Editors out there? Advice, please!

Oct 24, 2010 13:12

I know, I've been practically invisible all month. Now I show up begging for advice.

Okay, so in 3 days I fly off to WFC. Yesterday an email from Brian, he of the time-travelling professor novel previously mentioned here and here  and previously critiqued here.
Brian attended the Surrey Writers Conference, and pitched an agent. Said agent has asked ( Read more... )

remedial sentence structure, it was--the unnameable!, roll for sanity check

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Comments 19

prusik October 24 2010, 21:10:43 UTC
Are you mad? The reason for saying yes would be what?

If you're planning on going into editing as a profession, this would be a lovely way to get started. If said agent likes the first 3 chapters, you may find yourself editing his entire novel. Are prepared for that? It sounds like the last time you tangled with the novel, it didn't go happily. Then again, it can't have gone that unhappily if he's asking you for help. Did you enjoy tangling with the novel though? Or would you rather work on your own stories?

(And why is he pitching agents before his text is ready to go? He shouldn't even be putting you in this situation.)

No idea about a reasonable rate.

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dawtheminstrel October 24 2010, 22:10:58 UTC
Prusik rocks! And is absolutely right.

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bmlg October 25 2010, 03:37:26 UTC
He speaks with the voice of wisdom.

The only valid reason for subjecting my brain and sensibilities to this again would be a cartload of cash, which frankly would be very welcome just now. And Brian is not hurting for money, though whether he'd want to spend it on this rather than paying some grad student a pittance, I don't know.

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bmlg October 25 2010, 03:40:09 UTC
John, that first question is the very one I've been asking myself.

Also wonder if he thinks I'd only need lunch at the Faculty Club in repayment. (To which I say, not this time, bucko. Only the first hit is free.)

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bogwitch64 October 25 2010, 00:17:41 UTC
I have to agree with John too, B. But really, the question is--DO YOU WANT TO?

If yes, charge him whatever will make it worth your while. How many words/pages is 3 chapters? Is it 30 pages? Or 60? Do you have anything pressing on YOU at the moment that makes this very inconvenient? Lots to consider.

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bmlg October 26 2010, 18:41:44 UTC
My understanding is that 'first 3 chapters' translates to 'first 3 chapters or first 50 pages whichever is less' and since his previous first chapter was 22k, I've told him this. Also that he needs a separate title page with his address and the wordcount and it should NOT have his title with its version number on it (ie Title Draft 4.35)
I gave him that for free. Also reminded him about standard manuscript format.

I think $500-2500 might have made it worth my while. If I had more than a day and a half to spend on it, along with last-minute packing and trying to get my overdue crits done and all that pre-departure stuff...

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bogwitch64 October 26 2010, 18:48:26 UTC
Woohoo! That certainly WOULD have made it worth your while. I take it you're not doing it.

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bmlg October 26 2010, 21:16:17 UTC
He's too cheap to pay me what it's worth. So my quandary is resolved. Hurrah!

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bmlg October 25 2010, 03:32:05 UTC
Dear sweet Lord in Heaven. He's just emailed again saying he has two (TWO!) agents wanting pages.

I'm going to quote him $50 a page, standard bloody manuscript format and no messing around, maximum 50 pages regardless of his chapter length. Probably he will run away at that point and badger his wife into editing for him.

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athenais October 25 2010, 03:50:45 UTC
Well done. This is the only way to go.

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bmlg October 26 2010, 15:36:21 UTC
Aaaaannnnddd ... he's said no thanks, though he says he understands why I'd charge that.
I am so relieved.

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eljaydaly October 25 2010, 08:51:15 UTC
You did the right thing.

The only way to go with this would be free (for friendship) or insanely expensive.

I do specialized medical editing, and rates vary from $16 (rare) to $50 (rare) per hour for line editing, with the assumption that copy is double spaced 12-pt Times roman with 1-inch margins. The average works out to roughly $20 per hour, and the expectation is that editors will be able to do 5-8 mspp per hour, depending on the copy. I average about 6.

That's nonfiction, of course. I'm not sure how it relates to fiction editing at all.

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