Taking a Test
Although this rarely happens, you may arrive for a job interview and be handed a brief story and a report form. This is a test to find out what you can do on the spot. Although you may be momentarily unnerved, you should welcome the opportunity to strut your stuff. Just keep calm and do your best work.
Working on Speculation
Occasionally an inexperienced manuscript reader will be asked to do the initial reviews "on spec." When a freelancer works on speculation, there is no guarantee that he or she will be paid. The work is assigned, and the reviews are completed, but the employer isn't obliged to pay if the work isn't satisfactory. This may seem like a horrible situation that could easily be abused by an unscrupulous employer, but in fact, it usually isn't. Nobody likes to work on spec, and many people won't, but working on spec sometimes provides an entry for a novice reader to gain experience.
If you do choose to work on spec, reputable employers will pay if they like your reports. They have reputations to maintain and word soon gets around when freelancers are treated unfairly. (Some freelance organizations even maintain lists-and sometimes publish them in their newsletters-of slow- pay or no-pay employers.)
Working under Contract
At the opposite end of the scale from working on spec is working under contract. Some employers provide a simple contract with each job as a matter of course. Others rely on verbal agreement. Most contracts specify the assignment, the amount to be paid, and the deadline for completion of the work. Unless you have a long-term assignment or suspect you won't be paid, a contract usually isn't necessary.
Rates of Pay
Manuscript reading is often great fun, and you'll get plenty of personal satisfaction from a job well done. Kind words from your employer are nice too, but you'll want more than a blue ribbon after a week of hard work. What can you expect to be paid for your efforts? Pay rates for any type of freelance work vary considerably among employers. There is no set scale, but in general, pay is higher in big cities, and on the East and West coasts. Employers usually pay more for experience and/or proficiency, but this is not always true. Some employers pay the same rates to all their freelancers doing similar work, regardless of their length of service or level of expertise.
Larger publishers and literary agencies usually have a standard rate that initially can't be negotiated. In some cases, periodic raises will be given automatically. In others, if you want more money after a respectable period of time, you'll have to ask for it.
If you find work with someone who uses few freelancers, or you're the first freelancer to be hired, you may be asked to quote your fee. (Even if you're hired by someone who offers you a specific rate at your acceptance interview, there's no harm in asking for more if you think the rate is too low. Of course, this is better done after you have some experience under your belt.)
Manuscript reading is usually compensated for on a piece-work basis. That is, you'll receive X dollars for each report that you do. Some work may occasionally be done on an hourly rate.
Pay Rate Guidelines
Below is a list of guidelines that tell you, in a general way, what you might expect to be compensated. Please bear in mind that these are only rough estimates. You might earn a great deal more. We've tried to estimate on the conservative side, so that you'll be pleasantly surprised rather than stunned if the rate you're offered differs considerably.
Article/short story manuscript critique (3000 words or less) - $30-50 and up
Book manuscript report (fiction/nonfiction) (outline, 20,000 words/2 chapters) - $125 and up
Book manuscript (half page summary and recommendation) - $50 and up
Textbook (entire manuscripts - $225 and up
Fulltime Work
The same rule of thumb is true for fulltime work as for freelance: higher salaries in larger urban areas and on the coasts. Starting pay is generally not terribly high, but there's plenty of opportunity for advancement. In a Midwestern city, your starting salary might be somewhere in the high teens or low twenties, but as you work your way up the ladder, salaries of $30,000-35,000 are not uncommon. Top editors at film or publishing companies, of course, receive much more.
Writing the Review
As we all know, most people who employ manuscript readers have questionnaires or some other types of reporting forms to be used by the reader. Obviously, the questionnaire type offers the most guidance for a beginning reader. If you've answered the questions appropriately, you've done what was expected of you. You won't always have such a specific format, however. What should be included in a reader's report where no specific format is requested? The following ten questions should serve as guidelines when reviewing works of fiction:
- What is the basic premise of the story?
- Who are the major characters?
- What major events occur in the story?
- Where or in what manner is the story set?
- What interests and conflicts do the characters have?
- What did you like about the work?
- What flaws did you find?
- Would you recommend the work? Why or why not?
- Does the work have mass appeal? If not, who would enjoy it?
- In your opinion, will the work sell?
Practice, Practice
Before you actually look for work, you'll want to write some sample reviews. Practice until you feel comfortable, but don't get too hung up on any specific style. Remember, most employers will give you pretty detailed instructions about how they want their reviews handled. You're bound to feel a little nervous when you get your first job no matter how much you've practiced, so don't be timid. When you think you're ready, go for it!
In this article, we've told you everything you need to know to get started on a career as a manuscript reader. Remember to practice until you feel reasonably comfortable-but don't wait too long to get started-remember each employer will have guidelines. Be confident, have fun, and bank those pay-checks!
