominated. And not just male-dominated but specifically dominated by men who think grey slacks and beige cardigans with suede elbow pads are the perfect sartorial choice for expressing ‘the inner me’. It could be that, as with all male-dominated industries, it is a self-perpetuating phenomenon: the men who dominate the profession actively resisting any women who express an interest in entering the arena. Or maybe it’s just the sight of all that beige putting women off. Or maybe most women just don’t think that a proofreading career is particularly enticing. They’ve got a point. It’s not exactly Silent Witness, is it? It’s a shame, because, in my experience, women make truly outstanding proofreaders. Anyway, I got to wondering why the female proofreaders I’ve worked with have always been top-notch. So, I did a little research and it turns out that there are a number of scientifically supported reasons why… ... Women Make Better Proofreaders than Men: FACT. Women Make Better Proofreaders because they have a Better Grasp of Grammar: FACT. According to the website of the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University, “Women start to speak and read at an earlier age than men and are generally better in verbal skills, such as learning a different language. They tend to have a better grasp on grammar and spelling.” Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has revealed that female brains possess more of the ‘language protein’ known as Foxp2. Cheryl Sisk, a researcher at Michigan State, explains the study: “The higher levels of Foxp2 expression are found in the more communicative sex in each species.” In the case of humans, Foxp2 is found in greater quantities in women. This may help explain why “girls tend to speak earlier and with greater complexity than boys of the same age,” said the study’s authors. Women Make Better Proofreaders because they Pay Closer Attention to Detail: FACT. According to a study presented at the annual Improving University Teaching conference at the University of Strathclyde, female students pay more attention to detail while male students take a "rule-of-thumb" approach to learning, drawing conclusions based on less information. The study found that female students had a much more positive attitude to their academic studies, and paid far more attention to detail. Women Make Better Proofreaders because they have Neater Handwriting: FACT. As a proofreader, you frequently have to cram large amounts of information into narrow margins, so tidy, controlled handwriting is not just important, it's critical. If someone carrying out your corrections misinterprets one of your marks or comments, the results can be catastrophic. Well, okay, not catastrophic. But certainly embarrassing. For someone. According to a 1992 article in Scientific American, women do better on precision manual tasks. Women Make Better Proofreaders because they are Natural Multitaskers: FACT. Men's brains are wired front to back, with few connections bridging the two hemispheres. In women's brains, the pathways criss-cross between left and right. According to researchers in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) these differences might explain why men, in general, tend to be better at learning and performing a single task, whereas women are far better at multitasking. The proofreading methodology I have created for The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course is very linear to ensure a no-stone-unturned approach. However, it may well be that women can combine two or more of the steps I describe into a single 'pass of the page' rapidly speeding-up their proofreading efforts. Women Make Better Proofreaders because they are more Organised: FACT. Organisation is key not only to the process of proofreading itself. If you intend to set yourself up as a freelance proofreader, you will, in effect, be running your own business. Which means not only will you be proofreading, you'll also be quoting for work, invoicing, running your website, ensuring your records are kept up-to-date, filing your tax return and all the other things that go hand-in-hand with being self-employed. All of this requires considerable organisational skills. A recent study of 4,000 workers by DYMO revealed that 43% of women claim to be 'very organised' in the workplace, but just 32% of men felt the same way, and 10% of men actually admitted that they had no structure to their work life whatsoever! The research also revealed that over half of female employers made use of an organised filing system, while just 37% of men used any sort of filing system, preferring to keep their paperwork in a large heap, which they scour through whenever called upon to find something. 40% of women lay claim to a clean and tidy desk, whereas just 30% of men felt they could describe their desk in similar terms. Women Make Better Proofreaders than Men: FACT.A better grasp of grammar, closer attention to detail, neater handwriting, a natural talent for multitasking and greater organisational skills. On the strength of the evidence, women were born to proofread.
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 On 23rdMarch 2010, I wrote a blog post entitled, ‘I have seen the future of proofreading and its name is Woman!’. The reason for that post: 80% of copies of The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course were purchased by women.
