Volunteer Editor program issues

[Reindeer58]

Someone should take a look at the VE program for viable and realistically interested editors. I have been looking for three months and two weeks ago sent requests with a story summary to six editors from the top of the VE list (the newest ones). I have heard from four of them, one was a sixteen/seventeen year old, one offered me hope and blessings, I guess she didn't see that the topic was incest, and today one responded with a cost of $.03 per word. I was able to get someone's interest, and she has six chapters. She hasn't promised quick turnaround, but that's OK at least she's looking and working on them. I wonder what the motivation is for those who don't even bother to respond.

 

[fieryjen]

I feel your pain, but you're preaching to the choir here. Several people here, me included, have tried and failed to change the concept of the VE list Literotica offers because so many authors were experiencing the problems you describe. I do not believe the site editors see this as a high priority at the moment.

Generally, posting a detailed and polite request in this forum has a fairly decent chance of finding an editor, though there are dry spells here as well.

Good luck.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Someone should take a look at the VE program for viable and realistically interested editors. I have been looking for three months and two weeks ago sent requests with a story summary to six editors from the top of the VE list (the newest ones). I have heard from four of them, one was a sixteen/seventeen year old, one offered me hope and blessings, I guess she didn't see that the topic was incest, and today one responded with a cost of $.03 per word. I was able to get someone's interest, and she has six chapters. She hasn't promised quick turnaround, but that's OK at least she's looking and working on them. I wonder what the motivation is for those who don't even bother to respond.

Cool with incest at .02 a word <kidding, no cost> PM me

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Bullshit!

Someone should take a look at the VE program for viable and realistically interested editors. I have been looking for three months and two weeks ago sent requests with a story summary to six editors from the top of the VE list (the newest ones). I have heard from four of them, one was a sixteen/seventeen year old, one offered me hope and blessings, I guess she didn't see that the topic was incest, and today one responded with a cost of $.03 per word. I was able to get someone's interest, and she has six chapters. She hasn't promised quick turnaround, but that's OK at least she's looking and working on them. I wonder what the motivation is for those who don't even bother to respond.

This is, and always has been, a free site. My services are free, but I'll admit I only know what sounds good and don't have the college training to do all that grammar shit. Hence my promise is that I am only good enouigh to get you published here. Don't send to me with dreams of glory, those won't happen.

Reindeer58, PM me, I'll do what I can to help.

 

[_Lynn_]

I feel your pain, but you're preaching to the choir here. Several people here, me included, have tried and failed to change the concept of the VE list Literotica offers because so many authors were experiencing the problems you describe. I do not believe the site editors see this as a high priority at the moment.

Generally, posting a detailed and polite request in this forum has a fairly decent chance of finding an editor, though there are dry spells here as well.

Good luck.

Good advice.

 

[Dreamthiev]

The volunteer editor program has definite issues. For my latest story, here's how it's worked so far: I looked around the list of suitable editor, found one, asked for help. She was too busy. Found another, sent a request, got no response. Third try, got a response, she told me go ahead and send my story.

She gave me an estimate of about a week. I didn't hear back from her. So I waited a few more days and sent a polite inquiry. A few days passed, still no contact. I went back to searching for a new editor. Next person I contacted didn't respond at all. Second person did, agreed to work with me, and I sent in my story.

I just got my story back today. It had two small notes/questiosn written on it, but the rest of the marks/edits took the form of irregular red marks drawn on the left hand side of the page. There's several of these, with no notes, explanations, or traditional proofreading marks. I don't know there's supposed to be more information there and it got lost in transit or file-format conversion, or if I'm supposed to just know what mistake she found near the red mark. So now I've written back asking how to interpret the marks, and what mistakes were tehre. Waiting to hear back again.

This has been fairly typical of my experience with the volunteer editor program, I had similar experiences with my previous stories. The best/worst part is that in between running around trying to get this story edited I finished writing another story, so I'm going to have to do it all again soon.

 

[_Lynn_]

The volunteer editor program has definite issues. For my latest story, here's how it's worked so far: I looked around the list of suitable editor, found one, asked for help. She was too busy. Found another, sent a request, got no response. Third try, got a response, she told me go ahead and send my story.

She gave me an estimate of about a week. I didn't hear back from her. So I waited a few more days and sent a polite inquiry. A few days passed, still no contact. I went back to searching for a new editor. Next person I contacted didn't respond at all. Second person did, agreed to work with me, and I sent in my story.

