Reliable Volunteer Editors

[Hatsuda]

I realize that our 'volunteer editors' are volunteers, and that we have to respect that particular aspect of their 'services,' but I've had a great deal of difficulty finding any who can provide any kind of reliable editing on my stories, despite the fact that my stories are fairly short.

- No answer to request - after waiting a week or so for a reply, moving on to another = 1 week delay
- Answer - promise of editing within a week or so - no response = another 1 week delay
- Answer - promise of editing - returned piece - posted; but no response for additional requests = more delays of subsequent story requests
- This particular sequence repeated, over and over = a long time between postings

I don't write particularly difficult pieces, and I don't think they are particularly offensive so I'm wondering if many of our 'volunteer editors' might be 'one shot wonders.'

Can anyone recommend any editors that are reliably responsive and capable of spotting spelling and grammatical errors, and that would have little hesitation in suggesting any change in story line that might enhance it's erotic entertainment value?

BTW, I have no problems acknowledging editorial assistance if they agree to it.

Regards,

Hatsuda -

 

[cloudy]

Have you tried posting a request over in the Editors Forum? It moves a little slowly, but someone will usually respond there in a day, at least.

 

[driphoney]

You haven't posted a request in the Editor's Forum yet?

It's like Cloudy says. They also have sticky at the top of the EF of the monthly active editors. Check that out.

I understand your frustration. In the beginning, I, too, went through the lists of VE's. I actually got a reply and we became friends, of all weird things, but he didn't want to edit my story because it's long and he's lazy. I tried a couple more, but no luck. Then I got active on the EF and it still took about 4 tries. But once you find a a fit, life gets easier.

Promise.

 

[bronzeage]

I don't know about one shot wonders, but some stories take a lot more time than others.

An editor should not take a job unless they have the time to do the work.

 

[Hatsuda]

I couldn't agree more...

The problem I've encountered has been that the information contained in the Editor's message too often doesn't explain availability. Seeing anything referring to that, I'd have moved on down the list. I give the courtesy wait suggested by the V/E FAQs, a week or so, but too often I get nothing back.

I know I shouldn't be too impatient, but I'm closer to 100 yrs old than I am to 30, so waiting weeks for a reply that I'm uncertain will ever come makes me a little 'antsy.'

I guess my choice is to try to ensure that my language skills reach the level where my writing efforts minimize the need for editorial help. Not the best choice in my opinion, but a way for me to get my 'stuff' out there in a 'timely' manner.

More than most, I respect the concept of 'time' when it comes to doing things.

Regards,

Hatusda -

 

[sr71plt]

The volunteer editor system is pretty much defunct here. I'd suggest you pick out writers whose work you like and is similar to yours and volunteer to exchange second reads until you find one who is interested. My editor contacted me to do that and the arrangement has worked out quite well. There aren't many real editors here anyway.

 

[bronzeage]

The problem I've encountered has been that the information contained in the Editor's message too often doesn't explain availability. Seeing anything referring to that, I'd have moved on down the list. I give the courtesy wait suggested by the V/E FAQs, a week or so, but too often I get nothing back.

I know I shouldn't be too impatient, but I'm closer to 100 yrs old than I am to 30, so waiting weeks for a reply that I'm uncertain will ever come makes me a little 'antsy.'

I guess my choice is to try to ensure that my language skills reach the level where my writing efforts minimize the need for editorial help. Not the best choice in my opinion, but a way for me to get my 'stuff' out there in a 'timely' manner.

More than most, I respect the concept of 'time' when it comes to doing things.

Regards,

Hatusda -

When you get to the B's, send me a note.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Every writer I know simply wants a backslap and attaboy, so here ya go....ATTABOY! WAY TO GO! IT'S PERFECT.

Consider it edited.

 

[Boxlicker101]

The problem I've encountered has been that the information contained in the Editor's message too often doesn't explain availability. Seeing anything referring to that, I'd have moved on down the list. I give the courtesy wait suggested by the V/E FAQs, a week or so, but too often I get nothing back.

