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Contract #2

Contract #2 is a typical e-publisher contract with which I am familiar. This one is rather reasonable. I recommended that if Jane wanted the position based on this contract it would be acceptable, as far as I know.

Dear Jane,

It is with great pleasure that I offer you a contract with **********for the position of Editor. I have attached the contract here for your convenience.

Please fill out the personal information at the bottom of the last page and type your name. By completing the section, this indicates you accept the conditions of the contract. Send this completed attachment to me at **********e-mail.

As an Editor with *********you guide authors through the editing process in the preparation of their manuscript for publication. An Editor's job is extremely important. An Editor should check for writing/grammar errors such as passive writing; overuse of some words or phrases, and spelling or punctuation problems. You should also make sure the story flows smoothly. For your convenience I am copy/pasting the EDITOR GUIDELINES here. Please read them carefully and if you have any questions send me an email or phone call and we will discuss it.

The Editorial Guidelines are as follows:

EDITOR GUIDELINES

We do not change the author's story or voice. Story should be changed only if there are logic errors. In addition, a change is called for if there are inaccuracies such as a character doing something he or she could not legally or logically do, such as be in some situation that would be extremely implausible or improbable.

The Editor and author are given thirty (30) days to complete work on a manuscript. When taking on an assignment discuss the start date, to begin working on the manuscript, with me. Editing starts only on the "start date" on which you decided. Should an extension be needed this can be worked out.

If you use Word there is a "tracking" feature [TRK] on the task bar at the bottom. It stays grayed out unless you are using it. If you use Word and utilize the Tracking feature, make sure the author with whom you are working has a program that will "read" it. And in addition, make sure that all changes have been accepted or rejected before sending it on to me.

If either you or the author does NOT have Word, the following process has been established. It is simple but effective to use brackets [ ] and capital letters. Using these particular brackets [ ] is easier because they are available without having to use the shift key. When editing on screen you can keep "Caps Lock" turned on so all your comments will be in caps. I find it also helps to use bold on these comments since this makes them easier for the author to find.

If you use Word or any other program which has the feature, do NOT use the Comments feature. This puts hidden text into the document and if not found and cleared out it won't show up again until the manuscript is in HTML. If we don't know about it your comments will end up being read by everyone who buys an HTML version of the book. Most readers won't have a clue that it's there as an editorial comment and will wonder why we do such sloppy editing. That's not good for the author, not good for the editor and not good for the house.

STEP BY STEP

Read through the entire manuscript. Feel free to make notes to yourself as they occur to you. Be particularly mindful of logic errors.

Go back to Chapter One (or the Prologue if there is one) and go through it, inserting the editing comments as shown in the paragraph above.

Send this chapter to the author. Or, if you and the author decide to do so you can send several chapters, or the entire manuscript, at one time. Some of the editors and authors prefer to send blocks of copy, three to four chapters at a time. It is sent as an attachment to email.

While the author is working on that chapter, or those chapters, you can be working on the next chapter or block of chapters if you are working with blocks of copy rather than the entire manuscript.

When the author has completed his/her revisions s/he will send them back to you. You will check to make sure all the corrections were made, or if the author objects to one of the editorial suggestions the two of you can try to work out a compromise. Attempt at all times to adhere to the author's "voice" in his/her writing. Should you not be able to work out the problem(s), please let me know.

During this editing process you will need to have the author decide what s/he would like on the cover. S/he will also need to write a back cover blurb, an inside front cover teaser (usually a short--sometimes steamy--scene between the H/H). And in addition an author bio is needed.

Once all the revisions are completed on the entire manuscript to your, and the author's, satisfaction, you will send the manuscript to me for review.

If I can be of help at any time, call on me.


Publisher


EDITORIAL AGREEMENT
(Publisher) herein extends this Editor/Publisher agreement: **********, hereafter shown as Editor, and ***********, hereafter shown as publisher.
Editor agrees to completely edit books supplied by the Publisher. Editor will be paid 5% of the download price for each book sold through the Publisher.
Editor's Role
Editor is expected to read the entire manuscript of each book assigned to him/her. However, the Editor is not expected to waste their valuable time or the company's time editing inferior work. In such a case, the editor is required to read no less than five chapters of such a book. If by chapter five the work is too far from being fixable due to the author's lack of writing skill, then Editor is required to write a report and return the manuscript to the Publisher. A full and complete explanation of why the editor finds the work unacceptable must be disclosed in the report.
The Publisher is responsible for pre-screening the first chapter of each book before it is assigned to an Editor, which should eliminate much of the inferior work and Editor may be assigned.
An Editor must complete editing his/her assigned book within 30 days. The exception to this is in the case of books longer than 100,000 words at a rate of five days grace per every 10,000 words over the 100,000 word limit.
Emergencies
In the event of family emergency, as in the case of illness or death in the family, where the Editor cannot complete editing assigned book(s): the manuscript is to be returned immediately to the Publisher with complete written explanation of what prevents the Editor from fulfilling his/her assignment. Email is acceptable. Abuse of the above by the Editor constitutes termination by the Publisher of this and any future contracts with the Editor.
Publisher's Policy
Editor is expected to work directly with the author on every book assigned to them. Final decisions on each book are the responsibility and right of the Publisher. Editor is expected to critique the author's work with diplomacy, tact and the utmost professionalism. Abuse of this policy shall not be tolerated, nor shall the Editor be expected to tolerate verbal or written abuse by authors. In the unlikely event this should happen. The manuscript will be rejected and returned to the author. It is the Publisher's responsibility to explain the reasons for this to the author, based on the testimony from the Editor.
Termination of Editing Services
The publisher retains the right to terminate the services of the Editor if his/her work is deemed by the Publisher to be inferior or inadequate. Termination shall take place in writing, effective on the date determined by the Publisher.
Editor may cancel this agreement in writing. Please give 30 days notice and complete all edits assigned to you.
I agree to the terms and policies of this contract. In good faith and to the best of my ability, I will fulfill my assigned editing obligations to ***** until such time as either Editor or Publisher terminates this agreement in writing.
By completing the following and sending this contract as an attachment to *********** this constitutes your approved digital signature
Click in the bracket
Editor Signature [ ] Date: [ ]
Address [ ] City [ ] State [ ] Zip Code [ ]
Daytime telephone number [ ]
Evening telephone number [ ]
Email address:
<<Address and contact information for publisher omitted>>

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