I just got my story back today. It had two small notes/questiosn written on it, but the rest of the marks/edits took the form of irregular red marks drawn on the left hand side of the page. There's several of these, with no notes, explanations, or traditional proofreading marks. I don't know there's supposed to be more information there and it got lost in transit or file-format conversion, or if I'm supposed to just know what mistake she found near the red mark. So now I've written back asking how to interpret the marks, and what mistakes were tehre. Waiting to hear back again.

This has been fairly typical of my experience with the volunteer editor program, I had similar experiences with my previous stories. The best/worst part is that in between running around trying to get this story edited I finished writing another story, so I'm going to have to do it all again soon.

Not all of us are like that.

I can look at your new story later this week. PM me if you'd like my help.

 

[fieryjen]

The volunteer editor program has definite issues. For my latest story, here's how it's worked so far: I looked around the list of suitable editor, found one, asked for help. She was too busy. Found another, sent a request, got no response. Third try, got a response, she told me go ahead and send my story.

She gave me an estimate of about a week. I didn't hear back from her. So I waited a few more days and sent a polite inquiry. A few days passed, still no contact. I went back to searching for a new editor. Next person I contacted didn't respond at all. Second person did, agreed to work with me, and I sent in my story.

I just got my story back today. It had two small notes/questiosn written on it, but the rest of the marks/edits took the form of irregular red marks drawn on the left hand side of the page. There's several of these, with no notes, explanations, or traditional proofreading marks. I don't know there's supposed to be more information there and it got lost in transit or file-format conversion, or if I'm supposed to just know what mistake she found near the red mark. So now I've written back asking how to interpret the marks, and what mistakes were tehre. Waiting to hear back again.

This has been fairly typical of my experience with the volunteer editor program, I had similar experiences with my previous stories. The best/worst part is that in between running around trying to get this story edited I finished writing another story, so I'm going to have to do it all again soon.

Sorry you had to go through that. What format was it in? Might she have used the Word editing feature? (I ask because the first time I had to deal with it I was a bit confused, and it has the sort of "red marks" you speak of).

 

[_Lynn_]

Sorry you had to go through that. What format was it in? Might she have used the Word editing feature? (I ask because the first time I had to deal with it I was a bit confused, and it has the sort of "red marks" you speak of).

I thought about that.

One time I sent an edit back after using that feature to an author and forgot they didn't have Word.
They said nothing at all came through.
Believe me, I never did theirs that way again since I had to do the entire thing over.

 

[fieryjen]

I thought about that.

One time I sent an edit back after using that feature to an author and forgot they didn't have Word.
They said nothing at all came through.
Believe me, I never did theirs that way again since I had to do the entire thing over.

I like that feature because, now that I know how to use it, it does save a lot of time that might otherwise be taken up fixing everything by hand. But you're right, you always have to make sure the other party can use whatever program you're using. Very frustrating otherwise.

 

[sr71plt]

The volunteer editor program has definite issues. For my latest story, here's how it's worked so far: I looked around the list of suitable editor, found one, asked for help. She was too busy. Found another, sent a request, got no response. Third try, got a response, she told me go ahead and send my story.

She gave me an estimate of about a week. I didn't hear back from her. So I waited a few more days and sent a polite inquiry. A few days passed, still no contact. I went back to searching for a new editor. Next person I contacted didn't respond at all. Second person did, agreed to work with me, and I sent in my story.

I just got my story back today. It had two small notes/questiosn written on it, but the rest of the marks/edits took the form of irregular red marks drawn on the left hand side of the page. There's several of these, with no notes, explanations, or traditional proofreading marks. I don't know there's supposed to be more information there and it got lost in transit or file-format conversion, or if I'm supposed to just know what mistake she found near the red mark. So now I've written back asking how to interpret the marks, and what mistakes were tehre. Waiting to hear back again.

This has been fairly typical of my experience with the volunteer editor program, I had similar experiences with my previous stories. The best/worst part is that in between running around trying to get this story edited I finished writing another story, so I'm going to have to do it all again soon.

You seem to be finding that most of those claiming to be VEs aren't editors at all. Most probably don't know what they are doing any better than you do. You'd probably be best to ask for a second reader, cleaning it up as best you can, and just posting it and going on to the next story. This isn't the New Yorker.

 

[_Lynn_]

I like that feature because, now that I know how to use it, it does save a lot of time that might otherwise be taken up fixing everything by hand. But you're right, you always have to make sure the other party can use whatever program you're using. Very frustrating otherwise.

It was my error. I'd used the program for an edit earlier that day and just started right in on theirs the same way. Many people seem to like the corrections in the text, though. Myself I find that distracting. I remember the first time I had one returned to me using them. I was in a panic when I couldn't find anything corrected. That was before I had Word. It's on this and the Mac now.

