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.
- 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)
- 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)
- Do
you have a clear agreement with your editor (a written
contract, ideally)
about the details of your project? (yes = 10 points)
- If a
significant change occurs in any of the details, do you let your editor
know promptly? (yes = 10 points)
- Is
your communication with your editor (written and oral) respectful? (yes =
10 points)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Do
you offer to reimburse your editor for any extraordinary expenses s/he
incurs in working on your project? (yes = 10 points)
- 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)
- 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)
- Do
you expect your editor to work on evenings and/or weekends without additional compensation?
(yes = subtract 10 points)
- Do
you engage your editor in conversations about personal, political, or other
inappropriate non-business matters? (yes = subtract 10 points)
- 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
- 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)
- 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)
- 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?"
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