Q: What do I do next?

A:

• To begin, all potential editors must register and complete the following steps:
  1. Resume Builder
  2. Web Page Builder
  3. Editing Tests
  4. Nondisclosure Agreement
     
• Next, you must wait until I give your submitted information and your Web page a personal review.
• If successful, you will be notified that your Web page and profile have been activated. (This can take anywhere from one day to two weeks)
• Only those editors whose Web pages have been activated are eligible to receive New Project Notifications.
• For those who are not successful, all information connected to your email address and your name will be deleted, and notification of this will be sent. (This can take anywhere from one day to two weeks)
• EditFast provides a free service to editors. There are promotional tools provided to help activated editors promote their free Web pages and their skills and talents as editors. When new projects are received from clients by the EditFast administration, these projects will be sent out to the best-qualified editor taking into consideration the needs of the client and the needs of the document. Our goal is to provide work to as many editors as possible. However, you should be aware that at no time is EditFast under any obligation to provide work to any editor. You are a freelancer. You are free to search for opportunities wherever they might be. EditFast is one of those opportunities. We do our best, but the wait for your first project may be a long one. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

1. Resume Builder

All editors must complete the Resume Builder forms. Clients have the ability to search for an editor from the Clients' Resource Area using a variety of parameters of their own choosing. The client may have very specific needs, therefore, the more information you supply in the Resume Builder the better your chances of landing a project that is suited to your skills and specializations. Because of the way the search function is set up, the greater the variety of words, synonyms, and descriptions you use in your profile and on your Web page, the wider your appeal and the more clients your information will reach. In order to broaden your appeal to searching clients, it is to your advantage to provide as much information about your skills as an editor, proofreader, and/or writer as you can, but at the same time, you should only provide information to the extent that you feel comfortable. Some of the information from these forms relating to your skills as an editor is used on your EditFast Web page which is available to EditFast clients, search engines such as Google, and the general public.

2. Web Page Builder

The EditFast Web Page Builder is your link to the world. Clients all around the world will be able to find your Web page using a search engine like Yahoo! or Google. Once you complete the Web Page Builder form and your profile has been enabled, your EditFast Web page will be available to the general public and will be found by the search engines within six weeks of its completion. Unfortunately, I have very little control over when your Web page will show up on the search engine results pages. Usually this will happen within 4 - 6 weeks for Google. I am always looking for ways to improve the Web page building process and get your page listed by the search engines.

Your personal web page serves three purposes:

1. It acts as your public profile
2. It brings clients and projects directly to your email inbox
3. It acts as a doorway to the EditFast Web site attracting clients and generally improving EditFast's exposure to the world, which in turn benefits you. The more pages there are on the EditFast web site the better the chances of attracting potential clients

All clients who contact you through your personal Web page are yours. When a client clicks the Contact this editor link on the editor's Web page, a notification that there is a message waiting is sent to the editor's email address. The editor is then free to download the document and give the client a firm estimate. The editor is also free to decline the project. If the project is declined, the editor MUST contact me stating the reasons for declining. For all projects the editor gets 60% of the final negotiated price. EditFast gets 40%. The client pays EditFast, and EditFast pays the editor through the editor's PayPal account.

3. Editing Tests

There are three editing/proofreading tests that must be completed. Each test is a separate item. Once you start one of the tests, you must complete it in that browser session. You do not have to complete all three tests in one session or even in one day. You can come back at anytime and complete the tests you have not yet attempted. Your test scores are available only to you and the EditFast administration. The test is only one of the factors used to decide on the most appropriate editor for a project. The editing tests are mainly used as a screening tool so that we can achieve our goal of providing the highest-quality editing service to our clients--->Fast.

WARNING!

Make sure you have time to complete each test and that you will not be interrupted. You should pick a time when you know your ISP connection is solid (low traffic days, late at night, early in the morning). If your connection is lost or interrupted, the test you are working on may become invalidated and the scores will not be recorded. Test retakes are NOT allowed.