 

[_Lynn_]

You seem to be finding that most of those claiming to be VE's aren't editors at all. Most probably don't know what they are doing any better than you do. You'd probably be best to ask for a second reader, cleaining it up as best you can, and just posting it and going on to the next story. This isn't the New Yorker.

It's not?

 

[Dreamthiev]

Sorry you had to go through that. What format was it in? Might she have used the Word editing feature? (I ask because the first time I had to deal with it I was a bit confused, and it has the sort of "red marks" you speak of).

I have MS word, and that's the format I sent it in (it was on the list of accepted formats on her profile page). She said that she used google docs to edit it. I've never used google docs before so I don't really know what its capabilities are. I tried opening the edited story in MS word and in google docs, both came out pretty much the same.

It looks pretty much like a hand-drawn line of red on the left side of the text, as an inserted image. There's no notes in or near them to say what the error is, or what changes are suggested. I don't really mind what form the edits take, if they're in text or marks on the side, but I need to know what the mistake is and what the suggested changes are. There's a chance she did leave comments and they just got lost somehow, I'm still waiting to hear back.

You seem to be finding that most of those claiming to be VE's aren't editors at all. Most probably don't know what they are doing any better than you do. You'd probably be best to ask for a second reader, cleaining it up as best you can, and just posting it and going on to the next story. This isn't the New Yorker.

According to her VE profile, she says she is a copy-editor for a daily newspaper. Of course I don't have any way of knowing if that's true or just a case of padding a resume.

And, even if this isn't the new yorker, I still like my stories to be as well written as I can make them. I know I make mistakes, so that generally means finding someone to go over them for me.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

According to her VE profile, she says she is a copy-editor for a daily newspaper. Of course I don't have any way of knowing if that's true or just a case of padding a resume.

You quote sr71plt as saying "You seem to be finding that most of those claiming to be VE's aren't editors at all. Most probably don't know what they are doing any better than you do."

That surprises me, because I was under the distinct impression that sr71plt thought that there was only one person on Lit who was qualified to edit, write, or have anything else to do with literature. Of course, I am probably wrong, as I don't have any way of knowing if what sr71plt writes is true or just a case of padding a résumé.

The best way of finding someone willing to look at your work and spot the silly typos that you can't ever see yourself, and make other comments, is to ask in this forum and to use perhaps two or three people and pick the bones out of what they say. The best way to get your story edited properly is to go to one or other of the professional agencies who will do it for you, but that will cost a lot ($.03 per word is quite cheap as that amounts to $300 for two or more days' work on a 10k word story).

 

[AsylumSeeker]

You seem to be finding that most of those claiming to be VE's aren't editors at all. Most probably don't know what they are doing any better than you do. You'd probably be best to ask for a second reader, cleaining it up as best you can, and just posting it and going on to the next story. This isn't the New Yorker.

I will partiallly agree with SR's assessment. I have no formal training, though I did CLEP 6 hours of English. Yes, and while that is so easily dismissed by others, it's my one proud accomplishment, as sad as that may sound, so you'll likely see it again.

Okay, so I'm sad, pathetic, yet still prolific. I'm just a 'second reader'.

SR, edit your own message. Mistakes lessen your credibility.

"Careful be where serpent strikes, wounds may fester."

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Complain you may

Someone should take a look at the VE program for viable and realistically interested editors. I have been looking for three months and two weeks ago sent requests with a story summary to six editors from the top of the VE list (the newest ones). I have heard from four of them, one was a sixteen/seventeen year old, one offered me hope and blessings, I guess she didn't see that the topic was incest, and today one responded with a cost of $.03 per word. I was able to get someone's interest, and she has six chapters. She hasn't promised quick turnaround, but that's OK at least she's looking and working on them. I wonder what the motivation is for those who don't even bother to respond.

I responded to your post, expecting perhaps a 3k to 6k story to edit, which I said I couldn't support due to a size of 100K words.

I may be completely off-base writing my opinion, and I'm beyond caring at this point since we're all being flushed down the same orifice and liquor is pulsing through my veins.

Best of luck. You may find a retiree that can volunteer that kind of time to your series. Yeah, I'm retired from the USAF but the pay is woefully inadequate, would be on the street if not for the job.

Life's UGLY!

 

[Dreamthiev]

Good news (for me, at least) is that the misunderstanding was cleared up with my current editor. The random red marks were just that--random. She didn't put them there and doesn't know why they showed up either.

