Forgive me if these questions are stupid as I'm clueless about the world of nonprofit organizations and nonfiction writing...in short, I randomly got a job copyediting a workbook for an educational nonprofit that distributes curriculum to my city's school district, and the woman who hired me has allowed me to propose a workbook on Peoples Temple. I consider myself a scholar on the subject, will enlist the help of other scholars, and should ultimately wind up with perhaps one hundred pages of material (including a selection primary sources for students to consider, discussion questions, lesson plans for teachers, and a historical overview that I will write). I feel perfectly equipped to do this (and excited!), but I've never undertaken such a project, and I'm assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that they will ask me how much I expect to be paid. I have several fiction publications, three years of teaching experience, and a Master's in English, and I currently charge $30/hr for freelance copyediting. Do you think the organization will offer an hourly rate or an advance? What do you think is a fair amount to request? I have no idea how long this will take. Because they are a nonprofit doing important work and because I think the story of Peoples Temple deserves to be told, the last thing I want to do is monetize this project, but it will take a lot of energy and I do need to make a living. What do you think?