4. Nondisclosure Agreement

All editors must read and agree to the nondisclosure agreement by clicking on the I Agree button. Our clients place their trust in us, and we must preserve that trust. This nondisclosure agreement ensures that the client's information and documents are kept in the strictest confidence and protected from any attempt to copy or distribute them in any way. This is a legally binding document.

Q: Is there a membership fee? Do I have to pay for this?

The EditFast services to editors are free and the optional membership is for additional benefits which you can see once you register. Projects are freely given to those editors who are selected by clients and the EditFast administration according to the needs of the client and the needs of the document. For all projects the editor gets 60% of the final negotiated price. EditFast gets 40%. EditFast does NOT take money from the editor. The client pays the fee. Editors are free to set their rate so that they receive the amount of money they feel comfortable with for a job of that size. The client pays EditFast and EditFast pays the editor through the editor's PayPal account.

Q: What are the advantages of registering with EditFast as an editor?

A: After signing up with EditFast, passing the screening procedure, my personal review, and getting your Web page enabled, you are eligible to:

1. Receive New Project Notifications and accept projects directly from clients or from the EditFast administration. When submitting a new project, every client has two options:
   

A) Let EditFast look after everything

If the client chooses this option we guarantee the work. Negotiations and initial discussions will take place between the client and the EditFast administration. Editors will have an opportunity to receive these projects from the EditFast administration depending on the qualifications and skills required by the client and the document requirements. EditFast acts as director and coordinator of projects and accepts responsibility for promotion of the web site and your skills, as well as acting as the collector and distributor for payments. In return, EditFast gets 60% of each project's final price. Clients pay EditFast and EditFast pays the editors. An invoice must be sent to EditFast (see below) by the editor. All invoices will be paid on the last day of the month following the month of receipt of the invoice.

 B) I want to search for my own editor

EditFast does not guarantee the work. If the client chooses this option, negotiations and discussions will take place between the chosen editor and the client. You must send the client an estimate using the online estimate form. For this option you set the price and negotiate with the client. EditFast acts as director and coordinator of projects and accepts responsibility for promotion of the web site and your skills, as well as acting as the collector and distributor for payments. In return, EditFast gets 40% of each project's final price. Clients pay EditFast and EditFast pays the editors. An invoice must be sent to EditFast (see below) by the editor. All invoices will be paid on the last day of the month following the month of receipt of the invoice.

Once chosen for a project by a client, you have an advantage with that client because your name is placed in that client's Favorites file making it easy for them to contact you for future projects. If you do a good job, you can be assured that client will return to you with another project. Do a good job, and build your client base!

2. Have your own Personal Web Page enabled so that it is available to prospective clients, search engines, and the general public. This is your link to the world!
3. Increase your presence on the web so that prospective clients can find you.
4. Increase client awareness of your editing skills and specialization.
5. Accept messages directly from clients via your EMC (Editor's Message Center).
6. Access the EditFast Grammar Resource.
7. Access future benefits now in development.

Q: How much do I get paid?

A: For projects that come directly from the EditFast administration, the chosen editor will be offered a chance to provide an estimate. I do not simply choose the editor with the lowest rate—that would not be good business. My goal is to provide high-quality editing services. I choose the editor with the best qualifications for the project. However, there may be times when the rate necessitated by the client's budget does not match the rate of the best-qualified editor. In this case the project will be given to the editor best suited to the client's budget. Clients pay EditFast, and EditFast pays the editors. A formal invoice is generated from the numbers entered on the Estimator and is sent to EditFast (see below) upon completion of the project. All outstanding invoices will be paid on the last day of the month following the month of receipt of the invoice.

Q: When will I get paid?

A: EditFast pays all outstanding invoices on the last day of the month following the month of receipt of the invoice.

Q: How do I Receive Payment From EditFast?

