To develop our quiz, we asked our members about the clients they loved and the clients they were, well, doing their best to forget. 

By prompting both editors and clients to think about the many factors that can affect their relationship, we hope to point the way toward a more satisfying experience for all.

1. Do you contact your editor well in advance of the date s/he will need to begin work? If not, do you offer an appropriate rush fee (50% is common)?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
2. If you will not be able to deliver the work to your editor on time, do you notify him/her as soon as possible, and adjust the editor's deadline accordingly?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
3. Do you have a clear agreement with your editor (a written contract, ideally) about the details of your project?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
4. If a significant change occurs in any of the details, do you let your editor know promptly?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
5. Is your communication with your editor (written and oral) respectful?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
6. Do you give your editor praise and/or constructive feedback that will help him/her give you the kind of edit you want?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
7. Do you anticipate the tools your editor will need to do a good job (specialized references, in-house style sheets, etc.) and provide them at the start of the project?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
8. a. Do you honor your editor's specialized skills, experience, and knowledge by paying a competitive rate for your field?  (yes = 10 points) 
   
   b. Or do you try to bargain your editor down to the lowest rate possible?  (yes = subtract 10 points)
   
   
9. Do you offer to reimburse your editor for any extraordinary expenses s/he incurs in working on your project?    (yes = 10 points)
   
   
10. a. Do you pay your editor promptly?  (yes = 10 points)
    
    b. Or does your editor routinely have to pester you about payments that are more than 30 days overdue?  (yes = subtract 10 points)
    
    c. Do your checks bounce?  (yes = subtract 20 points)
    
    
11. Do you repeatedly underestimate the amount of time your editor will need to spend on your project, thus causing significant disruptions for the editor and his/her other clients?  (yes = subtract 10 points)
    
    
12. Do you expect your editor to work on evenings and/or weekends without additional compensation?  (yes = subtract 10 points)
    
    
13. Do you engage your editor in conversations about personal, political, or other inappropriate non-business matters?  (yes = subtract 10 points) 
    
    
14. While working with your editor, do you engage in any sort of harassment or discrimination?  (yes = subtract 20 points)

Additional questions for on-site work

1. Do you offer to pay your editor for a minimum of four hours a day, to compensate for the unpaid time s/he must spend commuting, or offer to pay for that commuting time as well?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
2. Do you provide your editor with a private office that is free from co-workers' conversations, music, ringing telephones, and other distractions that interfere with the concentration needed to edit?  (yes = 10 points)
   
   
3. Do you require your editor to do work on-site that could be done equally well from his/her home office?  (yes = subtract 10 points)

What your score means

Off-site work

100: We love you. 
80-90: We like you a lot.
60-70: Your editor would probably like to chat with you about a few of these issues.
0-50: Please study our tips on working with an editor!
Negative score: Whew! You need more help than we can offer here.

On-site work

120: We love you. 
100-110: We like you a lot.
70-90: Your editor would probably like to chat with you about a few of these issues.
0-60: Please study our tips on working with an editor!
Negative score: Whew! You need more help than we can offer here.

Check out our companion quiz: "Are You a Good Editor?"