Is it safe to use Google docs to do a rewriting gig?

[afarigh]

If I use Google docs to edit a document a buyer has sent me they can see the changes before I submit the work. Is this safe or not recommended? Shall I use Ms word instead and submit once I finish.

Any writers please help me with your experience. Thanks

[vickiespencer]

I have proofread using google docs once before and asked the same question of an experienced proofreader friend. He told me he makes a copy of the changes showing Track Changes and then copies and pastes it into a Word document. Then he delivers that not to the buyer saying it is a duplicate of the work done in google docs.

However, I did not like the experience. I felt google docs was awkward to work in. I will not accept such orders in the future. The only reason I accepted it that time was the buyer did not have the Word program.

[afarigh]

I have proofread using google docs once before and asked the same question of an experienced proofreader friend. He told me he makes a copy of the changes showing Track Changes and then copies and pastes it into a Word document. Then he delivers that not to the buyer saying it is a duplicate of the work done in google docs.

However, I did not like the experience. I felt google docs was awkward to work in. I will not accept such orders in the future. The only reason I accepted it that time was the buyer did not have the Word program.

Thanks for the prompt reply. So I shouldn’t edit directly on the buyer’s link and instead make a copy and edit it?

Anyway the buyer has given me the option to submit in Ms word when I asked for it. So I guess it will be the safer option.

[emeraldawnn]

I am doing this very thing right now for a client. He has the document in Google Docs and wants it written in there. But, I decided to copy and paste it to a word document and each time I am done with a section, I paste my new work into his doc. When I am done with the order, I can submit the Word copy to the order and Fiverr will have a record that I completed the work.

[eoinfinnegan]

I have proofread using google docs once before and asked the same question of an experienced proofreader friend. He told me he makes a copy of the changes showing Track Changes and then copies and pastes it into a Word document. Then he delivers that not to the buyer saying it is a duplicate of the work done in google docs.

However, I did not like the experience. I felt google docs was awkward to work in. I will not accept such orders in the future. The only reason I accepted it that time was the buyer did not have the Word program.

Yes, exactly as others have said - Lots of people want to use Drive so there is nothing suspicious about it as such, just cover yourself to avoid issues.

Downloading the document after working on it can be a good idea to use as a delivery - just mention it is also done on the Drive file.

I felt google docs was awkward to work in. I will not accept such orders in the future. The only reason I accepted it that time was the buyer did not have the Word program.

I feel the same and if it is a big job I tell the client that I will work on it in Word and send them a new file through Drive. This or tell them that if you send a Word document to them if they upload it to Drive, the Tracked Changes will show up as “Suggestions”.

[vickiespencer]

I have proofread using google docs once before and asked the same question of an experienced proofreader friend. He told me he makes a copy of the changes showing Track Changes and then copies and pastes it into a Word document. Then he delivers that not to the buyer saying it is a duplicate of the work done in google docs.

However, I did not like the experience. I felt google docs was awkward to work in. I will not accept such orders in the future. The only reason I accepted it that time was the buyer did not have the Word program.

experienced proofreader friend.

Did you recognize yourself?

[eoinfinnegan]

experienced proofreader friend.

Did you recognize yourself?

Thought maybe my “proofreader friend” answer wasn’t good enough and you went for an experienced proofreader friend instead 😉

[vickiespencer]

Thought maybe my “proofreader friend” answer wasn’t good enough and you went for an experienced proofreader friend instead 😉

[eoinfinnegan]

You will always be my Idol! 🗿

Oh please… you have been mine ever since the day you outshone myself and Writer in our selfie competition.

[vickiespencer]

Oh please… you have been mine ever since the day you outshone myself and Writer in our selfie competition.

outshone myself and Writer

I miss that guy. I hope is alive and well in his homeland.

[miiila]

In addition to the above, taking some 'before, during, after" screenshots, at least until you’re convinced that the respective buyer is an honest person, can’t hurt either.

You can dump screenshots into dated zip folders every once in a while to save space and stay organized, and safely and quickly delete the whole ‘outdated’ folders, once you’re reasonably sure there won’t be issues where you’d like to attach them for CS as proof.

Since the times of the “empty delivery bug”, and because I also get a bug where my response rate drops despite having replied to and/or clicked the spam/report button on a spam message (I get a lot of spam 😑 ) and other such issues, I routinely take screenshots and end up with too many of them, though, you might be fine without the ‘zip folder tactic’.

[afarigh]

In addition to the above, taking some 'before, during, after" screenshots, at least until you’re convinced that the respective buyer is an honest person, can’t hurt either.

You can dump screenshots into dated zip folders every once in a while to save space and stay organized, and safely and quickly delete the whole ‘outdated’ folders, once you’re reasonably sure there won’t be issues where you’d like to attach them for CS as proof.

Since the times of the “empty delivery bug”, and because I also get a bug where my response rate drops despite having replied to and/or clicked the spam/report button on a spam message (I get a lot of spam 😑 ) and other such issues, I routinely take screenshots and end up with too many of them, though, you might be fine without the ‘zip folder tactic’.

@miiila what is the “empty delivery bug”?

@vickiespencer @eoinfinnegan @emeraldawnn Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Duly noted. It’s a hassle with Google doc so I delivered using Ms word.

[miiila]

@miiila what is the “empty delivery bug”?

@vickiespencer @eoinfinnegan @emeraldawnn Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Duly noted. It’s a hassle with Google doc so I delivered using Ms word.

If you search the forum, you’ll find plenty of topics regarding that bug. I haven’t noticed any lately, so hopefully it’s gone for good, or at least not active currently, so you probably don’t have to worry. I just mentioned it as it’s one of the reasons I started taking and saving screenshots of all deliveries, and for screenshot clutter on my pc.

It happened to many people for a while, and I think there were two or three iterations. Basically, people delivered, attaching their files, but the files didn’t show up on customer side, which led to “empty delivery” warnings for some sellers. So, to be able to prove that you actually did attach the file/s, it was a good idea to take screenshots that you could present to support, in case your deliveries would be flagged, or reported by the buyer as “empty delivery”, as empty deliveries are obviously not allowed.

[afarigh]

If you search the forum, you’ll find plenty of topics regarding that bug. I haven’t noticed any lately, so hopefully it’s gone for good, or at least not active currently, so you probably don’t have to worry. I just mentioned it as it’s one of the reasons I started taking and saving screenshots of all deliveries, and for screenshot clutter on my pc.

It happened to many people for a while, and I think there were two or three iterations. Basically, people delivered, attaching their files, but the files didn’t show up on customer side, which led to “empty delivery” warnings for some sellers. So, to be able to prove that you actually did attach the file/s, it was a good idea to take screenshots that you could present to support, in case your deliveries would be flagged, or reported by the buyer as “empty delivery”, as empty deliveries are obviously not allowed.

Must have been a terrible experience!

Hopefully it’s fixed now. 😀