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----- Original Message -----
From: <emmy_aricioglu -at- hp -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Cc: <emmy_aricioglu -at- hp -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2000 11:29 AM
Subject: RE: Re. Bidding on editing work?
> You're right -- my colleague should kiss this potential project goodbye.
If the
> client starts out using expressions that don't jibe with our (limited)
> experience, tell them to go suck something! All potential clients must use
the
> currently accepted expressions -- preferably those that begin with "easy
work,
> big bucks." Sheesh!
>
> My colleague came to me because I've been editing for quite a few years
(about
> 20 or so) and wanted to know the going rate per page of light editing.
Light
> editing obviously means something less than "editing." The true meaning
will be
> revealed once the work begins. In this case, the potential client has been
> pre-approved as OK. Sorry if I didn't mention that in the original
posting.
> What I didn't know is the "per page" rate for editing and for that I
turned to
> the Techwr community. Some of you have been extremely helpful in supplying
that
> information and for that I am thankful. I will compile all the responses
and
> post them.
>
> Now, Geoff, back to that "per page" rate ...
>
> Emmy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA [mailto:Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]
> Sent: Monday, April 03, 2000 6:16 AM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
> Cc: emmy_aricioglu -at- hp -dot- com
> Subject: Re. Bidding on editing work?
>
>
> Emmy Aricioglu's colleague <<has been asked to quote a price for "light
> editing" of a technical manual... The manual is
> something like a policy/procedure manual with about 70% text and 30%
> tables/figures. The total page count is about 850 and the complete project
> will take about 3 months to finish (it is being re-designed, which means
> working with a graphics designer, and then sent to a printer). The
potential
> client is asking for a "per page" price for light editing and
> proofreading.>>
>
> The going rate is highly variable, but 13 years of editorial experience
> always sound the alarm klaxon whenever I see the words "light editing".
> Inevitably, this is code for "we really aren't good enough writers to
> understand that this is going to take one helluva lot more work by a
> professional than we thought", and that's particularly true of marketing
and
> P&P material. The pages per day to complete seems reasonable given the
time
> period, but there are lots of gotchas that would make me strongly prefer
an
> hourly rate (to cope for the considerable extra work that is likely to be
> required), and I'd write considerable "just in case" clauses into the
> contract. For example, the project is going to take longer than they
expect
> (don't they always?), and you'll have to write in loopholes concerning
> deadlines. Moreover, there's a lot more than editing work involved; if
your
> friend will be working with a graphic designer, there will be lots of back
> and forth and compromise and renegotiation required, and perhaps lots of
> hair pulling and ulcer medication. This is all going to eat up time and
have
> material costs too (e.g., hair replacement, antacid tablets).
>
> --Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
> geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
>
> "Technical writing... requires understanding the audience, understanding
> what activities the user wants to accomplish, and translating the often
> idiosyncratic and unplanned design into something that appears to make
> sense."--Donald Norman, The Invisible Computer
>
>
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