...all nine of you.
If you were an author and you were checking out an editor to see if you wanted to hire them, what kind of information would you want to see on their website/blog?
I mean, rates, for sure. I figured that much out, but what other information would draw you in? Snippets of other clients' work, like a before-and-after thing? Grouchy rants -- I mean, sharp-witted humor -- about common errors and how not to make them? Links to other editors' pages?
See, the thing is, marketing is a pain in the ass. I'd rather be editing. Someday when I'm able to pay all my bills with editing, I'll hire a marketing person. Or, you know, get hired by a publisher so I have a steady stream of manuscripts. But in the meantime, I need to be all... perky and witty and of course you want to hire me, I'm awesome.
So, let me know, dear readers: what would you want to see from a prospective editor's blog? What would put you off?
Oh, and for the record, I charge by the word, but I'll go into more detail about that in another post.
Testimonials. Examples of past projects. Specialties or genres. If possible, estimates on turnaround times. Contact info and quick replies on that contact. Oh, and mostly error-free posts :) All the rest is nice to have, but window dressing really. Guess I'm a boring straight to business sorta guy.
ReplyDeleteAs it happens, my husband is currently wanting to hire an editor but has no idea how to go about it. I think a statement about what *kind* of editing work you do and perhaps a blog entry on "How to hire an editor" or "Tips on finding the right editor for *you*" would bring in a lot of first-timers. Some of whom may become long-term clients. :)
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