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How much would you pay someone who...

by E. Corbo
14 replies
... proofread and edited your 115 pages ebook (he did a lot of editing, basically rewrote every 2nd page).

The problem is as follows: this is a friend (no very close, but a wonderful person) who volunteered to do the work for free as he has experience with this kind of work.

I doubt that he knew the extend that was needed (115 pages) but he did a great job and I really want to compensate him for his time (I don't know the exact amount of time he put in but it must be something around 10h).

How much would you pay? (My financial situation isn't the best at the moment...)

Thanks,
Eddie
#pay
  • Profile picture of the author bobcath
    Since he volunteered to do it for free, I'd probably buy him a gift voucher for around 50 or 60 dollars rather than perhaps having an embarrassing discussion over money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Suthan M
    Ditto Bob above.

    He will most prolly be happy with that- as he looks like someone who likes to deal with reading material a lot. Or maybe get 1-2 good books and pass to him as a gift
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  • Profile picture of the author Gerald Arno
    Banned
    Determining how much you should be paying someone to proof read a document comes down to basically a few things:

    -Your budget. How much are you willing to pay per 1000 word?

    -What type of proof reading do you need done?

    -How qualified is the proof reader and how much is he worth?

    You definitely want to look at testimonials from previous clients, reputation, etc.

    It might be smart to give a test page to each potential proof reader and review their work. If you are non-native speaker, it is probably going to be really hard to judge whether the quality is sufficient or not.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jon Patrick
      If I were in your shoes, I would at least give him cash or a voucher amounting to around $80. While $8 per hour isn't much, it would be something at least, and since you can easily find qualified editors to work for $8 per hour, the work isn't worth more than that IMHO.
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Since your friend did volunteer, and your financial situation "isn't the best right now", I'd stick with something that will serve as a gesture of appreciation rather than thinking about 'compensation'.

        What is your friend into? If he likes mystery novels, you could get him a nice hardback of a novel. If he likes wine, a nice bottle with a thank you card. Heck, detail his car or something.

        Your friend did you a favor. Just do something that says 'thank you'...
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        • Profile picture of the author JOSourcing
          Banned
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          Since your friend did volunteer, and your financial situation "isn't the best right now", I'd stick with something that will serve as a gesture of appreciation rather than thinking about 'compensation'.

          What is your friend into? If he likes mystery novels, you could get him a nice hardback of a novel. If he likes wine, a nice bottle with a thank you card. Heck, detail his car or something.

          Your friend did you a favor. Just do something that says 'thank you'...
          I have to agree with John on this one. My father, an artist, once told me, "Don't sell your artwork - give it away." Being a young aspiring painter at the time, I thought he was bonkers and disregarded his advice as a senior moment. I didn't realize until decades later that the right gift, given at the right time, in the right circumstance is simply priceless, even if it's just a home-cooked meal and a terrific conversation.
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  • Profile picture of the author littledan
    If he has not brought up the issue of it being a bigger job than he thought and hinted at some kind of payment, I would guess he is still OK doing this as a favour to you. I would however get him a £50 (or $) voucher, maybe an Amazon one would be appropriate. In cases like these something like a voucher can be easier to give and recieve rather than money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joey Tribbiani
    Pay him around $30-$50. If not that, give him some voucher or something people appreciate like free stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author E. Corbo
    Guys, these are great suggestions, thank you.

    I did him a big favor once, so when I mentioned compensation before he started the job he said that it wouldn't be necessary. However, if I felt it enhanced the quality of the book he wouldn't disrespect any measure of recognition I took...
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    • Profile picture of the author khairole
      Give him something he really like. If you know his hobby,maybe you can buy something related to it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lori Kelly
    Is there something you can do for him - like an exchange of services? Maybe he has been thinking about starting a blog and you can set one up for him.

    Or maybe he has some home improvement projects and you know how to paint, etc. and offer to spend a Saturday helping him.

    You don't necessarily have to compensate him monetarily, you can offer to provide him with one of your talents or skills.
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  • Profile picture of the author dave147
    I'd say give him $50
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  • Profile picture of the author WriterWahm
    Why don't you buy him a Groupon for something he would like? You would be giving him great value but it won't hurt your pocket that much.
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  • Profile picture of the author paul_1
    Between $60-$80 of a gift voucher that he likes would be great...
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