On the subject of the volunteer editor program in general... I think a lot of good would be done if the listed just flushed any entry over say three months old, and sent out an automatic notice around the three month mark telling the editors that their name will drop off soon if they don't update their profile.

Because there seems to be a lot of people on that list who don't actually participate. I've sent several emails requesting help that got no replies at all. If they fell off the list periodically it would help keep the list more useful. On pretty much the same note, there's probably people on the list willing and ready to edit who haven't updated in six months, or a year, or more. And now their name is so far back on the list few writers will see it.

 

[_Lynn_]

Good news (for me, at least) is that the misunderstanding was cleared up with my current editor. The random red marks were just that--random. She didn't put them there and doesn't know why they showed up either.

On the subject of the volunteer editor program in general... I think a lot of good would be done if the listed just flushed any entry over say three months old, and sent out an automatic notice around the three month mark telling the editors that their name will drop off soon if they don't update their profile.

Because there seems to be a lot of people on that list who don't actually participate. I've sent several emails requesting help that got no replies at all. If they fell off the list periodically it would help keep the list more useful. On pretty much the same note, there's probably people on the list willing and ready to edit who haven't updated in six months, or a year, or more. And now their name is so far back on the list few writers will see it.

Glad it's cleared up for you. As for the list ideas, that takes us right back to fieryjen's post.

I feel your pain, but you're preaching to the choir here. Several people here, me included, have tried and failed to change the concept of the VE list Literotica offers because so many authors were experiencing the problems you describe. I do not believe the site editors see this as a high priority at the moment.

Generally, posting a detailed and polite request in this forum has a fairly decent chance of finding an editor, though there are dry spells here as well.

Good luck.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

... On the subject of the volunteer editor program in general... I think a lot of good would be done if the listed just flushed any entry over say three months old, and sent out an automatic notice around the three month mark telling the editors that their name will drop off soon if they don't update their profile. ...

This has been mooted many times in many forms. There is another site which has a field in its VE profile for hours/per week available. That is updated on a monthly basis by asking the VE at login to update it. If you miss for too long (definition unknown) you are dropped.

... On pretty much the same note, there's probably people on the list willing and ready to edit who haven't updated in six months, or a year, or more. And now their name is so far back on the list few writers will see it.

That is why the search feature is there.

The worst element is that my previous entry as "Snooper" is still there, despite the email address being screwed. So anyone sending me a request will get no reply because I will not get the request. I can't fix it, or change anything because the "confirm your new email" message also went to the screwed-up email, but the old address had already been deleted.

 

[atastofu]

I was trying to find a place to complain and byeotch, but it looks like it might not really do much good.....As I see many other people have had the same problem with a so-called editor.....Well I wish to point one by name so that others will not have to waste your time with this person....Jesi Vance (egyptian druid) or whatever he/she chooses to go by was a total waste. And I offered more than one chance for this person to at least respond.....

Dont waste your time with this editor......

 

[AsylumSeeker]

I'm Really Sorry

I was trying to find a place to complain and byeotch, but it looks like it might not really do much good.....As I see many other people have had the same problem with a so-called editor.....Well I wish to point one by name so that others will not have to waste your time with this person....Jesi Vance (egyptian druid) or whatever he/she chooses to go by was a total waste. And I offered more than one chance for this person to at least respond.....

Dont waste your time with this editor......

I'm so sorry you had a bad editor experience. That's not the rule of thumb. Most of us are here to help, really. Ignore the fly-by-night editors.

 

[JackLuis]

My Expierence as a 'Virgin'

I looked up maybe six VE's and sent them queries.
Only three sent me back positive messages two begged off because of other pressing issues, maybe they read some of my work <wink>.

One told me she would be slow as she didn't have a lot of time but I sent her two chapters, one short, and one long. True to her screen name she was a long time sending back the edit to the first short chapter. She did a good job and gave me both comments and corrections in Word. I sent her back a message thanking her for her work and said, I'd try to self edit the long chapter as I realized how much work she was putting in to the effort. (I still haven't, for reasons to be explained.)

I sent the first three chapters of another story to a second VE who responded positively to me. I still haven't received anything from him.

I sent the same three chapters of my story to the third editor and he came back to me with the first chapter edited and marked up with a nice e-mail and said he would get to the other chapters. Still waiting on them, but his comments gave me the incentive to write a story about a VE who finds an added benifit to editing. It's a short ~2,500 word story.

He loved it and the next day I had a dream and worked up another story from the memories of the dream. So I sent it to him as he had said me ending stories to him wasn't an imposition on his time.
I got back an edit of the third story, I guess because I told him I was really proud of how it turned out.

Thank you TantricTeacher!

