CFC Service Call: What can you do?

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

People practicing cyberfunded creativity often need services that would be provided by a conventional business model but here must be either done personally or contracted with someone else, such as editing (for writers) or framing (for artists). What services do you offer that other folks might need?

My answer: I'm available for freelance writing and editing.

Comments

[iamtheelfinpoet.livejournal.com]

how much do you charge for editing?

Well...

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

It depends on the project. The length of manuscript, timeframe, and level of detail desired all play into the price. I have some prices and descriptions for typical services posted here:
http://reviewarchive.iblog.my/hire-me/
If there's something you want that doesn't seems to be listed, let me know and we can discuss options. I'm fairly flexible.

Re: Well...

[iamtheelfinpoet.livejournal.com]

Interesting! Thanks a lot! I looked over all your options, but none seem to fit what I am looking for exactly, so I'll explain a little:

As you know I've started posting my poetry for crowdfunding. At the present, I am using poems from my 1st book which has been thoroughly edited. However, I have loads of yet-unpublished poetry that I would like to share and maybe put into a new anthology in the future.

For editing I would probably send 2 or 3 poems each time. There is no deadline per se, but I would give you say, a week to work on these pieces.

I've had people edit my work free of charge before. I used to mod a writing group and all, but I've learned that I would rather pay a pro and work on a one-on-one basis, than working in groups.

So based on this, what kind of rate should I be looking at?

Thanks so so much!

Re: Well...

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Ayup, this is a new idea; thanks for checking.

>>However, I have loads of yet-unpublished poetry that I would like to share and maybe put into a new anthology in the future.<<

Okay, that sounds promising.

>> So based on this, what kind of rate should I be looking at? <<

Hmm ... editing poetry is different than editing fiction. Even a small change can impact the whole piece. Often I'll look at a poem and it won't need changes, or only little stuff like spelling or punctuation. In that case it's less work than fiction. But if it needs structural work -- if it's rhymed and metered, and a line needs to be fixed, or if it's a free verse poem with a subthread that doesn't work, etc. -- then the editing is a lot harder than fiction.

Another thing to consider is that poems are a different size than prose. If one poem fills a whole page, or runs extra pages, the amount is reasonably similar -- but if you're writing a lot of short poems, that can change things.

At a guess, I'd say $2/page, maybe $5/page if a lot of tinkering is needed. What I suggest is that you send me a sample batch of 3 poems, and I'll keep careful track of how much time it takes me to go over them. That should give both of us a clearer idea of what's involved.

Do you happen to remember how the editing with your first poetry book went? Did the manuscript just need proofreading for typos and maybe a few suggestions of improved word choice, or did it take more work to polish?

The First Book.

[iamtheelfinpoet.livejournal.com]

Well, let me see...

My first book was edited by a professional writer who lives in CA. The way he edited was one poem at a time. We had already agreed that there would be a whole bunch of poems for the book, but I sent him one every day. He was retired, so for him to edit my book was pretty much all he had to do. I know this wouldn't be your case, as it wouldn't be mine. He charged me nothing.

Richard, my editor, respected 100% my content. Yes, he would make suggestions, but always giving me the option to take it or leave it (I would always take it) Obviously grammar and punctuation was fixed (if needed) So, it was mostly polishing. if he found that a piece just needed too much, he would kindly suggest to leave out of the book. And we did. If there is one thing I cannot do, is re-write poetry. It either works or it doesn't.

So...if I send you 3 samples, how would I pay you for your work? Do you send an invoice? I have Paypal!

Thanks a million. Truly.

Re: The First Book.

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>>He was retired, so for him to edit my book was pretty much all he had to do. I know this wouldn't be your case, as it wouldn't be mine. He charged me nothing.<<

I always have a bunch of irons in the fire, yes. Paying projects take precedence over nonpaying ones.

>> Yes, he would make suggestions, but always giving me the option to take it or leave it (I would always take it) Obviously grammar and punctuation was fixed (if needed) <<

That sounds like how I work too. As a freelance editor, I offer advice; I only make requirements if I'm buying a piece for a magazine or other project.

>> So, it was mostly polishing. if he found that a piece just needed too much, he would kindly suggest to leave out of the book. And we did. If there is one thing I cannot do, is re-write poetry. It either works or it doesn't.<<

I might be able to expand your options there. If you want to just chuck the ones that need substantial work, that's okay. But if you want to see how a flawed poem can be fixed, I'll keep an eye out for ones that are salvageable. It's not impossible to rewrite poetry, just challenging. Frex, one problem I used to have a lot, until I learned how to avoid it, was getting multiple poems from one idea and cramming them together. Then they had to be teased apart and rewritten to stand on their own. That kind of thing is fixable.

>>So...if I send you 3 samples, how would I pay you for your work? Do you send an invoice? I have Paypal! <<

Let's go with an invoice, and I'll keep you posted on how the work goes with this first batch. We're using my partner's PayPal account for household purposes -- there's a button for it in my LJ profile.

>> Thanks a million. Truly.<<

Yay! Thanks for thinking of me.

Re: The First Book.

[iamtheelfinpoet.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I'll be coming up with some money this coming week from ebay sales. I'll pick 3 random poems from my list and they will be sent to you via email (which I got from your link)

I'll be in touch really soon!

Thanks again,

Heidi

Re: The First Book.

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I look forward to seeing the batch. Thanks for thinking of me!