Anyone else having problems finding a editor/

[NewEroticaWriter]

Hello All. I've written ten stories so far, but I still rely on editors to fix some of what I miss. It seems like whenever I go to post a story, and I want an editor to go over my story. It's like pulling teeth to find someone. Most recently I reached out to seven different editors and only one got back to me. I gave them access to my story on google docs ten days ago, but there was absolutely no activity. Nothing! I didn't even bother to email them before I removed their access. If there was some sort of problem, common courtesy suggests they should contact me. But I felt ghosted. Maybe I'm too picky. I don't trust editors that have been members for only one month. Or ones the say that they read a lot of erotica but have no experience editing. So...does anyone have a trick to find an editor?

Thanks.
Rose Monroe.

 

[StillStunned]

Editing is hard work. People often underestimate just how hard.

I can't say for sure, but I think that a lot of members who sign up as volunteer editors are enthusiastic about helping out. Being part of the process of creating a story that people love. And then they discover the hard way that it takes hours and hours of their time, it saps all the energy they could be putting into writing their own stories... and in the end it's not their story, it's the author's.

And maybe because they're embarrassed to admit it to themselves, or maybe because it's easier to just give up, they don't take their names from the volunteer list. And so authors think they're still available, when actually they're not.

I edited 7k words for a client today. I'm absolutely knackered. I have no energy to write, or do anything really except sip wine and post here. And I'm getting paid for it, a lot of money. Volunteer editors are doing it for free, in their spare time. It's easy to see why so many of them give up.

 

[NotWise]

It's hard to find an editor and harder to find a good editor. You need to build a relationship with an editor you can work with and value them like gold.

 

[NuclearFairy]

You could try the Editor forum and see if anyone who's not in the volunteer section sees your name and wants to give it a go.

But, it might be easier to find a friend that you trust to share your hobby with, and who you know is literate enough to spot any mistakes and ask them to read your story and point out your mistakes.

I'm comfortable sharing my hobby with my SO, and way back when he was in college he majored in creative literature. So, even if he is a bit rusty I trust him to edit my stuff.

 

[StillStunned]

In the meantime, use Read Aloud in Word (or another text-to-speech feature). It's mindnumbing, but it works. Sit and watch the highlight jump from word to word, and listen to the program speak your actual words, not what you think you wrote.

It catches 99% of all typos, and it you'll notice any words that you've overused, or sentences that are clunky. It's what me and almost all my colleagues use as the final quality check, and it works.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I can understand the reluctantance of trying a newbie editor, but why not give them a try?
Worst case you get a bunch of advice you don't take.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

You could try the Editor forum and see if anyone who's not in the volunteer section sees your name and wants to give it a go.

But, it might be easier to find a friend that you trust to share your hobby with, and who you know is literate enough to spot any mistakes and ask them to read your story and point out your mistakes.

I'm comfortable sharing my hobby with my SO, and way back when he was in college he majored in creative literature. So, even if he is a bit rusty I trust him to edit my stuff.

Good advice.

Don't be ashamed of your writing or it will drag you down very fast. I have several beta readers in my personal life and my wife edits for me as well. I have edited for writers here when requested, but I am not a volunteer editor on this site. If I have the time, (knowing that the writer is anxious for feedback) and the genre is something that I read, then I'll help another writer out from time-to-time.

My advice is to always provide the word count for your story, the category you are writing for, and your expectation for how soon you need it done. Also, consider offering to edit for others in exchange for them editing your stories.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

You could try the Editor forum and see if anyone who's not in the volunteer section sees your name and wants to give it a go.

But, it might be easier to find a friend that you trust to share your hobby with, and who you know is literate enough to spot any mistakes and ask them to read your story and point out your mistakes.

I'm comfortable sharing my hobby with my SO, and way back when he was in college he majored in creative literature. So, even if he is a bit rusty I trust him to edit my stuff.

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, my writing is happening so deep in the closet, I don't even know where the door is anymore. lol. The editor forum is a great idea. Thanks.
Rose Monroe.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

I can understand the reluctantance of trying a newbie editor, but why not give them a try?
Worst case you get a bunch of advice you don't take.

I wouldn't mind trying someone new. I'm afraid my story would be copied and put up on some other site without any credit... Or is my fear unfounded?

 

[StillStunned]

I wouldn't mind trying someone new. I'm afraid my story would be copied and put up on some other site without any credit... Or is my fear unfounded?

Stories get stolen all the time. If you're lucky, when you find your story on some shady site they'll at least include your name, and sometimes even a link to your Lit profile. If you're not... Well, I found a book for sale on Amazon that included at least three of my stories, all published under someone else's name.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

Good advice.

Don't be ashamed of your writing or it will drag you down very fast. I have several beta readers in my personal life and my wife edits for me as well. I have edited for writers here when requested, but I am not a volunteer editor on this site. If I have the time, (knowing that the writer is anxious for feedback) and the genre is something that I read, then I'll help another writer out from time-to-time.

My advice is to always provide the word count for your story, the category you are writing for, and your expectation for how soon you need it done. Also, consider offering to edit for others in exchange for them editing your stories.

Hi Bobby. I do give word count and genre in the subject line. In this case it was 12K words in Lesbian Sex.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

Stories get stolen all the time. If you're lucky, when you find your story on some shady site they'll at least include your name, and sometimes even a link to your Lit profile. If you're not... Well, I found a book for sale on Amazon that included at least three of my stories, all published under someone else's name.

Yeah... I guess you're right. It's not like I'm getting paid for any of this... I do it to get these stories out of my head. And I hope some find a little joy too.

 

[StillStunned]

Thanks for your comment on "Tammy, Jessica, Yuliya", by the way, very much appreciated!

 

[AwkwardMD]

Doggedly learning to be your own editor is legitimately the most effective system.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

Thanks for your comment on "Tammy, Jessica, Yuliya", by the way, very much appreciated!

No Problem.... It was a fun story!

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

Doggedly learning to be your own editor is legitimately the most effective system.

Oh how I'd love to do that. I've only been writing for five years now, and I'm not confident posting a story that didn't have at least one run through from another set of eyes. I've been a numbers gal my whole life, writing erotica, or anything for that matter, doesn't come naturally to me. But your advice certainly has merit. Thank you.

 

[AwkwardMD]

Just like writing, it is a skill anyone can learn. The best part is that you only ever have to get good enough to not get rejected by the site admin, or maybe good enough that nobody is correcting you in your comments section. Beyond that, all that matters is that people understand you

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Yeah... I guess you're right. It's not like I'm getting paid for any of this... I do it to get these stories out of my head. And I hope some find a little joy too.

That's the thing, why go to all that trouble to steal something when we give it away.
They could just wait til it's published and copy it.

 

[NewEroticaWriter]

Just like writing, it is a skill anyone can learn. The best part is that you only ever have to get good enough to not get rejected by the site admin, or maybe good enough that nobody is correcting you in your comments section. Beyond that, all that matters is that people understand you

Thanks....if push comes to shove, I may give it a try

That's the thing, why go to all that trouble to steal something when we give it away.
They could just wait til it's published and copy it.

VERY good point!

 

[TheLobster]

So, it seems that the community consensus when it comes to procuring an editor is to try the following steps:

1. Do it yourself, employing one of the many text-to-speech systems such as the Read Aloud feature in MS Word.
2. Look in Editor's Forum.
3. Find a trustworthy and literate friend.
4. Marry a creative literature major.

Considering the rapidly escalating levels of commitment, it would seem that editors are a rare and precious breed indeed.

 

[StillStunned]

Considering the rapidly escalating levels of commitment, it would seem that editors are a rare and precious breed indeed.

We're worth our weight in gold. So for me, getting fatter is just compensating for inflation.

 

[Bamagan]

We're worth our weight in gold. So for me, getting fatter is just compensating for inflation.

Hmm. But since the value of gold is partially determined by the supply available, if you and other editors are gaining enough weight, you might be dragging the price down even as you increase your holdings.
Have you considered coining yourself? I can sell you a suit that will cast coinage while you wear it. I call it an In-Vest Mint.

That rumbling you hear in the distance is @onehitwanda getting irked.

 

[StillStunned]

Have you considered coining yourself? I can sell you a suit that will cast coinage while you wear it. I call it an In-Vest Mint.

I'd probably lose my shirt.

But I might make myself a cryptocoin. There's only one of me, so let's see how the demand goes.

 

[Comshaw]

Editing is hard work. People often underestimate just how hard.

I can't say for sure, but I think that a lot of members who sign up as volunteer editors are enthusiastic about helping out. Being part of the process of creating a story that people love. And then they discover the hard way that it takes hours and hours of their time, it saps all the energy they could be putting into writing their own stories... and in the end it's not their story, it's the author's.

And maybe because they're embarrassed to admit it to themselves, or maybe because it's easier to just give up, they don't take their names from the volunteer list. And so authors think they're still available, when actually they're not.

I edited 7k words for a client today. I'm absolutely knackered. I have no energy to write, or do anything really except sip wine and post here. And I'm getting paid for it, a lot of money. Volunteer editors are doing it for free, in their spare time. It's easy to see why so many of them give up.

I have no probelm with a person that discovers it takes too much of their time to do what they volunteered to do. However, the least they could do if they decide it isn't for them is to remove their name from the editor list. Another thing is if they are overloaded with requests, it's a damned easy thing to write a generic email to that effect, set up email filters and have it automatically answer any request to edit. That also works if they decide they don't want to do it any more. Hell, an "I ain't doing it anymore" would suffice. Those are very easy and POLITE things they could do.

Comshaw

 

[onehitwanda]

That rumbling you hear in the distance is @onehitwanda getting irked.

https://i.giphy.com/VQM4j8UqWJ5JAPAd9m.webp