Sometimes the problems we have with clients comes from the expectations – what we deilver versus what they think we’ll deliver. Nowhere is this more true than in the actual scope of work we deliver. Recently I had a conversation with a client in which he thought I was performing A function when it was stated in the contract and in conversation that B function was what he was getting.
So maybe it’s time we include a “What to Expect” flyer to go along with our contracts. I’m not kidding – if we clear up now what our clients are getting for our fees, wouldn’t that go a long way toward more harmonious working relationships?
So clients, here’s what you’ll get:
1. You will buy clearly defined work. If I say I’m writing your copy, that’s what you get. You won’t get extensive numbers of rewrites, refocuses or even editing. Writing. Period. I do my best to hand you copy that’s clean and relatively easy to edit. I make no guarantees that edits won’t be necessary.
2. Work will be delivered on time. This one’s dependent on you, client. For I can’t make my deadline if you miss yours. And you’re going to have them. If I’m working for you, I’m working with you, too. That means any copy that needs approval will come to you before I move forward. That also means you have to be diligent enough to work quickly on and send any feedback to me within a few days at most.
3. Your voice – my focus. This one’s a biggie for me. I will write your copy with your voice in mind. I do have a particular focus that I match to your personality and your vision of the project. For example, if you want an informal paper, I’m going to give you informal language in it. I will mirror your own speech pattern as closely as possible. So be certain of what you’re asking for. It saves you both time and money. I’ll do my best to interpret your needs, but I can’t read your mind.
4. Editing will be done following my editing style. Did you know that if you run your story past five editors, you’re going to get back five different versions of your story? That’s because not all editors edit in the same way. See my previous post on editorial styles for more on that. But I will edit your work (if that’s the reason you hired me) using my style, which is to choose the appropriate manual (Chicago, AP, etc) and to apply my own line-by-line edit, overall edits for content relevance and attention to transitions and points being made. What I won’t do: edit to suit the style of everyone you’ve shown the story to. I won’t waste my time or yours jumping through hoops because someone along the way didn’t like the way I phrased something or thought serial commas should die a painful death. You’re paying me. Trust me or let your “free” editors handle it.
5. You will get a finished product – not an entire suite of publishing and marketing services (unless agreed upon and paid for). Too often I finish writing the book, the article, the white paper only to hear “How do I get this published? Aren’t you going to do that, too? I thought you were!” Uh uh. I write and I edit. Unless we have it written into the contract that I’m handling all functions of getting your product out to the consumer, my job ends at the delivery of the final manuscript. Understand I will have on hand some names of publishing houses and links to information on publishing, but I am not a publicist or a book packager. I’ll cheer you on, but that’s always been a freebie. 🙂
Great checklist for anyone who is considering hiring an editor!