I've been asked to edit a novel. Advice needed. (Quickly, if possible.)

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

This thread is the unintended sequel to my last Roundtable thread found here:

I'm going to a book party. Advice welcome.

And now I have two very dfficult situations on my hands.

FIRST, the publicist (the guy I mentioned in that other Roundtable thread) is the one who landed me the OTHER proofreading gig (the gig which was Ground Zero for that other Roundtable thread) which of course got me the invite to the book launch party. And that publicist was always the middle man between me and that author all during my proofreading efforts. But because of the advice I got from all of your way cool responses in that other thread where you guys said I should print up business cards and hand them out during that book launch party last week, I have now landed another proofreading job (actually it's an editing job, so it'll pay more). But the problem is that I landed this newest job at the exclusion of that publicist -- and the publicist normally would have been the one who would have hitched me up with this particular author if not for the fact that the author now has a direct line to me via the damned business card! So the publicist is no longer in the loop because I unintentionally egded him out. I do not want to alienate/offend that publicist. But what's done is done. Should I call the publicist and have a friendly chat with him? (I do not even know if the publicist knows the author contacted me. So my calling that publist might prove a complete surprise to him. Or maybe he does know and doesn't mind at all. I truly am in the dark on how all of this is looking to that publicist.)

SECOND, I do not know what to charge for an editing job. The novel arrived via e-mail this morning and it has 114K words. I already explained to the author at the book launch party last week that I do not possess an MFA, and so I am only "officially" marketing myself as a proofreader. However, the request here is actual editing, which is what I "unofficially" did on that book we celebrated at the party last week. The request for this contract is that I need to harmonize this author's constant and unintended switching between past tense and present tense, I also need to kill as much passive voice as possible, and other more advanced linguistic and stylistic beta-read kind of retooling that goes beyond merely spelling, punctuation and grammar. So I am clueless as far as what to charge. (Frankly, I'd like to see what an MFA pro gets paid, then I'd like to throttle back my own fee by 20% to 25% of whatever that standard might be.) The e-mail from this morning said he would be happy to send me an advance right now (as in this week!) if I just name my price. But what do I charge?

So, that's my situation.

What can you guys tell me?

.

thothguard51 · Mar 23, 2011

This may be out dated, but several years ago, checking on independent editors, the going rate was between 3 and 5 cents a word, depending on length and depth of edit.

Of course with the economy now in flux, I've read some editors have dropped their prices.

Not sure this helps, but it might give you a starting point...

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

I kind of want to object to this thread getting moved. I can definitely see the surface logic of moving it, especially with the thread's title. But the deeper issues I am seeking help with --especially the situation with the publicist-- might be more suited for Roundtable. And this forum has a lower volume of traffic than Roundtable, and so my getting an answer TODAY to the question about whether it might be wise to call that publicist TODAY is a question that might not get answered before the day is over.

And Thothgard, thank you for your answer. It was more than helpful on that issue.

Anyone got any advice on the possible phone call to the publicist? (Please answer me like ... soon....

)
.

Parametric · Mar 23, 2011

Plot Device said:
Anyone got any advice on the possible phone call to the publicist? (Please answer me like ... soon.... )

If you're feeling guilty about accidentally excluding him, you could always call him to thank him. Say how kind it was to hook you up with the first author, what a great gig, you loved the book party, and you picked up another gig there, all thanks to him. Tell him he's a hero and you'll recommend him to everyone you know. Would that work?

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

Parametric said:
If you're feeling guilty about accidentally excluding him, you could always call him to thank him. Say how kind it was to hook you up with the first author, what a great gig, you loved the book party, and you picked up another gig there, all thanks to him. Tell him he's a hero and you'll recommend him to everyone you know. Would that work?

I was too brief in my OP. The added detail I failed to mention in the OP is that when I initially finished that proofing job at the end of February, the publicist told me about a possible job proofing/editing another book. And THIS is that other book! So the publicist was originally supposed to --somehow, some way-- have a seat at the table with this one. I fear his seat is now gone.

Maybe the seat isn't gone. Maybe he'll be there eventually --and if that development arises, that will be yet another surprise waiting for me with a great big steaming pile of "awkward" to accompany it. So I feel like I need to be pro-active and call that publicist right now and make sure everythig is cool.

