I work best with clients who are willing to be honest and clear about their needs, both in the planning stages and during execution. While a project is in development I can be reached by phone or email; in some kinds of situations instant messaging may be appropriate. Email is the quickest, most reliable way to reach me, but I will return calls within twenty-four hours. I must also be able to contact you within the parameters we set up.
The number of drafts and your preferences on reviewing drafts will be discussed in the first consultation.
I work well to deadline, but I do require that all parties provide the necessary materials or milestone approval in a timely manner. Failure to do so without prior discussion and agreement is grounds for termination of the contract.
I cannot promise or guarantee that the final product of our collaboration will ever be purchased or published, nor will I be held responsible for the nature of the reception by editors, publishers, reviewers or readers.
My hourly rate is between $45 and $75 an hour, depending on the complexity of the work, whether I am writing the document from scratch, rewriting, editing, or mentoring, whether research is involved and how much interaction is required. An initial consultation by phone (for which there is no charge, whether or not we enter into an agreement) will help us both determine the exact parameters of the assignment and an estimate of how much time will be needed.
When we have come to agreement on all terms, I will submit a written proposal and plan for your review.
After consultation with you, I will submit a project proposal and plan for your approval that covers the following points:
Scope (detailed outline of project goals)I will never submit work that is not wholly my own. I respect and follow all copyright laws.
If the project in question requires the inclusion of copyright protected materials, it is the client's responsibility to obtain written permissions which must then be provided to me. The originals will be returned in the final project package.
Alternately, I can take on the task of trying to obtain copyright permissions. In addition to any charges for the use of the material by the copyright holder, I bill this kind of work at $75 an hour regardless of the hourly rate set for the rest of the project.
If I assist you with your own work (work for hire), then copyright is yours and remains yours. If I am the sole author of a piece of work I have done for you and it is to appear under my name, the issue of copyright will be addressed in the initial consultation. In the majority of cases, the copyright will be solely yours.
All conversations with you and materials provided by or for you will never be shared with any other party for any reason. This includes initial consultations, whether or not we reach an agreement on a project. Your privacy is as important to me as my own.
I will not use your name or the name of your company or association in any advertising or promotional literature or list you as a reference without first obtaining your express permission, which, of course, you may decline to give.
Some of these documents are in pdf format for ease of download. They require the free Adobe Reader application. If you aren't able to download for any reason, please contact me and I will send them directly by email.
As a part of our initial discussions I am happy to provide names and contact information of references. They include professionals in education, publishing, academia and the entertainment industry. I can also refer you to former students and to graduate students I have mentored.
When I am first asked to look at someone's work - especially creative non-fiction or fiction - I am not concerned with matters of spelling or punctuation. In my experience the best storytellers are often the worst spellers and have at most a tenuous relationship with punctuation. I make a point of distinguishing between grammar and punctuation, and I'll help you do that, too. In the editing process I will address such issues solely because other people in publishing will consider them.