Q: How do I find out about an editing project?

A: New Project Notifications will arrive in your email inbox from either the EditFast admin or directly from a potential client. In these messages there will be a link to the client's message and the project description page.

Steps from initiation to completion of a project:

1. Client finds editor's Web page
2. Client clicks Contact this editor link
3. Client sends message to editor
4. Editor receives email containing link to client's message and project description page
5. Editor downloads the document and assesses it
6. Editor sends client project estimate
7. Client receives email containing link to editor's estimate
8. Client accepts editor's estimate (if client declines estimate or proposes something different, go back to step 6 above)
9. Project begins
10. Editor completes project and sends it to client from MC (Message Center)
11. Any follow up from client is dealt with via MC
12. Editor sends invoice to EditFast for 60% of total project price
13. EditFast pays editor on the last day of the month following the month of receipt of the invoice

There are three ways that this process can be initiated:

1. Through your EditFast Web page

   A client finds your EditFast Web page while using one of the search engines or via the search function on the EditFast Web site and clicks the Contact this editor link on your Web page. When the client sends you a New Project Notification, you will reply with your estimate from the Estimator. The client is forwarded to the Clients' Message Center, where they will find your estimate. The client can accept your estimate, decline it, or reply with some further instructions or a variation of your proposal. Hopefully you will reach an agreement, but the negotiations can continue as long as the editor and the client are willing. Once both client and editor agree, they click on Accept on the Estimator. The final numbers entered in the estimate form fields will be the rate and project price used to calculate the resulting payment to you. EditFast gets 40% of all final project prices.

2. Via the client's favorites list

   The Clients' Resource Area also has a specialized search function that allows them to enter a wide variety of parameters depending on their needs and the needs of their project. This allows them to review the profiles of all enabled editors who match their criteria. On the Search Results page, the client can click on your name, view your Web page, and click on the Contact this editor link. The client is then forwarded to the Clients' Message Center, to find that a message is waiting already addressed to you. (For security reasons your email address is hidden.) The client writes the message outlining the details of the project and sends it to you. You then receive a New Project Notification. Clicking on the link in this notification will take you to the Project Description page and the client's message in the Editors' Message Center, where you can then reply with your estimate.

3. Directly from the EditFast administration

   I often receive projects via email or online submission when the client has chosen to Let EditFast look after everything. When this happens, I will set up a project via the EditFast Admin Area and choose an editor. The subsequent process is the same as in # 1 & 2 above, substituting the EditFast administration for the client.

   The EditFast Admin writes the message outlining the details of the project and sends it to you. You receive a New Project Notification by email. Clicking on the link in this notification email will take you to the login page. Select Editor, enter your login information (email address and password), and you will be taken to the Project Description page. From your project management area you can view the project, and from the Editors' Message Center you can reply to the message sent to you.

Q: How does the Message Center work?

A: Each Editor has a personalized Message Center that acts as a connection to clients and the EditFast administration. This is the heart of the system. Learn to use it well. New Project Notifications, important messages from EditFast, communication with clients, and actual documents to edit will all be received through the Editors' Message Center. Please report any bugs or quirks in this system immediately.

The Message Center Process

1. You receive a New Project Notification via your local email application directly from a client or from the EditFast Administration
2. You click on the link in that email
3. Enter your login and password information
4. View/download the project details in your Project Management Area
5. View the message in your EMC
6. Determine if the project is suited to your skills and rate requirements
7. Reply to the message with your estimate of cost
8. Formalize the acceptance after you receive the client's confirmation of acceptance
9. Begin working on the project
10. Submit the finished project to the client via the EMC
11. Maintain contact with the client until they are satisfied
12. Submit your invoice to EditFast for 60% of the project price

Q: How does the Project Area work?

The Project Area is where you receive the actual documents and download them to your computer. You will also be directed here when you receive a Project Notification to read the description of the project and the requests of the client. The project area includes your Editor's Message Center, where you receive messages from clients and reply to clients' requests.