Part if this is my lack of undertstanding of "the business" to where I want to make sure the publicist didn't lose any money because the author went to me directly. If there's no money lost on his part, then I'll breathe easier. But even then, how unsual and how uncomfortable is this whole sort of thing?

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 23, 2011

I only know one professional editor who has an MFA, out of literally dozens of my fellow professional editors. Don't worry about that--they don't even teach editing in most MFA programs. (The best post-graduate credential for an editor is doing one of the prestigious publishing programs, like the one at Columbia, but that isn't at all necessary.)

As for What Editors Charge, here's the Editorial Freelancers Association rate guidelines.

As for what to do about the publicist, I think Parametric is spot on. And there's always whatever today's equivalent of the muffin basket is if you feel like that's not enough.

Edited to reflect what you just wrote: The publicist isn't expecting a percentage of your editing fee, unless they're the least professional publicist in the world. Acknowledging that you owe them a big favor is the right response here.

Having been a PR person, and now being an editor, I can assure you that the currency there is creating a favor and reputation network. There isn't a "finder's fee" or anything of the sort.

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

Thank you, Ice Cream Princess. And now that I read your post I am starting to get an intuitive sense of what the role of the publicist would have been had he remained the middle man. He would have been my sounding board and my buffer between me and the author. And his professional servcies to the author would have been as a kind of a diplomatic coordinator of sorts, or a project manager. (That was pretty much his role in the other book.)

I now feel confident in calling him to discuss this situation.

Thank you!

And as for that link about editors and their fees -- pure gold!

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

I just got off the phone with the publicist. He was way cool about it and said he has such a full book right now that NOT being in the middle of this one is a relief. We discussed some other writer/publisher stuff, and we closed with him asking me to keep him updated on the project.

dangerousbill · Mar 23, 2011

Plot Device said:
Thank you, Ice Cream Princess. And now that I read your post I am starting to get an intuitive sense of what the role of the publicist would have been had he remained the middle man.

I've been consulting in another field for years, and it takes big cajones and experience to charge what your time is actually worth.

Undercharging is worse than overcharging. It indicates that you think your own work is of little value. When you charge more for the same work, people consider it to be of greater value.

If you think the author can't afford your price, you quote your regular rate, say 5 cents a word, and then discount it, say to 3 cents, and mark it as such on your estimate and invoice. This turns a negative into a positive. Call it a 'new client discount'.

The fact that the author is willing to send you an advance is a clear indication that he knows how the business works. I do all my work for clients I don't know well, based on a retainer system, where their payments have to stay ahead of my earnings. They send you $500. When you've nearly worked through it, you send an invoice and a request for an additional advance.

If you run out of money, you STOP. Hard to do, but it's part and parcel of the consulting/independent/freelance business.

Be sure to have all the terms in writing before you start, or shortly after.

Parametric · Mar 23, 2011

Plot Device said:
I just got off the phone with the publicist. He was way cool about it and said he has such a full book right now that NOT being in the middle of this one is a relief. We discussed some other writer/publisher stuff, and we closed with him asking me to keep him updated on the project.

Good! I'm glad you had a good talk. Feel better?

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

Yes--I feel loads better!

And only now do I feel comfortable replying to the e-mail I got this morning with the manuscript enclosed.

Can you guys comment on this e-mail? Is this grossly unprofessional of me? Is it fine as-is?

Hi XXXXXX,

I had a great time at the party! It was a terrific success. I met such interesting and intelligent people there. You and [the publicist] did a fabulous job making it all happen.

I am so glad to finally see your latest manuscript. As for the historical-political context you based it upon, I am only somewhat familiar with what happened [in that situation]. (I was heavily committed that summer attending to my mother's health.) So I will eagerly brush up on the finer details of what happened there in the city of [XXXXXXXXXXX].

Political satires are a very tough nut to crack and very hard to get "just right," particularly so of those with far out fantasy elements or those operating in the more modest territory found just slightly to the left of reality. The genre is also among the broadest, offering writers what is easily one of the widest and most free-wheeling fields of creativity to get their point across. (From "The Wizard of Oz" to "Animal Farm" to "The Bonfire of the Vanities" their settings and characters can vary wildly.) Some caveats of restraint apply to that broadness, guided by the unflinching need of carefully crafted subtlety. But each satire --especially of the political variety-- is unique in its DNA, and always requires thoughtful attention.

