Welcome to an interview for the series Game Credits Who’s Who (#GameCreditsWW). Ever read the credits page of a game you enjoy and wonder about the various positions listed? Would you like to work in the game industry someday but are not sure how some of the positions work? This Monday series will take a personal look into those positions and introduce you to real people doing those very jobs in the game industry. This week, I interview myself, which seems very odd, but I am doing it upon request. I was asked by two readers at Gen Con to respond to my own interview questions. They were curious to see my responses and stated that many new readers have come to my blog through this #GameCreditsWW interview series. These new readers would not know me or likely have not read my older posts. So, here are my responses to the interview questions.

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do as a freelance editor and proofreader.

Let me Explain, no there is too much. Let me sum up” (Princess Bride). I work at Taylor University as the Director of Enterprise Infrastructure and adjunct professor. I’m caregiver for my wife who has Multiple Sclerosis, father of twin daughters, gardener, foodie, Christian, and long-time gamer. Oh, and I am also a freelance editor and proofreader in the game industry. As a freelancer, I proofread or edit the text of roleplaying games, board games, card games, game cards, and game components. Recently, I have also been working on fiction projects produced by game publishers. What that entails is me spending hours staring at text on my screen, making grammatical, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, translation, formatting, layout, style, voice, and flow corrections. I also build indexes, write copy text, update style guides, compare documents, manage finances, read contracts, agree to NDAs, communicate with publishers, and constantly work to build and strengthen relationships.

How did you become of a freelance editor and proofreader?

In 2013 while working with Chronicle City as their Community Coordinator, I was offered the opportunity to proofread my first rpg when the original proofreader was unable to complete the project. That first project was Interface Zero 2.0 by Gun Metal Games. Because of my success on IZ 2.0, I was offered to proofread Mindjammer 2.0 from Mindjammer Press. These two challenging projects awakened a passion to help others with their creative endeavors and thus began my life as a freelance editor and proofreader in the game industry. While working for Chronicle City, I met Chris Birch (owner of Modiphius) and Lynne Hardy (freelancer for Modiphius). When they had an opening for a proofreader, they knew of my interest and previous experience and offered me freelance work under the mentoring of Lynne. Lynne’s mentoring and friendship helped me develop my skills as a proofreader and prepared me to make the step into editing as well. I continue to do a lot of freelance work for Modiphius, but I also have expanded to work with numerous other other RPG publishers. Last year, I added fiction proofreading as well as editing and proofreading of tabletop games.

Share with us some of your recent projects.

My freelance work has been very busy recently. Gen Con and Essen create defined due dates that increase the number of my freelance projects during this time of year. Recent published projects I have worked on include the following:

Books – Dark Tales From The Secret War, Things From The Flood
RPGs – Exalted 3rd Edition, Mutant: Genlab Alpha
Tabletop Games – Bear Valley, The Dragon & Flagon

Upcoming I have the tabletop games Fog of War, La Granja ¡No Siesta!, Sola Fide: The Reformation, Starfall, and some exciting RPG work that I am currently under an NDA and cannot discuss as of yet.

What is your greatest frustration or pet peeve as a freelance editor and proofreader?

Pet peeves I have discussed previously on my blog if those interest you. As for greatest frustration, it would be lack of timely communication. The success of a project depends on everyone involved being informed and in agreement. As an editor/proofreader, I need to work closely with the author, designer and graphic artist. Communication must flow between us quickly and accurately. I have to be working on the most current revision and getting my suggested edits approved and to the graphic artist quickly. A breakdown in communication can lead to multiple versions of a document floating around, misunderstandings, incorrect edits being made, or projects being delayed. At a minimum, poor communication leads to frustration for everyone on the project. No matter your position in a project, I encourage you to always be timely and accurate in your communication to all those involved.

How can readers learn more about you or contact you?

Seeing as you are reading this blog, you likely already know how to contact me.

Twitter: @TRKnight
Webpage: www.freelanceknight.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRKnightGames
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/knighttr/published-projects/

#GameCreditsWW – T.R. Knight – Freelance Editor And Proofreader

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