Outburst

[teacher78]

Today I'm going to complain, hoping someone will finally hear me out.

My little story is like someone else's: I wrote some tales and, since english is NOT my native language, I wanted someone to edit them for me.

I contacted the first and the second ones in March. They both said "it's ok, I'll edit it for you, give me a month".

Well, a month is fine with me. And I sent them one of my tales each.

I'm still waiting for an answer from both, and they do not even answer my emails since then.

In june I contacted a third one. He was really nice and I hopes it was the right one. He told me "give me a week". Well, I waited two months...and still nothing. I wrote him two days ago to ask if he has some problem...and no answer, of course.

What the hell???

I know, my tales are long (around 40-50.000 characters each), but hey...I do tell it beforehand! Moreover, you could just write me "sorry it's too long/too bad I don't want to edit it anymore!", it would be fine with me. Not just disappear!! What's the matter with you, Editors? Why do you apply if you can't edit, why do you tell me YES if you don't have the time to do it in the end??

I'm really, really angry. Probably my next editor will be bitten to pieces.

The three editors in question are
- WildFireCowgirl
- Penny
- Sensei_48

The first two has been deleted (so it seems) from the editor's program after I sent an email to lit staff. The third one...I'm still hoping...we'll see.

 

[Bananaspoon]

I'm sorry you've had a bad experience. But I think you should try a new editor if it's already been two months.

I think you should advertise your story here while you're at it and see if someone will pick it up.

 

[PennLady]

I'm sorry, too.

I think you should do two things. One, post here that you need an editor, with the details of your story -- category, length, when you need it returned, etc. Two, check the list of available editors at the top of the forum. At least you those are active editors, which is something you don't always know with the volunteer editor list.

After that, if you don't have any luck, please contact me via private message. I don't want to commit at the moment (too much going on), but I'll help you if you can't find someone using the above methods.

 

[teacher78]

I'm sorry, too.

I think you should do two things. One, post here that you need an editor, with the details of your story -- category, length, when you need it returned, etc. Two, check the list of available editors at the top of the forum. At least you those are active editors, which is something you don't always know with the volunteer editor list.

After that, if you don't have any luck, please contact me via private message. I don't want to commit at the moment (too much going on), but I'll help you if you can't find someone using the above methods.

Thanks for the hint, I'll try posting a description of the story, and see if someone picks it up. And try some other editor. Still, I would like them to be polite enough to just write me "sorry, I can't do it anymore, look for another editor"...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Based on my experiences with writers nothing pleases them. They write shit and demand miracles, but don't change a word of it.

I turn stories around within 24 hours, and they don't like that either.

So fuck them,

I suspect they want a honey who'll flatter them.

 

[teacher78]

Based on my experiences with writers nothing pleases them. They write shit and demand miracles, but don't change a word of it.

I turn stories around within 24 hours, and they don't like that either.

So fuck them,

I suspect they want a honey who'll flatter them.

Well, I've been really clear with all the three of them, about what I want or I don't want. Beforehand. If you agree, then you DO it, right?

For instance, I wrote them to feel free to tell me if I write shit, and even to tell me "sorry, I began working on your tale but it's so bad and full of mistakes I don't feel like working on it anymore".

I'm willing to hear any critique, suggestion and so on. What should I do more? Fuck "them", those supposed "editors" that just disappears.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Well, I've been really clear with all the three of them, about what I want or I don't want. Beforehand. If you agree, then you DO it, right?

For instance, I wrote them to feel free to tell me if I write shit, and even to tell me "sorry, I began working on your tale but it's so bad and full of mistakes I don't feel like working on it anymore".

I'm willing to hear any critique, suggestion and so on. What should I do more? Fuck "them", those supposed "editors" that just disappears.

I'm not challenging your experiences, just tossing my own into the pot.

The problem may be incompatible writers and editors.

And huge stories devour time, but I'm retired and have all the time in the world, if the deadline isn't 30 minutes ago. But the same problems exist other places. With the state people procrastinated till the last minute, and were frantic to complete judicial reviews on time, and judges/asst attorneys general go nuts if things are 5 minutes late. So I jumped in, knocked the reports out in time, and got the bizness from the person whom I helped. They cant do it but got plenty of time to nit-pick.

My suggestion: Find a good editor and guard them like gold.

 

[sr71plt]

Thanks for providing the names. I wish more would do this for this sort of thing--agreeing to edit, receiving the manuscript, and then never answering. It's really too bad that Lit. doesn't have a vetting program for those claiming to be available as "editors" here.

Unfortunately, you might encounter these works of yours on the Internet or offered by Amazon under someone else's name other than yours.

I wouldn't use the volunteer editor program here at all. I'd look for stories like mine on Literotica that also were very good technically, and I'd directly query those authors on whether they edit or can recommend someone.

The VE program makes you go through two mine fields--first dishonest posters claiming to be editors and then well-meaning folks who know little or nothing more about editing than you do.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Thanks for providing the names. I wish more would do this for this sort of thing--agreeing to edit, receiving the manuscript, and then never answering. It's really too bad that Lit. doesn't have a vetting program for those claiming to be available as "editors" here.

Unfortunately, you might encounter these works of yours on the Internet or offered by Amazon under someone else's name other than yours.