I will keep in mind all of your concerns and criteria here:

-- Racial issues
-- The need to keep the narrator from taking a side and instead have a character speak any otherwise biased statement
-- Past tense vs. present tense
-- Dialect (the rule of thumb for anything is: if it's a distraction, get rid of it, so we'll see what proves to be a distraction and what lends well to the story and flow and pacing)
-- Continuity
-- Depth
-- Characterizations
-- Character names

I'll want to give this a full read-through before suggesting any changes. Satires are by nature too special of an animal --dealing allusively with such precise events in society and history-- for me to fail to ponder them and revisit key portions after digesting.

As for payment, my word-count sets the current draft at 112,562. The following web link suggests general guidelines for the industry standards in professional editing and proofing, citing word-count as one of the key factors in the base-line for determining the worth of a job. I prefer to go well down to the lower end of the suggested scale of payment because (as I explained to [the publicist]) I do not have an MFA, and have a lack of professional credits. (Although I have proofread items for friends over the years, so I do have experience.)

http://www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php

You offered the option of an advance. So at this time I would like to request an advance of $250.00. I intend to do a straight read of the manuscript over the next three weeks. If the time frame of completion is agreeable to you, I will finish that read-through by Wednesday, April 13th. Then I'll submit a revised draft back to you (with copious notations and comments from me) by Thursday, April 21st. I'll keep in touch with a progress report at least twice a week to let you know if I encounter any major snags. Barring extraordinary difficulties, this schedule should get a revised version of the manuscript back into your hands well before the weekend of May 1st. Please let me know if this time frame doesn't work and by all means suggest a more preferable one.

As for your kind offer to review any of my own writings, perhaps after this project is done I can submit for your review one of my screenplays which I have shopped around Hollywood several times. (I got a few reads, and some excellent feedback, but sadly no offers.)

Please find my contact information below.

Very Truly Yours,

--Plot Device

Plot Device
XXXXXX, Apt. 3
XXXXX, MA 00000

(413) XXX-XXXX

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

No one??

thothguard51 · Mar 23, 2011

You only asked for one advance and then gave a April 13th deadline on when you would send back the manuscript with notations.

Before sending back, ask for the next payment. Editors have been stiffed in the past by sending work back and then the writer didn't like the comments and did not pay...

It happens...

Plot Device · Mar 23, 2011

thothguard51 said:
You only asked for one advance and then gave a April 13th deadline on when you would send back the manuscript with notations.

Before sending back, ask for the next payment. Editors have been stiffed in the past by sending work back and then the writer didn't like the comments and did not pay...

It happens...

That sounds like good advice.

Meanwhile, is the rest of my e-mail "okay"??

thothguard51 · Mar 23, 2011

I don't think you need to repeat the MFA thingy because he is already aware of it. This makes you sound unsure of your credentials.

Be positive of your skills and he will feel better about having chosen you... Or so is my humble opinion.

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 23, 2011

I do not have an MFA

Almost nobody learns to edit in an MFA program. MFA programs are about working on your own writing and teaching you to teach writing. An MFA is an irrelevant credential to professional editing.

Pyekett · Mar 23, 2011

Plot Device, I think you won't shoot yourself in the foot with it, especially with the tightening re: the MFA as above.

[edit]

It's late enough that I suspect it has already been sent out. Best of luck--sounds like a great opportunity.

Susan Coffin · Mar 24, 2011

Plot, in Writers Market 2009, there is an entire section on charges for writing projects, including editing. I realize it's a few years old, but I can't imagine prices have changed that much. It might be helpful to you.

Plot Device · Mar 24, 2011

I went to class last night and got in late. I read everyone's comments here this morning, re-edited my e-mail to eliminate the MFA and lack of experience thing, and sent it off this morning.

Thanks, everyone.

IceCreamEmpress · Mar 24, 2011

Good luck with the project. It's always a treat to work with authors who are aware of the manuscript's potential limitations and challenges in advance--so many people are all 'MY WORDS ARE PERFECT I JUST WANT YOU TO FIX THE PUNCTUATION OK.'

Plot Device · Mar 25, 2011

Thanks, ICE.

thothguard51 · Mar 25, 2011

I think you'll do fine...

Let us know how it went afterwards.

I've been asked to edit a novel. Advice needed. (Quickly, if possible.)

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