Don't Waste YourTime or Mine

Especially on Facebook, I often see people seeking to hire writers and editors post terrible solicitations for their projects. Yes, most of those "Ghostwriter Wanted" or "Editor Wanted" posts are scams; however, enough are legitimate to indicate that people wanting to hire freelancers don't understand the details needed for professionals to choose whether a project is a good match for their skills and interests.

When it comes to writing and editing, freelance professionals need the following information:

1. Fiction or nonfiction. Many editors and writers specialize. Some do only fiction; some do only nonfiction. Knowing this enables a professional to avoid wasting his time and the client's time.
2. Genre. Again, many editors and writers specialize. I don't work on horror or scholarly manuscripts. Other freelancers avoid romance. Knowing this enables a professional to avoid wasting her time and the client's time.
3. Document length. This refers to word count, and it may be general estimate. For instance, I'll write short nonfiction, but I don't write memoirs. I do, however, edit memoirs. Knowing this enables a professional to avoid wasting her time and the client's time as well as begin to calculate a project fee.
4. Deadline. Many popular ghostwriters and editors' schedules are booked several months out, so their schedule might not accommodate that project. The client's anticipated deadline also indicates whether he or she has unreasonable expectations for completion. For instance, demanding a 30-day deadline to ghostwrite a 100,000-word manuscript is not reasonable. Knowing this enables a professional to suggest a more reasonable date for completion or avoid wasting his and the client's time.
5. Budget. Most people hiring ghostwriters and editors don't know what to expect when it comes to fees, so I direct them to the Editorial Freelancer Association's rates guide. It's outdated by a few years, but still enables a prospective client to estimate how much his or her project will cost to write and/or edit and, perhaps, adjust the budget accordingly. When a prospective client posts a rate so low as to be insulting, the freelancer has a choice: attempt to educate the client, decline to submit a proposal, cut one's rates to accommodate the budget, or offer an adjustment in service to accommodate the budget. Knowing the budget enables a professional to make an informed choice of action or avoid wasting her and the client's time.

If you've caught on to the theme running through this list, then you understand that time is money. I've seen enough complaints to know that wading through myriad proposals by vendors who are obviously not suited to the project sparks annoyance, irritation, and resentment toward freelancers in general. A true professional will not waste his or her time bidding on a project that neither suits nor interests him or her. Therefore, the prospective client is spared the annoyance and wasted time of reading yet one more proposal that leads to a mismatch between client, project, and professional.

Facilitating a good match between client, project, and professional means divulging some basic information at the outset so you attract suitable freelance professionals rather than the horde of low-bid, low-skill vendors (and scammers) who chase after every opportunity no matter how unsuitable.

Don't waste your time or mine. We'll all be happier and more productive.

Every word counts.

#henhousepublishing #ghostwritingservices #editingservices #proofreadingservices #bookdesign