Q: Am I qualified to be chosen for editing projects?

A: The following basic qualifications are required in order to receive projects from the EditFast administration or from potential clients:

• A degree from a recognized university
• Completion of the Resume Builder forms
• Completion of the Web Page Builder form
• Completion of all three Editing Tests
• Acknowledgement and agreement with the Nondisclosure Agreement.
• My personal review of your submitted information

Other qualifications may be required for individual projects depending on the needs of the client and the needs of the document.

Q: What is a New Project Notification?

A: This is the email sent to you when you have been chosen as a potential editor for a Project. The notifications will be labeled New project XXXX.

This notification could come directly from a client who has found your web page or from the EditFast administration.

If the New Project Notification has been sent by a client, go to the Project Description page and view the project. After reviewing the project you should immediately send an estimate to the client using the Estimator.

If the New Project Notification has been sent by the EditFast Admin, view the project and decide if the rate and project matter are suitable for you. If they are suitable, reply through your message center in the affirmative. If you do not wish to take on the project, answer in the negative as soon as possible.

Q: May I contact clients directly?

A: Yes. Via the EditFast Message center you can contact clients anytime you wish in relation to a project or upcoming project. You may also advertise your web page URL in any legal and ethical way you wish.

Q: What is the Estimator? How do I send a project estimate to a client?

A: The estimator is located in your Project Management Area and can be accessed by clicking the link on the Project Description page. Using the forms already in place, you can create an estimate for a project that has been sent to you by a client. There are three templates: light, medium, and heavy, which define the extent of editing you think is needed. There are also several choices for type of editing required. The choice is originally decided by the client when submitting their document, but you are free to change this if you feel the document needs something different. After downloading the document, and making your assessment, all the information you need to create your estimate is located on the estimator.

There is also a choice of rate scales and you are free to choose which rate scale you prefer, but I strongly recommend you use the information supplied by the client to make your decision about this. The rate scale you enter on the estimator is associated with the size of the document, and the total price is automatically calculated depending on which rate scale you choose and the document size associated with that rate scale.

The first thing you do when a client sends you a document is give it your professional assessment, then go to the estimator and create your estimate. The faster your response, the better your chances of acquiring the project and the client for future projects.

Q: How do I change my password?

Changing your password:

1. Click on Resume Builder on the left menu
2. The first screen you see will be your Contact Information form. Just below the email address field is Password and beside it a Change button
3. Click the Change button
4. Enter your present password
5. Enter your new password twice
6. Click Submit and your password has been changed. The next time you login you will need to use your new password to access the Editors' Resource Area

Q: How do I change my address?

Changing your email address:

1. Click on Resume Builder
2. The first screen you see will be your Contact Information form
3. Enter your new email address
4. Click Submit at the bottom
5. Your email address has been changed
6. The next time you login, use this new email address as your login. Your password will remain the same unless you choose to change it via the same form

Q: How do I update my on-line resume?

A: Updating your on-line resume:

1. Click on Resume Builder on the left menu
2. The first screen you see will be your Contact Information form. Make any changes necessary and click Submit at the bottom. Your information has been updated
3. You can navigate through the entire Resume Builder form sequence by clicking Submit at the bottom of each form which will automatically take you to the next form in the sequence
4. If you wish only to change information on one of the other Resume Builder forms, click on the appropriate link at the top of the screen and make your changes. Click Submit at the bottom

Q: How do I update my Web page?

Updating your EditFast web page:

1. Click on Page Builder
2. Make any changes necessary and click Submit at the bottom
3. The Web Page Builder form will refresh and your submission will be recorded
4. To check your new page, click on the link Your Web page at the top of the Web Page Builder form. View your page and click the back button on your browser to return to the Web Page Builder form to make other changes
5. When you are finished, click Submit at the bottom to commit any changes you have made. Then click any link to go somewhere else