First book editing project

Status
Not open for further replies.

bluebird

I have several years of editing and copywriting experience. I am currently working as the administrative assistant to someone who is writing an autobiography. He has asked me to meet with him to discuss editing his book, which he is just starting to write. This would be my first manuscript editing project.

I would like to draw up a preliminary contract prior to our meeting. My challenge is determining the best way to bill him. I am concerned that billing "by the page" will make my fee seem high. Up until this point, he has thought of me as "just an admin," and I’m afraid he might balk at paying me market rate for my editing skills. I also know that my boss is somewhat distrusting about matters that involve money, and I feel that if I bill "by the hour" he will worry that I'm not working as fast as I should be. He also tends to underestimate how much time things actually take. I will most likely be doing this freelance and therefore will not have health insurance or benefits, so I really want to be sure I charge enough to make this project worth my while.

Since I have never worked on a project like this, I am also having a hard time estimating how much time it will take and how many pages I can reasonably edit per week.

I hope to spend much of the summer working on this project. I plan to enter graduate school in the fall, so if the book isn’t complete I need to be able to determine how much time per week I could devote to editing. This is difficult because I really don’t know what my school obligations and schedule will be like.
Another question—if I am working outside of an office setting, I would like to have access to a laptop. I don’t currently have one—is this something that he might be willing to provide in order for me to work on the project or is this something I would be expected to furnish? It would be really nice to have use of one so I could work outside of my home.

I’d greatly appreciate any suggestions for handling these issues.
 

reph

Fig of authority
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
5,160
Reaction score
971
Location
On a fig tree, presumably
It's a good idea to get a sample of his manuscript before giving him an estimate. Edit at least ten pages, recording your time, to figure out what rate per hour or page to charge and whether you'll be able to finish the project when your other time commitments increase. For the latter, of course, you'll need to know how long the book will be.

When preparing your estimate of how long it will take and how much money you should get, add a little to the figure obtained by extrapolating from the sample edit. There are two reasons: an editor should give the manuscript a second reading after the first complete pass through it, and you may have to cross-check details many pages apart against each other for consistency. Both these things take time.

If he plans to submit the book to a conventional publisher, he can expect the publisher's editor to do the editing. Is he self-publishing?
 

KCrespy

Hi all,
I'm living in Chicago and am new to this forum. I am running into the same situation described by "bluebird". I'm in talks with the author of a non-fiction book to create an outline and proposal. She has lots of ideas but really needs someone to organize all of them. I am trying to estimate my fees. I could go hourly, charge a fee up front and % of proposal sale, or just take a flat rate. Length of the book is unknown and I have one chapter to review. My goal is to be competitive, not greedy. Thoughts on fees would be much appreciated!
Thanks, KC
 

reph

Fig of authority
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
5,160
Reaction score
971
Location
On a fig tree, presumably
KCrespy said:
I could...charge a fee up front and % of proposal sale...
This option is not in your interest unless the up-front fee is enough compensation by itself. Whether the book sells will depend mostly on the quality of the author's work, not the editor's.
 

KCrespy

reph said:
This option is not in your interest unless the up-front fee is enough compensation by itself. Whether the book sells will depend mostly on the quality of the author's work, not the editor's.
so the % of proposal sale should only be considered as an addition to the up-front fee? What is the "going rate" for creating an outline and proposal?
 

reph

Fig of authority
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
5,160
Reaction score
971
Location
On a fig tree, presumably
KCrespy said:
so the % of proposal sale should only be considered as an addition to the up-front fee? What is the "going rate" for creating an outline and proposal?
Yes, only an addition.

I don't know the going rate; I guess it would depend on what hourly rate you want or can negotiate and how long the work takes. Writers usually do their own outlines and proposals.
 

KCrespy

Thanks! I have been "picking the brain" of a published fiction author so I'll see what she thinks -- otherwise, I'll deal with an hourly rate.
Thanks again!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.