I wouldn't use the volunteer editor program here at all. I'd look for stories like mine on Literotica that also were very good technically, and I'd directly query those authors on whether they edit or can recommend someone.

The VE program makes you go through two mine fields--first dishonest posters claiming to be editors and then well-meaning folks who know little or nothing more about editing than you do.

You make a good point.

I do something similar. For example Raymond Chandler often made novels from his short stories but the original stories aren't quite as good as what he used in the novel, so I compare them to see what he altered, and how its better.

 

[sr71plt]

Good communications are at the heart of author-editor partnerships. If your editor won't communicate as agreed (and do cover the time factors in your agreement), then, for the good of all, do list their account names here on the board. Sometimes it will turn out that communications just didn't reach them or there are mitigating circumstances. That can be ironed out on the board, if so. But if they are the ones not communicating, they have no business offering editing services and other authors have a right to know who they are.

 

[teacher78]

T
Unfortunately, you might encounter these works of yours on the Internet or offered by Amazon under someone else's name other than yours.

I wouldn't use the volunteer editor program here at all. I'd look for stories like mine on Literotica that also were very good technically, and I'd directly query those authors on whether they edit or can recommend someone.

The VE program makes you go through two mine fields--first dishonest posters claiming to be editors and then well-meaning folks who know little or nothing more about editing than you do.

You make a good point.

I do something similar. For example Raymond Chandler often made novels from his short stories but the original stories aren't quite as good as what he used in the novel, so I compare them to see what he altered, and how its better.

Good communications are at the heart of author-editor partnerships. If your editor won't communicate as agreed (and do cover the time factors in your agreement), then, for the good of all, do list their account names here on the board. Sometimes it will turn out that communications just didn't reach them or there are mitigating circumstances. That can be ironed out on the board, if so. But if they are the ones not communicating, they have no business offering editing services and other authors have a right to know who they are.

Thank you for your support. I don't think I'll find my work in amazon...but still it feels like I've been ripped off. They have my manuscripts, three of them already. Strangers, that just doesn't reply me anymore...

I'll probably follow your suggestion and look for some skilled writer...and ask if and by whom they have been edited

And of course if they show up and I find out there was some kind of problem by my side, I'll write it here.

And since we are at it...do you guy know some "trusted" editor? Someone could PM me their nicknames?

Thanks

 

[LadyVer]

I agree about communication between author and editor. There are some writers though who fall of the face of the earth as well. I would never reveal their names on a forum though.

As an editor, when I send an edited story to a writer, I tell them if they have any problems with my editing, or any questions, to let me know.

I recently edited a Lit story and thought the story was easy to edit because the mechanical issues were abnormally light for a Lit story. It was a really good story as well, but it's been two weeks since I sent the edited doc to the author and I haven't heard back from him. And I know he hasn't published anything on Lit during that time. I think I sent an email after the first week asking if he had received the story, but no response. So, I've decided when he can and will deal with the story, I'll hear back from him. I may never hear back from him though which is disappointing, but that's the way it goes on the internet. Besides, I have enough going on.

 

[sr71plt]

If I've edited a story and the author doesn't acknowledged receipt (I don't want acknowledgment otherwise), I don't edit anything else for them. "Stuff" gets lost in cyberspace. I've had mainstream publishers think they've sent something to me I never knew about. So, I insist on confirmations back and forth on receipt of anything. If the other side doesn't do, I write them off.

 

[LadyVer]

Acknowledgement as an editor wasn't the issue I had with the author because it didn't even get that far. My point was that both writers and editors have a problem with getting lost in a black hole somewhere.

Anyway, this particular story was one of the hottest stories I've ever edited. I don't think it was really much different as far as sex scenes go compared to many other Lit stories, but the author's writing style was good and he obviously had writing experience, and this was his first Lit story, which for a Lit author's first story, was one unusually well-written story.

 

[teacher78]

Well, I understand the machanics of internet...I know it happens that people disappear, especially in sites like this. Still...3 on 3 is a good record isn't it?

What I really don't understant, is why the writer doesn't even thank back after an editing.

And to think that someone would really like to try that (receiving an edited tale ).

 

[LustKnight]

Acknowledgement as an editor wasn't the issue I had with the author because it didn't even get that far. My point was that both writers and editors have a problem with getting lost in a black hole somewhere.

Anyway, this particular story was one of the hottest stories I've ever edited. I don't think it was really much different as far as sex scenes go compared to many other Lit stories, but the author's writing style was good and he obviously had writing experience, and this was his first Lit story, which for a Lit author's first story, was one unusually well-written story.

Maybe they decided to publish it elsewhere. Thanks for the free editing, Literotica, now I'm off the big time! MWAHAHAHA

*cough* Right, then.

 

[LadyVer]

Maybe they decided to publish it elsewhere. Thanks for the free editing, Literotica, now I'm off the big time! MWAHAHAHA

*cough* Right, then.

The thought occurred to me.

 

[teacher78]

The thought occurred to me.

well, but if he's that good of a writer, he'll probably not have problems findind a professional editor...or not?

 

[LadyVer]

well, but if he's that good of a writer, he'll probably not have problems findind a professional editor...or not?

The issue is one that many writers, especially self-published writers, have a hard time with, affording an editor, and professional editing rates aren't cheap. Then, once an editor is found, a writer doesn't really know how well the editor will edit his story.