Now, over two years later, women are still the eBook’s primary audience. Why? I think the reasons are ostensibly the same as in 2010. Rather than have you trawl through the archives, I’ll reproduce the original post’s main points here: “In the 20 years I’ve been proofreading and working with proof readers, it has been a largely male-dominated field. Why? I’m not quite sure, but it probably has something to do with the fact that proofreading, up until about ten years ago, was part and parcel of the print industry, and the print industry – with its typesetters, compositors and plate-makers – was something of a working man’s arena. Old habits die hard and like tends to beget like, so the proofreading ‘sub-industry’ continued to recreate itself very much in its own image. As a rule, the gender that dominates a particular profession will dig its heels in against the threat of change from its opposite number. Just ask my dad: a nurse in the NHS throughout the seventies and eighties. So, why the gender shift in proofreading? Well, it goes without saying that there is no reason why women shouldn’t make highly-effective proof readers (and, in my experience, they frequently do). In fact, statistics suggest much greater levels of literacy amongst girls in both primary and secondary schools than boys. We must deduce, then, that it’s a matter of opportunity. Up until recently, that opportunity knocked but rarely. And, then, along came the internet. The ability to work from home and make money online is something that women have grasped with both hands, far more effectively than their male counterparts. You only have to look at the support structures women have created online (the working mum’s forums, for example) to see just how successfully they’ve staked their claim on the work-from-home phenomenon. Men are lagging behind in this virtual world, perhaps because we lack the natural urge to cooperate; perhaps because we still persist in our view of the internet as an online marketplace, whereas women tend to see it for what it really is: a vast conversation, with commercial opportunities available to those who are able to participate in said conversation in the most energetic and vivacious fashion. I mean, where are the work-from-home dad’s forums? Enough said. The internet really has changed things for the better, at least in terms of providing equal access when it comes to work-from-home opportunities.” I think now, with job losses sweeping across the UK, US and Europe, the ability to switch on a laptop and generate revenue from your dining room table has become something of a vital survival skill for many. Women have a major head-start here and are clearly taking considerable advantage of this lead. I say, Good luck to you, ladies! You’ve earned every penny, every cent, you make. And fellas? Pull your finger out for God’s sake. You’re missing the boat!  The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course has been available for about three weeks now and sales are going strong. Plus, we haven’t had a single dissatisfied customer. We must have done something right!
One interesting piece of data yielded up by our first sales report relates to gender. So far, 80% of those who have invested in The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course are women. In the 20 years I’ve been proofreading and working with proof readers, it has been a largely male-dominated field. Why? I’m not quite sure, but it probably has something to do with the fact that proofreading, up until about ten years ago, was part and parcel of the print industry, and the print industry – with its typesetters, compositors and plate-makers – was something of a working man’s arena. Old habits die hard and like tends to beget like, so the proofreading ‘sub-industry’ continued to recreate itself very much in its own image. As a rule, the gender that dominates a particular profession will dig its heels in against the threat of change from its opposite number. Just ask my dad: a nurse in the NHS throughout the seventies and eighties. So, why the gender shift in proofreading? Well, it goes without saying that there is no reason why women shouldn’t make highly-effective proof readers (and, in my experience, they frequently do). In fact, statistics suggest much greater levels of literacy amongst girls in both primary and secondary schools than boys. We must deduce, then, that it’s a matter of opportunity. Up until recently, that opportunity knocked but rarely. And, then, along came the internet. The ability to work from home and make money online is something that women have grasped with both hands, far more effectively than their male counterparts. You only have to look at the support structures women have created online (the working mum’s forums, for example) to see just how successfully they’ve staked their claim on the work-from-home phenomenon. Men are lagging behind in this virtual world, perhaps because we lack the natural urge to cooperate; perhaps because we still persist in our view of the internet as an online marketplace, whereas women tend to see it for what it really is: a vast conversation, with commercial opportunities available to those who are able to participate in said conversation in the most energetic and vivacious fashion. I mean, where are the work-from-home dad’s forums? Enough said. The internet really has changed things for the better, at least in terms of providing equal access when it comes to work-from-home opportunities. Still, it’s early days yet. I’ll keep you posted on this interesting trend when we produce our next sales report in about four weeks’ time. To all of you who bought the book: thank you! |
Testimonials
“I am one of those many fools who paid a huge amount of money for a useless course. This book... has opened so many doors for me. I now look on Mike as my mentor as I embark on a career. Thank you Mike.” Emma Steel, Proofreader and International Structural Editor. “ I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am so glad that I decided to take it... the whole experience was invaluable. My proofreading service is now well established and your course played no small part in getting it off the ground.” Hache L. Jones, Proofreader. “I'd just like to thank you first of all for writing such a great, straight forward eBook, and then going above and beyond what I would even expect as a customer by providing us, completely free of charge, updated versions months later!” Rachel Gee, Trainee Proofreader. “What can I say? Worth every penny and then some! God Bless! This a fabulous course.” Teresa Richardson, Proofreader. “As someone who has effectively been proofreading for thirty years, I found Mike’s No-Nonsense Proofreading Course an invaluable introduction and a very useful practical guide to many aspects of this discipline. I can wholeheartedly recommend it as the ideal starting point, and much more besides.” Jeremy Meehan, Proofreader. Blog AuthorMy name's Mike Sellars and I'm an experienced proofreader and the author of The No-Nonsense Proofreading Course. Click here to find out more about me. 
The No-Nonsense Proofreading CourseA Fraction of the Cost of Other Proofreading Courses Credit card and PayPal payments accepted. “As someone who has been proofreading for 30 years, I found Mike’s course an invaluable introduction and a very useful practical guide to many aspects of the discipline. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.” Jeremy Meehan, Proofreader. Still want to find out more? Click here. Proofreading Categories
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