Open for Review and Proofreading Commissions! (Updated) · 9:23pm Jul 17th, 2017
It's time to update the commissions blog! Partly because I need it back at the top of my blog list for easy access, and partly because I actually have an update! Here's the quick rundown:
1) The max wordcount has been increased to 50k.
2) Actually, the max wordcount has been lifted, but you'll pay differently depending on how long the story is. (For reviews, anyway.)
3) This means there is no more guarantee for turnaround time. People expressed dismay before that the max I would take was so low, but if I'm gonna be reading lots of longfics, everyone's gonna have to wait to get their reviews.
4) I am increasing the price for proofreading commissions.
I think that's it. The new pay scale will be detailed below.
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$642.05------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$1933
HERE'S HOW THIS WORKS
REVIEW COMMISSIONS
Got a story you want me to review? Great.
1) Is it complete? I won't read incomplete stories on principle. (The exception is collections of stories; I'm willing to read one, a few, or even all the short pieces that have been posted to date.)
2) Go here and make sure I haven't reviewed it already. Ctrl-H will let you search the entire spreadsheet for the title, although if you're not using Windows, I don't know what to tell you. You can always ask if you want to be sure.
3) Queue is first come, first served. Please only submit one story or story collection per PM. (once I've invoiced you, you can send me another; use the same thread, it'll make things easier!)
3a) If you've been in contact with me via PM over the last few months -- and you know who you are -- go by what we've talked about.
3b) Some folks have told me things like, "Here's $20, go read something in my gallery," or "Feel free to read any of my stories and I'll pay." That's cool to do! You could also just throw money at me and have me pick something at that word count out of my RIL/RIS/RIN. I will check with you when I decide on a story, just to make sure it's one you're okay with being reviewed.
4) Once you know what story you want and are sure it's complete and not one I've already reviewed, send me a PM with the following information:
- Link to the story on Fimfiction. (I will take links to other sites, by which I mean DeviantArt and EQD, but I won't be happy about it.)
- Full word count.
- Your Paypal address. (If you do not use Paypal, I'm sorry, you cannot participate at the moment.)
5) I will read the story and send you a Paypal invoice. The review will be posted in my next review blog after receipt of payment, with a "Paid Review by" tag. (Please let me know if you do not want your name included in the review. Though if you don't want people to know you read the story, why the hell are you paying me to?)
6) For the first 50k words: Payment is $1 per 1,000 words, rounded down, $1 minimum payment. This means you take your Fimfiction word count, chop off the three digits to the right of the comma, and that's your payment. 2,001 words costs $2, the same as 2,999.
For the next 50k words: Payment is $50 plus $0.95 per 1,000 words. As word count climbs, the price per 1k will drop by 5 cents every 50k. Here's a quick and dirty formula to show what you would be paying:
up to 50k = up to $50
51-100k = 50 + up to 47.50 = $50.95-97.50
101-150k = 50 + 47.50 + up to 45 = $98.40-142.50
151-200k = 50 + 47.50 + 45 + up to 42.50 = $143.35-185
201-250k = 50 + 47.50 + 45 + 42.50 + up to 40 = $185.80-225
The lower bound is $.10 per 1k, which will happen up around the million word mark I think?
If that looks complicated, just know the price will be less than the wordcount if it's over 50k, and I'll figure out all the math for you.
6a) If I do not finish the story, I will charge only for the wordcount of the chapters I read. For stories over 50k, the sliding pay scale applies to this, as well. (If I stop after 60k, I will charge you $50 for the first 50k and $9.50 for the next 10k before I stopped.) This is why I read it first and invoice later.
6b) If you ask me to read a longfic that I will definitely be reading all of (if it is a fandom classic that would get its own post), I will notify you of this at the time you choose the fic so you can gird your pocketbook.
7) Disclaimer: I do not guarantee that payment will result in a positive review. I have the right to refuse to read any story, in full or in part. (I will not always explain my reasons, but this may happen if I have promised to read the story for someone else.) I will likely recuse myself from nominating any stories reviewed this way in regards to Equestria Daily and the Royal Canterlot Library. Don't fuck this up for everyone by making me read lots of horrible shit you know I'll hate.
PROOFREADING COMMISSIONS
These will work like the review commissions, with a few differences:
1) There is no word count limit. Stories do not need to be complete.
2) If the story is complete, you will likely get a free review after I'm done. These will be tagged "Proofread by Me".
