Episode 9 — Contracts: “Say it with me: payments tethered to milestones.”

Episode 10—Phase Three: “Making hay wherever the sun shines.”

In our third deep dive and final episode of the season, we explore what at Book Architecture we call a Phase Three: Marketplace Assistance and Publication Support. Here we talk through what happens to a manuscript after it has gone through copy editing and is, for our intents and purposes, completed. The two paths that lie ahead are traditional publishing or self-publishing, and you can play a key role in either route. Better yet, your ability to assist doesn't stop there. We touch on many of the other complementary services an independent editor can offer post copy editing and issue an important reminder that if you're attuned, the possibilities are nearly limitless.

Episode 9 — Contracts: “Say it with me: payments tethered to milestones.”

Today, we're talking contracts. What needs to be addressed in an independent editing contract? What protections should be in place? Does every deal need one, no matter the size? To be clear, what we're offering here is not legal advice, nor is it the single right way of doing things. Our aim is to speak simply and peel back the curtain on how things are done around here in the hopes that it proves helpful to you. With that out of the way, let's get to it.

Episode 8—Phase Two: “Creation is fun, but it’s somewhat junior; revision is where all the interesting things happen”

In our second deep dive episode, we plumb the depths of what a Phase Two can entail. Where a Phase One is about manuscript evaluation, a Phase Two is about manuscript revision. Which is great news because, in Stuart's words, "Creation is fun, but it’s somewhat junior; revision is where all the interesting things happen." In this episode, we cover how and when to transition a Phase One client into a Phase Two, and discuss in detail the two distinct paths that a Phase Two can follow.

Episode 7—How much to charge: “What is the most amount of money you can imagine making in this business? Let’s start there.”

When it comes to money, we’ve made how we feel about listing prices online or quoting over the phone quite clear; what we haven’t addressed, however, is how to price your services-- which is exactly what we’re going to discuss today. In this episode, we introduce the initial question to consider: How much do you want to make in a year? From there we cover how to break that goal down into monthly installments, how to take into account what the market can bear, how to accurately estimate the amount of time different projects will take, and how to avoid the temptation to price dive while negotiating with prospective clients.

Episode 6—Phase One: "Learning to say things as they are."

Welcome to our inaugural deep dive episode, in which we will exhaustively explore a specific facet of the independent editor’s suite of services. Today, we’ll take a look at the first phase of developmental editing: the written critique. When a client approaches you, they may have other ideas for how you can work together but this is really the place to start, which is why we call it a Phase One. What does a Phase One look like? How do you charge for it? Where do you and the client go next? Here, we answer all these questions and more.