I know I shouldn't be too impatient, but I'm closer to 100 yrs old than I am to 30, so waiting weeks for a reply that I'm uncertain will ever come makes me a little 'antsy.'

I guess my choice is to try to ensure that my language skills reach the level where my writing efforts minimize the need for editorial help. Not the best choice in my opinion, but a way for me to get my 'stuff' out there in a 'timely' manner.

More than most, I respect the concept of 'time' when it comes to doing things.

Regards,

Hatusda -

You and I seem to be about the same age. If you contact me via email so you can send me your story as an attachment, I will give it a go, although I am not listed as a volunteer editor.

Alphabetically speaking, I precede Bronze Age.

 

[driphoney]

I don't know about one shot wonders, but some stories take a lot more time than others.

An editor should not take a job unless they have the time to do the work.

I didn't mean to indicate that if an editor chooses to bypass a long story, the editor is lazy. My particular friend self-admittedly is lazy!

It's a choice to help someone, and how much, or little, time the volunteer spends on the project is entirely up to her/him. It's hard work, so I'm surprised and thrilled that such giving people exist!

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Its a whole lot easier to simply beat a pot with a stick and give the guy what he really wants, an ATTABOY!

 

[bronzeage]

I didn't mean to indicate that if an editor chooses to bypass a long story, the editor is lazy. My particular friend self-admittedly is lazy!

It's a choice to help someone, and how much, or little, time the volunteer spends on the project is entirely up to her/him. It's hard work, so I'm surprised and thrilled that such giving people exist!

I don't think they are lazy, either. Some long stories can be very long. It can take several hours to go through one, line by line, and most people do not have that big a block of free time on any particular day.

The last story I edited was 20 pages, when I first saw it. I sent it back to the author, with instructions to throw about a third of it away, because it was all needless description that did nothing for the story line. The author wasn't very happy about it, but after making the revisions, it was a readable piece.

 

[MzDeviancy]

I realize that our 'volunteer editors' are volunteers, and that we have to respect that particular aspect of their 'services,' but I've had a great deal of difficulty finding any who can provide any kind of reliable editing on my stories, despite the fact that my stories are fairly short.

- No answer to request - after waiting a week or so for a reply, moving on to another = 1 week delay
- Answer - promise of editing within a week or so - no response = another 1 week delay
- Answer - promise of editing - returned piece - posted; but no response for additional requests = more delays of subsequent story requests
- This particular sequence repeated, over and over = a long time between postings

I don't write particularly difficult pieces, and I don't think they are particularly offensive so I'm wondering if many of our 'volunteer editors' might be 'one shot wonders.'

Can anyone recommend any editors that are reliably responsive and capable of spotting spelling and grammatical errors, and that would have little hesitation in suggesting any change in story line that might enhance it's erotic entertainment value?

BTW, I have no problems acknowledging editorial assistance if they agree to it.

Regards,

Hatsuda -

I think it's like anything in life; you'll get some people who genuinely want to do what they've promised and will commit the time to see that they do, and you get others who won't, maybe because they underestimated the work involved.

I lucked out twice and got two really good editors. However, I also had some who sent me back my story with a slapdash job of editing or gave suggestions to restructure certain things in ways that I knew were grammatically incorrect. Also got some who promised to edit and never did, or told me the piece was fine as was - and call me a cynic, but I think it's more likely that they reconsidered editing rather than I wrote the perfect story in need of no editing whatsoever ;op

 

[MzDeviancy]

I don't think they are lazy, either. Some long stories can be very long. It can take several hours to go through one, line by line, and most people do not have that big a block of free time on any particular day.

The last story I edited was 20 pages, when I first saw it. I sent it back to the author, with instructions to throw about a third of it away, because it was all needless description that did nothing for the story line. The author wasn't very happy about it, but after making the revisions, it was a readable piece.

Haha no one likes chopping out chunks of story. You just stare at it and think of how much time you spent on it and try to figure out some way to save it, even when it should be obvious that it's crap and needs to be cut.

