Every freelance editor needs to work with
their clients to set expectations and agree on how their relationship will be conducted.
When you think about it, having a lot of this spelled out in writing can spare both
you and your clients from misunderstandings. A smooth relationship has the best
chance of producing a quality product and leading to further business together in
the future. Having a contract is a great way to help all that happen.
What I post here is by no means an exhaustive
search on this subject. When I needed a contract to use with my first client, I
did not have time to hunt for all the best sources available. Happily, I think my
brief search was quite successful. I recommend the following book (also available
in Kindle format): The Paper It’s Written On: Defining your relationship with
an editing client, Karin Cather and Dick Margulis (Scotts Valley, California:
CreateSpace, 2018). [Before someone complains, I have capitalized the book’s title
just like they have it on the book cover and on Amazon.] You can always search on
Amazon by using the ISBN: 978-1726073295.
While The Paper It’s Written On
weighs in at only eighty pages, those pages are packed with wise contract wording.
Consider that statement not as legal advice—I am not a lawyer—but as a description
of the many ways that an editing relationship can go south. Short descriptions of
both authors may be found on the book’s webpage at Amazon. The price at this writing
is $12:50 (paperback) or $6.99 (Kindle). While Cather offers a robust contract suitable
for editing a book, Margulis gives us wording to cover editing, book design, cover
design, and project management. Each has their own take, such as their different
ways of handling termination of the agreement.
Barry's Editing &
Proofing LLC. If you need my editing or proofing services, I can be reached at
214-558-9128 or barry.applewhite@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment