Editor Requests Query

wildsweetone

i am what i am
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Feb 1, 2002
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Before I ask, I'd like to apologise as I'm not sure where to post this thread. I thought in the Authors Hangout would be a good place to start, seeing as how it's authors who are giving feedback.

I have been offering feedback services for a short while through the Story Feedback Forum, and managed to answer a few authors requests.

Because of my public offer of feedback, I have also received requests via email, off the thread. I don't mind this at all, but I make sure that the author realises I am often unable to offer a time I will have finished their feedback by, due to prior responsibilities.

My point is this, I am also receiving comments that the authors requesting feedback from me, before submitting work, have asked for Editors on Lit.com to look their work over. Some authors are telling me that they have had no response from the Editors to their editing requests. Several authors have asked repeatedly, and to several Editors, still receiving no response.

Have other Authors who give feedback heard of this problem? If so, what do you advise me to tell those who are 'unhappy' about the voluntary editors service on here?

I am assuming that the Editors are still helping here on Lit., I have not requested their services myself. (i know i need to lol)

please advise.
 
wildsweetone said:
Have other Authors who give feedback heard of this problem? If so, what do you advise me to tell those who are 'unhappy' about the voluntary editors service on here?

Anyone who requests editing from avolunteer editor and doesn't get a response in a week, should report the editor to Laurel so she can remove the inactive editors from the list.

There are still many helpful people off the list, but there are also a lot who have just "dropped off the map" or are swamped with requests and need to have their names removed from the list.

Laurel can't remove inactive authors unless someone lets her know they're inactive.
 
next question...

what happens if one cannot get a response from Laurel either via email or via pm to let her know of these editing problems?
 
Sweetone - you are finding out through readers what it has taken me a year to discover. When I first submitted stories to Lit, I sumitted to 3 editors - and heard back from one. The last time I tried using the editor program, in April, I received no responses. I didn't feel like submitting my story to every person on the list (normally people choose an editor that specializes in the type of genre they've written in, or wants some one with a certain experience), so I just tried to edit as best I could and submitted it to Lit. While I'm fairly good at editing other people's work, I'm not that great with my own. *sigh*

I emailed to volunteer to be a volunteer editor, but received no word, and my name never appeared on the list. I emailed Laurel, asking if my request had been received or if there was something that disqualified me, and never heard anything back.

So, I keep plugging away at my own stories, and trying to help others when I can.

I would suggest if you emailed or PM'd Laurel, then just let it go.

The volunteer editor program is a fantastic idea. But without taking people off the list who are no longer responding, or placing new people on the list who really want to help, I'm afraid it is just taking up server space at this time.

Kudos to you for at least trying!
 
hmmm

SexyChele, are you saying you have tried to get hold of Laurel and inform her of the Editor problem and have not heard back from her also?
thanks for your input Chele :)

it sounds like this volunteer editor sections needs a serious bit of re-vamping, or closing down, i think.

has anyone else had similar problems? please put them on this thread. if there are enough responses, i will endeavour to ask laurel to join the thread.
 
SexyChele stated the situation perfectly.

Rather than duplicate her post with my experience, reread SexyChele's paragraphs #1, #3, #5 and #6.

Paragraph #2 = Never got that far into the program.

Paragraph #4 = Have no opinion.
 
Well, I have my own horror stories. I contacted 5 editors. The first two were returned as unknown addresses, and the next three were a combination of no intrest, very slow response, and one even said she had been trying to get removed from the list and hadn't had any luck in doing so.

My emails to the Lit system have all gone unanswered, but maybe they did read them and didn't see a need to respond with a confirmation.

Still, I am not against the editing system. It, like the voting system, is a very good idea and when everything works, is a great asset to this site.
 
Sweetone - I did not email Laurel with specific problems with editors. My email to her was only in regards to my own submission to volunteering to be an editor.



DVS - I agree totally. And I did have one editor who responded and told me they were working on a very large story, and couldn't get to mine for another 2 1/2 weeks. I understood his problem, and was grateful that he at least showed me the courtesy of telling me this.

However, I know from my experience, and from hearing others, that the system, as is, is simply not working to its full potential. This is really a great resource! No where else do I know of where there are voluteers to read your work and offer comments/suggestions! Wow! That's great! But if you can't the response you need, then is the system truly helping writers as the resource that it is supposed to be?
 
ohwowDVS

darn that's one clever AV! i love it. ;)


re: the Editors.

when i first came on to Lit. i read about an Editor problem then. I decided i wouldn't bother to jam up the works more by asking them to look over my own work. i wonder how many others this happened to.

thanks for your input sexychele, quasi and dvs.
 
Re: next question...

wildsweetone said:
what happens if one cannot get a response from Laurel either via email or via pm to let her know of these editing problems?

Maybe she needs help updating the editing system.
AHem. I am looking for a job.
AHem. I know HTML.
AHem. With the proper clearence, this could be done from anywhere in the world.
AHem. My throat is now clear.
AHem...AHem. OK, now it is.
 
They're in the process of updating the editing system so it works something like Amazon, sort of. Users will be able to leave comments about editors and there will a regular respond within so many days or you're off the list email auto-generated from the system.

It's one of the quadrillion things to be done.
 
thanks KM

for popping in.

i figured it would be just another part of the huge job of revamping the site.

in the meantime, what do i suggest authors do about Editors for their work? any ideas?

how long is this particular update of the editing system likely to take?
 
hmmm

anyone else with Editor request problems?

Seems it may not be as bad as I thought.

KM please come back and let us know how long this update of the editing system is likely to take. :)
 
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