Editing work has kept me busy for the last two weeks.
I’ve edited 20 chapters of a novel for one client and an eBook and several articles for another. My editing rates start at $35/hour as long as clients come to me direct; if they come to me from Upwork, I add 20% for Upwork’s ridiculous percentage of the project.
Both of the editing jobs just mentioned came to me direct. One of the clients posted his project from the LinkedIn interface (which doesn’t require a percentage); the other has been a client for more than four years, so I don’t remember how he found me, but I think it was on Elance. He’s slowly getting through his novel as he finds the time. (It’s a good one.)
At the time, Elance–now Upwork–required that a provider/client relationship that was forged on its platform remain on it for two years before working direct with each other and cutting out the middlemen. When I first joined–in 2008–the stipulation was for one year, but the platform got greedier the older it got. I don’t know what the requirement is these days, but I still abide by the two-year rule.
I don’t seek the kinds of jobs that last a long time on Upwork, anyway. I’m not looking for long-term projects. I’d get bored working on the same topic in the same tone for the same client for years on end… and being self-employed, I don’t have to. I get to structure my working life exactly the way I want to. Yippee!
Editing work is interesting because I only accept it when the topic is one that intrigues me. I took the novel-editing job (my first one) because the client, David Benton, had me edit and enhance one of his nonfiction manuscripts (STOP THE INTRUDER).
When he came to me later asking me to edit/enhance his first novel, I was nervous that I might not be able to fill the bill, so I tried a chapter or two and he was over the moon about what I did to them, so he has kept me on for the rest of them. I believe it’s thirty chapters long so far. I can’t wait until he finishes it because I’m dying to find out how it will all come out. It’s a police/mystery, so not one of the genres I usually read, but I’m hooked on this one and he’s hooked on the way I’m enhancing it, so wheeeee!
The other fellow (he has written a testimonial for me and talked about me in his upcoming eBook, so I feel free to mention his name, too)–Michael Sauvageau, Ph.D.–is having me edit/enhance some of his earlier as-yet-unpublished articles and I just edited his upcoming eBook. I look forward to working with him for a long time. (I wish I could feel as confident about working with David Benton for a long time, but his novel has to end sometime, and I don’t know if he’ll have any work for me after that.)
Both of these gentleman have been wonderful to me. I’ve recently asked them for testimonials (I keep forgetting to ask recent clients for testimonials! ARGHHH!). David is out of the country right now, so he hasn’t responded yet, but Michael has. Here’s what he wrote about my copy writing and editing abilities (although I haven’t written any actual copy for him yet; I’ve only edited and enhanced for him to date, but he listed his project on LinkedIn as “copywriter/editor” and he will be using me for copy (sales) writing at some point…
8/31/18
Kris is an outstanding copywriter and editor. I needed a fresh set of eyes to look over and edit my eBook. I connected with Kris and have never felt more pleased. Fast, high-quality editing. Kris was able to see my vision for my eBook and give me an edited copy that was spot on. Dr. Michael Sauvageau, Ph.D.
I think about 3/4 of the writing work I land these days is editing work.
Why?
Because not many people want to risk paying someone they haven’t used before $100/hour to write sales copy for them (which is what copywriting is).
So when I submit quotes for copywriting , they’re Fixed Price quotes and I append two articles that I’ve written. One of them is about the value of evergreen copy; the other is about hiring a professional.
I also append a professional writing/editing rates chart which documents that most professional copywriters charge one to three dollars per word (not a typo!) and UP for evergreen sales writing, plus a percentage of the income that their copy generates.
In other words, I’m a ridiculously-affordable copywriter, since my stuff usually converts well. Still, on the platforms I use to find available writing work, most people want to pay peanuts. It’s the rarest of occasions that I’ll find someone willing to pay what great sales writing is worth…
I’m beginning to prefer editing work to copy writing, too. It’s certainly less daunting than copy writing.
In my opinion (and in my experience as a professional writer), copy writing and stand up comedy writing are The Olympics in the writing realm. You either win or you lose. I’ve written both (I wrote the stand up routines for myself) and I find them equally challenging.
There’s an expectation with professional copy writing and stand up comedy writing that I’d better win or I’ll suffer excruciating consequences: zero ROI (return-on-investment) for my copy writing client, which can result in a lousy review that will sit in cyberspace forever; and painful silence (or cat-calling), embarrassment and humiliation in the case of stand-up comedy. They’re both equally daunting to write because the expectations are so high! (Thank my lucky stars, I’ve never received a negative writing review, but the threat is very real every time I agree to tackle a project for someone… and I’m keenly aware of it!)
Features and content writing are 100% pleasurable experiences for me. Readers of features and content aren’t (necessarily) being led to any other goal than enjoyment or well-presented information, usually. Both are informational and often fun–fond-bond-building is the assumed goal–and it’s always fun to create an atmosphere with words that is both welcoming and a soft place to fall..
Anyway! I got off on quite the reverie here, didn’t I? I guess I’ll get back to what I was doing before I decided to take it upon myself to interrupt you!
Thanks for agreeing to saddle up and ride along!
Back to my editing work…
