Volunteer Editors System

[Guest]

I keep reading about the troubles that people are having with Lit's editors. It is all very sad.

I appreciate that it is a voluntary thing but it does carry obligation. Is it beyond our wit to make up a small form of agreement that the author can send and the editor return with his/hers agreement to do the job and a time limit.

Failure to comply would result in the editor being deleted from the list.

On the other side of that debate, I won't put my name on the list. I don't want to be part of a 'Dutch Auction'. Instead I sometimes write to people who are asking for editors.

This has been quite successful and I have received fulsome praise. Even from some of the most respected of writers.
But they don't seem to come back. Strange isn't it.

You will understand why I choose to use the guest function.

 

[Laurel]

I keep reading about the troubles that people are having with Lit's editors. It is all very sad.

I appreciate that it is a voluntary thing but it does carry obligation. Is it beyond our wit to make up a small form of agreement that the author can send and the editor return with his/hers agreement to do the job and a time limit.

Failure to comply would result in the editor being deleted from the list.

On the other side of that debate, I won't put my name on the list. I don't want to be part of a 'Dutch Auction'. Instead I sometimes write to people who are asking for editors.

This has been quite successful and I have received fulsome praise. Even from some of the most respected of writers.
But they don't seem to come back. Strange isn't it.

You will understand why I choose to use the guest function.

Hiya Guest,

As I've expressed on many a thread (you should do a search and read my posts - I'd love to hear your input on my ideas), the Editors program is very barebones right now. It's hard to balance the needs of the writers with the fact that these editors ARE volunteers. However, I totally agree that if you do sign up, you should be willing to do the job in a prompt manner. That's only fair.

The big plan is to incorporate a rating system where writers can rate their editors, something akin to eBay's system. I also want to make it easier for editors to sign in and sign out of the program, and for writers to notify me when they don't get a response from an editor. That way, I can email the editor and if I dont get a response, they'll be removed from the list. Additionally, I'd like to start an eGroups-type email list for the editors, though I'm hesitant to do that right now since we have an Editors forum with hardly any posts in it.

I love the Volunteer Editors program. I want it to be as useful and convenient as possible for everyone involved. Any feedback as to how to make this happen would be appreciated.

 

[KillerMuffin]

There is a distinct possibility that most of the editors on the list don't realize there is a board, and if they do, haven't ever visited it or felt comfortable voicing concerns.

I have a dialog going on with an editor or two via IM. We occasionally bounce ideas off of each other. Acutally, it's me bellowing OH MY FREAKING GAWD!!!! IS IT 6 OR SIX!!!!!!

She puts up with me.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by Killermuffin

As I've expressed on many a thread (you should do a search and read my posts

I should live so long as to be able to read your posts, please God.

I am sure that anything that you suggest will have been well thought out. Just keep it simple.

JAE

 

[Guest]

OK I made a complete mess of that.

Exchange Laurel for Killermuffin. Delete the "I should live so long..." It is KM who is all over the board - and why not. So no replies about that, thank you.

Laurel: I don't know about e-Groups etc. In my working life I was an Industrial Engineer. I devised systems. The more complicated it became the worse it worked. My suggestion was for something simple.
I do understand your problem with VE's and I understand your desire to construct a good working system but I feel that it is between the two primary parties and should be left that way.

Nothing of the above should be seen as criticism - except the first line!
JAE

 

[Laurel]

Laurel: I don't know about e-Groups etc. In my working life I was an Industrial Engineer. I devised systems. The more complicated it became the worse it worked. My suggestion was for something simple.

Yeah, that's kind of my feeling about it, too. It's tough...I'd like to have some way of bringing the editors together - reminding them that they're IN the program, having them share info, etc. - but at the same time I don't want to construct some huge machinery around it. I don't want it to become a weird 'club' that takes up all of their time, yet I want them to have access to support from other editors and to information that may be helpful to them. I'm on a couple of eGroups lists, and they can get annoying especially when they're active.

I'm working on bringing the Editors list into the new scripts - so that it's an option within the database. That way, people could sign in & out of the program through their profile, as well as change their editor description.

Once that's done, the next step will be to put in place the feedback system, which will be similar to eBay's. Writers (and only writers who've used the editor) could give an editor a + or a -, along with a sentence description explaining their decision. Any -'s will be emailed to me so that I'm aware of them - not so I can spank anyone, but just so I know about any problems. The editors will be allowed to respond to any writer's evaluations.

Maybe just by formalizing it a little more and keeping a closer watch on it (something that's hard to do as it's set up now), that'll clear out a lot of those who don't want to be there and encourage those who're interested in participating. Maybe not. Who knows?

I do understand your problem with VE's and I understand your desire to construct a good working system but I feel that it is between the two primary parties and should be left that way.

I agree. I think there needs to be better communication between the editors & the authors - hence the feedback system. If there's an editor sitting on the list ignoring every story that comes his or her way, then that person should not be on the list. If there's a writer who's abusive to the editors or is habitually sending stories without any kind of introduction, then we should all know that, too, so that he/she can be slapped upside the head. (Kidding, really)

KM wrote a little bit that I'm going to post for writers to read prior to sending a story to an editor. I'd like to put together a brief little introduction to send to new editors describing the 'job' to them. No matter what we do, there will always be writers who will send stories off without asking first, and there will be editors who don't respond. The goal is to make enough information available that those who WANT to do things the right way will be able to do so.

 

[Guest]

I send my very best wishes for your success.
Bye.

JAE

 

[Angel]

Laurel...

Try setting up the mailing list on yahoo egroups or off of Lit, whatever. Shit I have an open slot for a mailing list off of my own domain that I never plan on using if you want to use that. ( I cringe now that yahoo has taken over my beloved egroups.)

Volunteer Editors can join this list if they wanna, or make it mandatory to join. Either way you can keep it pretty simple. You can make announcements that assure that all of us get the announcement, and we can use it to let you and each other know stuff that needs to be known. Don't make it a huge discussion list, just one for important editor only stuff. If it doesn't work out, you can always can it.