-- BEWARE THE LOWBALL --

WHY DIFFERENT EDITING SERVICES

CHARGE DIFFERENT FEES

Lynda Lotman
Freelance Network Coordinator

With edits and additions by
Bruce Bortz, Susan Grossman,
Michael Carr, Hugh Glenn, Arlene Robinson

If you're shopping the Internet you'll find prices from 50 cents per page to $10 per page for (purportedly) the same level of services. You'll note that this site has articles to help writers learn how to select an editor. It's dangerous to shop by price, and it's even more dangerous to ask for an "asap and lowest price" combo. We want you to be an educated shopper ... even if that means you don't end up selecting one of our editors.

Of course, we think you should strongly consider an editor from our freelance network. Here's why:

** Our editors have passed two or more editing tests. I must test 50 applicants to find one truly qualified copy editor (that means a 2% pass rate for the copyediting test). I also test for developmental editing and formatting. Only editors who pass each of these tests are allowed to list that specialty in their bios. Thus, if someone does a great job on the developmental editing test but fails the copyediting test, that applicant cannot list "copyediting" in his / her bio.

** Our editors adhere to higher professional and ethical standards than exist at some other editing networks. Not only must they price their services fairly and use a written agreement with writers who select them, but they cannot offer services for which they are unqualified. No trainees. No exceptions.

** Our networkers are not merely competent, or even highly competent; they're experts, and they understand the process from the editor's, writer's, and publisher's viewpoints.

** Our network is designed to give the writer exactly what she or he needs--no more, no less. That might be copyediting--or it might be mentoring, critiquing instead of editing, marketing help, and ongoing support during the rewriting and submission process. This is why we have such a high rate of repeat and word-of-mouth business. Less-experienced private editors and packaged editing services can't provide that level of targeted service.

** Our ethical guidelines require honest assessment, which means our editors can and will turn down your work if they don't see a way to improve your material or if you need another type of editor.

What becomes of the self-proclaimed copy editors who fail my copyediting tests? The short answer is: they go elsewhere, then often commit what I consider ethical breaches. For example:

** I often see their names listed at other editing networks.

** They put up their own Web sites and offer very low rates to gain experience. Do you really believe an 80,000-word book can be properly edited for $500, and with a 3-day turnaround? Those low-priced "editors" are taking advantage of writers who don't know any better—writers who are not English experts and thus don't notice when their "editors" fail to catch 90 percent of their mistakes, writers who fail to research (and thus understand) the editing profession, writers who have an unrealistic deadline, and writers who are only price shopping. In some cases, your $500 buys you an electronic spell check! (For comparative purposes, an 80,000-word book takes me, on average, 3 weeks to edit. Get the point?)

Given these facts, I hope you understand why the professional editors in this network won't price-match with other editorial services. You're not comparing apples to apples.

Editors who fail to qualify for this network often get angry and/or try to negotiate their entry. Sample responses include (exact quotes):

"If you give me a chance, I'll charge a lower rate."

"Please grade my tests and show me what I missed so I can become a better editor."

"Can you recommend an editing course?"

"The problem is your tests! I belong to two other editing networks! Thanks for wasting my time!"

"I was tired and in a rush. This isn't how I'd work on a real job."

"Considering that I have been a professional editor for 15+ years, frankly, I don't even know why you wanted me to do proofreading and copyediting tests at all."

"I've finished the tests and I'm so embarrassed! I didn't even know where to start. Thank you for your time anyway."

"I did the test too quickly. Give me one more and I will show you. I know the then was supposed to be than. In reading it over, I said to myself, 'Oh, I knew that!!'"

"What's your problem? I think 90 percent is a good score. So, some things do get past the 'experts.'"

"Oh dear, I did miss some things, didn't I?"

Bottom line:

* I do my best to protect the editing profession. This network exists to find qualified freelance editors and to screen out the unqualified.

* The editors in my freelance networks are competent and ethical. They are not high priced, but they are not the lowest priced either. If you're just shopping for the lowest price, you probably won't select one of our editors. If you are shopping for exceptional talent, ethics, and reasonable rates, you probably will.

The ultimate beneficiaries of all this effort are our clients. You get what you pay for.