 

[polynices]

I haven't used an editor or been one, but I do think there's a possible problem with the editing system as it currently stands, beyond the issue of reliability. It seems to me that a Literotica editor can perform at least two functions - 1] to proof-read and 2] to suggest stylistic and structural changes - i.e. to get involved in the development of the actual story, whether that's mere pruning of excess verbiage, for example, or more radical redirection of the storyline itself.

I looked through a list of volunteer Literotica editors a while ago - I'm not sure where, I'm afraid - and most seemed to be much more interested in performing function 2 - making changes to the story itself - than in proofreading. I'd guess that's because proofreading is dull, while tinkering with the nuts and bolts of a story is more creative.

I certainly accept that a lot of authors would welcome structural help with their story - almost at times, perhaps, to the point of making the story a collaboration with the editor - and that's fine for those who want it. It's a completely valid editorial function. But, judging by the frequent 'Get an editor!' jibes I see in the Feedback Portal, the main need for editing seems to be for proofreading services. And, speaking personally, I'd appreciate proofreading help at times, since it's always possible to overlook a slip, but I have no interest in negotiating the actual substance of my story with anybody else - neither the style nor the content.

Perhaps Literotica should divide the two functions and offer a list of volunteer proof-readers, who'd restrict themselves to issues of spelling, grammar and paragraphing, in addition to the current list of 'full-service' editors, who'd offer advice on features of style and narrative as well?

I also wonder if a designated proof-reader might get the job done more quickly and efficiently than an editor who feels s/he has to consider wider-ranging problems of style and structure/content.

- polynices

 

[littleblackdress50]

I see an editor in a totally different way. I want a mean viscous editor who isn't afraid to tramp on my fragile writer ego. I am too close to the baby of my collective words to see the weaknesses (and even the very best writers leave them in their rough work). I always understand the meaning of every sentence. I always know how the story fits together. I understand the importance of every word and how it relates to the rest of the work. I need a set of eyes that doesn't know all that, one who can look at the words in a different light.

I do not want or expect an editor to be a collaborator on my story. What I want is one who says “This sentence is crap, I don't understand it at all.” Let me fix it, just find the places where my view of the forest is obscured by the trees.

Proofreading is an important function but again it is my responsibility to write it right and the editors to find those places where I erred.

It is not easy to find an editor who clicks with you, who provides what you need from them. The best editor for me may not work with anyone else. The same is true for an editor finding the right writer.

Literotica is a very strange place for an editor. The skill level of the writers goes everywhere from “needs a remedial English teacher” to best selling authors in disguise. Add to that the fact that they are volunteers and they don't know what they are getting into when they agree to edit your work and the formula for failure in our expectations is there.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Every writer I know simply wants a backslap and attaboy, so here ya go....ATTABOY! WAY TO GO! IT'S PERFECT.

Consider it edited.

hmmmmm. cunt.

edit the bones out of that.

 

[sensualwhispers]

Ive got to admit i find the voluteer editors defunct, to a point.Twicei have asked someone to adit my work and both times i have had no reply which to me is very rude. Upto yet i have had four stories published on lit and only one got rejected(3 times)but after rereading it it went on and got good reviews. Where my own work is considered i am hyper critical and i edit after my first draft is complete. It gets to the point where i have to make my self stop editing otherwise i go to far.
When i read the stories posted i find myself editing them in my head, whether thats the grammer and spelling or in some cases tweaking a sentance or two to make it sound better.
I do agree though some of the stories on here surprise me, how on earth do they get passed because the level of english is appalling.
I am no qualified editor but i know when something reads right to me and if it doesnt then i tend to get frustrated. My main gripe though is the limited vocabulary of some of the writers. We have a rich and colourful language so why dont they use it and if you cant think of an alternative word use a thesaurus.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Writing is the easiest work on planet earth if you know what a story is and have a story to write. If you aspire to art then have something new thats news to everyone on the planet.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

blah blah ... nobody cares what i think.

too true.