My editor got ill recently and apologized that she wouldn’t have the energy to work on the book. She recommended Linda, a freelancer friend.
I talked with Linda. She told me she has been focusing on marketing works for a company. She also did editing and ghost-writing for some others. When I asked if she wants to write a book herself. She said that she likes to help others to fulfill their passion (e.g. writing on gender equality) and make a better world…I share that and why I started UncoverSpecial. We got into the topic of tea and spent quite a few minutes on “a world tour of tea”; she shared a ginger blend that she enjoyed and worked well with a sore throat.
When we talked about the timing and compensation, I was surprised by her rate, much higher than other freelancers who I’ve worked with and have done good works. Yet I’m intrigued by what she said: She is very efficient and she estimated 10 hours for the work (my first round of edits took more than twice of the time). If she is good, not only on copy-editing but also in story development and from reader empathy, it would be worth it.
What sells? or what worked in Linda’s favor?
- Word-of-mouth sells: the recommendation from a person whose works I’ve seen and trusted carried weight.
- Being herself sells: Linda enjoys her works; she genuinely cared about others and showed interest in my story.
- Right chemistry sells: Linda and I “clicked” by a shared desire to make a better world and over an seemingly-unrelated chat about tea.
- Value sells: Linda didn’t discount her rate, neither did I ask. Instead, she “shared” her strength and experience (e.g. efficiency, addressing context and different persona in marketing) that would add values to my book.
In the end, I took Linda’s words for it and we both felt excited about the partnership!
Note: name has been changed to protect the person’s privacy