3) Your PM should include:
- Your Paypal address
- A link to the story (Google Docs preferred, but Fimfiction accepted. If you are using GDocs, please turn commenting and suggestions on or I will not be able to give you feedback in any kind of useful way!)
- The current word count.
4) Payment is $1 per 1,000 words, rounded up. This is the big difference. $1 gets you 1,000 words, period. 1,001 words costs $2; 2,001 costs $3. There is no sliding pay scale for proofreading commissions.
5) These commissions are proofreading only. I may offer editing suggestions, but my aim is only to make sure your final product is polished vis-a-vis grammar, spelling and punctuation. If there are major flaws in your plot, characters, etc., that's on you. My aim is to achieve fewer than 1 error per 1,000 words.
6) Disclaimer: I do not guarantee that use of this service will result in positive reviews or acceptance by Equestria Daily, the Royal Canterlot Library, or any other entity. This service is intended for polishing of final drafts, not first drafts.
Feel free to ask me any questions below. If you think this is a stupid idea and want me to go fuck myself, feel free to not say anything. :V I wouldn't have even considered doing this if people hadn't offered already.
So... How much would Project Horizons have cost?
Good luck, PP! That's a really good price for the editing, especially; I hope you get plenty of takers.
4604481
If we round PH to an even 1.7 million words, that's 34 blocks of 50k words. The first 250k (i.e. the first five 50k blocks) cost $225, plus 40 bucks for every 50k words after that. So, 225+(29x40)= $1,385.
Which might sound expensive, but according to my research, cans of SPAM are currently running at $0.22 per ounce. If you spent that money on SPAM instead of PP's reviews, you'd end up trying to eat nearly 400 pounds of the lunchmeat. AND THEN YOU'D DIE.
Save yourself; buy PP reviews instead of SPAM.
(And actually, it'd be cheaper than that if PP intends that the price keeps dropping every 50k words past the first quarter-million, but then he'd end up paying to read the last few chapters of PH. I can only assume that's not what he's intending)
Are you willing to proofread original fiction, and do the same rates apply?
4604518
That's crazy. Nobody would eat that much spam.
Besides, my numbers show that it might be possible to buy 775lbs of butterscotch candies for the same amount. Now that would kill a person.
4604518
There's a lower bound that I think I forgot to mention!
4604522
Yes to both!
I think EqG Celestia will be relieved to hear this. But I believe you meant "principle."
4604665
dammit >.<
4604606
In regards to original fiction, that's a fantastic deal. That Project Horizons price is in the ballpark of having a 100k manuscript proofread by a typical freelance editor. You should drop a note in the bookplayer's original fiction group
Not to backseat-business you, but are you sure you're charging enough for your services? People who make their money on commissions usually require more per hour than those of us earning a steadier paycheck to make up for all those hours when they're not being paid
4605036
I'm not trying to make a living off of this. (Yet.) I'm trying to get more people interested in taking quick, cheap commissions so I can reach the monetary goal.
If I can do that, then I will adjust prices accordingly to actually recompense me for my time. :B I always leave the invoices open to tips, too!
4605170
Ah, OK. Well, good luck. That'd be really cool if you could make a living off this (or writing)
4605266
Yes.
Yes it would.
Do you take commissions to review fic readings?
I noticed in some of your fic recs, especially if a fic has multiple readings, you sometimes add in a bit about your thoughts on the reader(s)' technique, and I was curious about how that works.
4650149
Uhh...
I guess I could. When I come across a new reader is when I'll review them. So those just usually happen on their own.
I dunno, it doesn't take the same effort for me to listen to an audiobook that it does to read a story myself. :B I dunno, just point me at a reading, I'll do it.
4650424
Would you possibly want to review the Pirene audiobook when the whole thing is released?
4650861
I've already reviewed both the story and Illya. :B Isn't he narrating it? That's what I usually focus on.
4650987
Nope! Illya is voicing Nessus and the Morgwyn. I narrate and voice everyone else.
I'm pretty new to narrating audiobooks and PIrene is my first long-term project, thus the interest.
4651039
Do you have a Youtube channel? Are you planning on doing any other audiobooks?
4651172
Yes and yes.
The Youtube channel is bare at the moment, though. We agreed to put Pirene on Illya's channel and Three Nights will probably go there as well, but I have plans for after that already in mind.
4651208
Well, lemme know when you get another reading up. :)
4651383
Will do! :) Thanks a ton.