And a process wonk, to boot

If a proofreading project is, for me, the dark chocolate treat with my mid-afternoon coffee, a project management gig is the fresh ginger in my husband's chicken and pea pods stir fry_it's the highlight that also brings impeccable balance.

There's the anticipation of a book well conceived; then the bitingly familiar, focused launch of the project; and then the work of the process that settles me into a satisfying groove.

The fun is in aquainting or reaquainting myself with the publisher's house style, initiating or refreshing the collegial relations with the in-house editor, reviewing checklists and notes from past projects, setting the schedule. The enthusiasm is in coordinating and executing_the process of the process.

So, I'm a process wonk. By that nature, it seems I could almost as easily have been an economist or an accountant, both occupations framed by procedure and theory. But in publishing I get to read, a lot, for a living. The project management gig is my spicy sustenance, my ginger and chocolate.

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