How to translate $/hr into $/wordcount for editorial?

[Guest alexnoconnor]

I’m a freelance editor new to Fiverr. On my own website, I offer my editorial services at $40/per hour of work, rather than per word(s). I am more comfortable charging by hour.

Here on Fiverr, it seems I can only offer my services at $/word?

I don’t want to have conflicting rates across different platforms, so is there any way to easily marry these two methods?

Thanks.

[eoinfinnegan]

Fiverr does not offer hourly rates.
Everyone has different rates on different platforms according to the general prices paid on the platform, the platforms own fees and other variables. Consider that Fiverr takes 20% of your income so if you charge $40 for your service on Fiverr, you will get $32.

[Guest capitalquality]

What I do doesn’t translate into something physical per gig very easily so I work out what I think I can do in half an hour/an hour and try to put that into Fiverr terms. Sometimes I get it completely wrong. I just spent a whole day on a job for $4. c’est la vie.

[emmaki]

Jeez, what did you misjudge so badly?

[emmaki]

Anyway some points for OP to consider:

1. don’t link your Fiverr too closely to your “IRL” website. This place has a pretty cheap reputation, and your current “consistent” brand vision might not work for you in future. I’d keep it separate. But that’s up to you, of course.
2. I use word count on here because everyone else does. TBH, it’s a PITA. Some articles or whatever just naturally finish before or after the arbitrary number. Over’s not an issue for me (“wow, she overdelivered!”), but there are some awful people out there who will pitch a fit over even 10 missing words (my advice: adjectives and famous people quotes–pointless and bad fluff, but if it keeps them quiet)
3. Just about any “pro” writer (the kind that writes those annoying articles about how they make $300 and hour and have a blog full of drooling fans) does have one big piece of advice–ditch the hourly. Make it about the project, and justify that price with smooth negotiation skills. (but obv. determine your hourly and approx time first). Clients like a number, not a guesstimate. This point doesn’t strictly work with Fiverr, but if you’re like most of us hacks, you’re already whoring yourself out everywhere anyway. Yeah, that was an ugly way of putting it, but it’s the truth.

Good luck. You won’t need much, as 90% of your competition writes using spoons, mirrors and foreign grammar. It’s the remaining 10% that you have to beat–but do your research and it’s a walk in the park. Definitely add marketing to your bow–and if you know nothing, start right now.

PS you have a missing apostrophe in your profile that has been bugging me all day. Put an of or an ’ there for the love of all that is good and true in grammar n**i world!

[emmaki]

Always remember: English Lit class. A deep sounding quote that’s vaguely related to the subject an some “analysis” that confirms the bias is usually met with rapture. Be sure to actually be good at the analysis though, and don’t sound like it’s the 10th rodeo with Tess of the bloody d’Urbervilles and the strawberry scene (my school and exam board was obsessed with it)

[catwriter]

“This page is no longer available”

[emmaki]

Christ, I don’t know why I bother lol.

She had “3 years experience” and was an editor. The missing apostrophe was driving me quietly nuts. No wonder she was deleted.

She was still online earlier this morning though. I wonder what happened in the intervening hours.

[catwriter]

Maybe she decided Fiverr wasn’t for her? Doesn’t seem like long enough time for anyone to file a huge complaint against her.

[emmaki]

Been a strange number of posters who have said something then disappeared back into the ether lately though.

I’ve just eaten a pizza, so I can’t be arsed to solve the mystery. It had delicious pools of fat that I now regret. The other fascinating thing was watching some college-age North Americans leave their dinner table to have an hour long Facetime or s***e or whatever with their mom

DUDE YOU ARE ON HOLIDAY IN GREECE EATING PIZZA WTF.

[emmaki]

Oh and all the girls (it was a big group of canadians) ran away leaving some 20 year old bloke with an 18th century beard (and surfer dude gear) to argue with the waitress about paying the entire bill. Luckily the 10 people who ran out came back 20 minutes later with ice cream and threw money at him before skipping off into the night again.

I’ve decided I don’t like tourist season again.

[eoinfinnegan]

Stick to posting the video and #AskEmmaKee

[Guest capitalquality]

I agreed to make a formula that worked easily in Excel work in google sheets… needless to say it didn’t work easily in google sheets. There went my whole Sunday. Begs the question though at what point one gives up on an order and just asks for a cancellation.

[catwriter]

That reminds me of our trip to Egypt years ago. My boyfriend and I avoided our tourist group as much as we could, because all they were talking about were their jobs and politics. Going snorkeling? Talking/complaining about business and terrible politicians in the pause. Visiting pyramids, or looking at Tutankhamun’s mask (16 kilos of pure gold) or a mummy of a cat? Talking about same boring nonsense.

Some people have strange ideas about vacation and fun.