My goal is to create the best possible work with the least possible effort on your part.
- I will do a fixed-price bid. You will know what it will cost before you sign anything.
- There are unusual circumstances that can result in additional charges; those are spelled out for you in the proposal. There should be no surprises.
- If you need a full article delivered in less than two weeks, the bid is likely to include a 50% rush charge.
- NDAs are no problem. I respect secrets even without them. I’d be crazy not to.
- I usually need a sourcing session. Even if I’m familiar with the basic subject matter, I’ll need to know your positioning and key points. This will typically involve about an hour of time, which is most efficiently done over the phone.
- The overall process is as follows:
- Sign the agreement on the last page and email me the scanned version; I’ll print, scan, and email it back. For most projects, this is our contract. If you want a more formal contract, we can do that too (but they typically take longer to get through legal).
- Sourcing session
- A day or two after sourcing (typically), I send in an outline/fact check. The purpose is to:
- Make sure you’re happy with the angle and flow
- Confirm the facts that I’m going to incorporate
- Embed any remaining questions after the sourcing session.
- After the outline is reviewed, adjusted if necessary, and approved, I start work on the draft.
- I may draft over more than one day.
- I try to put a first draft away for a couple days so that I can re-scrub it with a fresh eye before turning the draft in for review.
- Once I get edits back, I incorporate them and send back the modified version.
- Reviewing drafts takes time. My goal is one draft, one final version.
- Usually edits converge so that we get done quickly. If, on subsequent rounds, entirely new edits are introduced that could have been identified the first time, it may result in extra charges.
- I usually recommend allowing one calendar month for the entire process, including review time.
- While I tend to get a bit whimsical on my Techfocus Media coverage – even goofy at times, I do not veer in that direction for my non-TFM writing. I aim for readable and conversational, but not silly.
- I am very strict about not mixing Techfocus Media and freelance work. A freelance deal will not get you better coverage on EE Journal; an EE Journal exclusive will not get you a better deal on a freelance job. That’s the only ethical choice.