So I guess there are good stories and horror stories about VE's But writers need feedback, some more than others.

SO I wait, hopping from one foot to the other like a five year old who needs to pee waiting for my edits to return and grinning like a fool.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

I looked up maybe six VE's and sent them queries.
Only three sent me back positive messages two begged off because of other pressing issues, maybe they read some of my work <wink>.

One told me she would be slow as she didn't have a lot of time but I sent her two chapters, one short, and one long. True to her screen name she was a long time sending back the edit to the first short chapter. She did a good job and gave me both comments and corrections in Word. I sent her back a message thanking her for her work and said, I'd try to self edit the long chapter as I realized how much work she was putting in to the effort. (I still haven't, for reasons to be explained.)

I sent the first three chapters of another story to a second VE who responded positively to me. I still haven't received anything from him.

I sent the same three chapters of my story to the third editor and he came back to me with the first chapter edited and marked up with a nice e-mail and said he would get to the other chapters. Still waiting on them, but his comments gave me the incentive to write a story about a VE who finds an added benifit to editing. It's a short ~2,500 word story.

He loved it and the next day I had a dream and worked up another story from the memories of the dream. So I sent it to him as he had said me ending stories to him wasn't an imposition on his time.
I got back an edit of the third story, I guess because I told him I was really proud of how it turned out.

Thank you TantricTeacher!

So I guess there are good stories and horror stories about VE's But writers need feedback, some more than others.

SO I wait, hopping from one foot to the other like a five year old who needs to pee waiting for my edits to return and grinning like a fool.

That's part of the Lit campaign to do its part to lose weight. Congrats! You've been selected to be ignored and passed around! You've just lost 120 calories typing the complaint and will likely lose EVEN MORE bashing in the walls!

No thanks needed! More frustration will be sent your way with no request needed!

Oh, sorry. Just trying in my own way to be funny <ouch!>

Okay, so maybe not.

Seriously, I'm sory you're having a difficult time.

If you're up against a wall and are in dire straits, PM me. I'm no damn English major, but I know what sounds good. If that helps.

 

[hotti]

Well, as a VE myself, I can tell you that it's sometimes really difficult to get back to people as fast as they expect. I personally don't edit on the weekends, in fact I don't go online on the weekends, so I don't answer any inquiries that come on Friday, Saturday or Sunday until Monday. I try my best to reply to everyone, whether I'm agreeing to edit or passing with apologies. I also ask up front what the timeframe is, and if it's too tight I pass and wish them luck. I have given a few people MY timeframe, and they either pass or agree to wait - and if they DO look for another editor, they know (because I tell them) that if they can't find anyone else, let me know and I'll put them into my queue. And yet, I probably have missed replying to one or maybe even two inquiries - we're all human, and so are not infallable!

I've accepted stories a couple of times that, after looking at it, I've sent the author an email apologizing that I wouldn't be able to edit for them after all, and I've explained my reason. Yes, they weren't well received, but I refuse to completely re-write someone else's story. Sometimes, that's exactly what needs to happen - a complete re-write.

What I don't understand is this: I am *volunteering* my time to help someone else, with no expectation of reward beyond a quick 'thank you' email (which I've only gotten a couple of, btw); yet apparently that's beyond comprehension for some folk. I enjoy editing simply because it helps another person learn something, and accomplish something, and helps us both feel good about ourselves and about each other. I volunteer at my local library too, and for the same reasons. But it’s my gift of precious time that I give freely, and when it becomes a commodity that someone feels *entitled* to, for no better reason than that they feel they deserve it, and expect it, then that’s when Houston has a problem.

As for “second readers” and “self-titled editors”, well… “so-called authors” should be happy that there is *someone* willing to lend some help. 'Editing' (such as spelling, grammar and simple sentence structure) can be done by anyone with intelligence, not just those few who have gotten a piece of paper from a school that claims they're now Editors. That'd be like saying one isn't capable of taking a picture unless they're a professional photographer. We are all *amateur* writers here, so why would anyone expect professional editors?

I do understand the frustration of not receiving a reply - that's not kosher. But remember, you can't know *why* they haven't replied, so give them the benefit of the doubt, and move on to the next. I was down with tonsillitis and the 'flu a few weeks ago, and I didn't answer people for over a week - at which time I explained and apologized, and two people even sent understanding emails back (though another sent one that was very rude, and you can be sure I'll never edit for that person!).

Life happens to everyone, and when it happens to you, wouldn't you want people to show a little understanding and tolerance?

*EDIT* I am also a "so-called author", so please don't get your panties in a wad over that comment! It's not an insult to anyone.