#payment for services

[swissmissing]

Author, responding to a comment and rec I left on their Sherlock fic: Thanks a lot, I’m working on a new fic, would you be interested in beta reading?

Me: Sounds cool, here are my conditions: x, y, z, including no WIPs.

Author: Well it’s still a WIP and won’t be done for a few months. I’m looking for feedback now, no worries, thanks anyway.

Me: That’s all right, good luck and I’m looking forward to reading it when it’s done.

Author: That’s great because it’s an entirely original story. I am going to self-publish it on Amazon.

Me: .... (*bullet dodged*)

Meaning (I didn’t tell them this, but here it is): What you are looking for is not a beta reader. You want an editor. That costs actual money. I donate my editing services to fan fiction authors because I am part of this fandom and because you can’t sell fan fiction -- at least not stuff that’s recognizable as based on licensed characters and settings -- so the authors aren’t making any money off their writing either. Plus that’s just how fandom works.

In real life, if you want a professional with a degree in the language field and experience in editing things that have actually been published to give you writing tips, evaluate your plot and characterization, clean up your sentences, etc. for something that you intend to sell and make money off of, you will need to pay for it. Asking a fandom beta reader to edit, for free, an original story intended for publication, is like asking a fandom artist to create cover art, for free, for your original story that you are self-publishing. And you wouldn’t do that, would you? ;)

[staypee]

HOW TO PAY WITH PAYPAL (for services)

Okay... so I really wouldn't be doing this. But every time I see a small fee deducted to me, I seriously get sad and frustrated. Gee, Staypee, that's just a few dollars. But it is a few dollars that could still help me!

Okay here we go:

1. Log in to paypal and we click 'Send payment'

2. Fill up what's required. BUT PLEASE SELECT I'M PAYING FOR GOODS AND SERVICES

3. REMEMBER TO SCROLL DOWN AND CLICK 'CHOOSE SHIPPING ADDRESS'

4. Right, so we've clicked it. This time, upon the choices, select 'NO SHIPPING REQUIRED' I can't stress how important this is. This is what takes off part of the payment for me. We select this because, what I will give you is only a digital copy. And no shipping is needed because I send the commissioned work via email.

5. We're done! you can send payment now!

I'm not sure about this, but I think, this works for verified accounts. If the account is unverified, then a fee is subtracted?

[thinlinednotepaper]

murakami continued

"Because you are neither an angel nor a god. I am quite aware that your actions have been prompted by your pure feelings, and I understand perfectly well that, for that very reason, you do not wish to receive money for what you have done. But pure, unadulterated feelings are dangerous in their own way. It is no easy feat for a flesh-and-blood human to go on living with such feelings. That is why it is necessary for you to fasten your feelings to the earth -- firmly, like attaching an anchor to a balloon. The money is for that. To prevent you from feeling that you can do anything you want as long as it's the right thing and your feelings are pure. Do you see now?"

And the Dowager plays queen to the Professor's king, confronting a common enemy with separate motives, agendas, attacks. This is the Dowager's justification for paying for an assassination, but honestly it's also a nice bit on the necessity to pay for the work you receive, to recognize a cost even when payment might be waived. Without the mechanics, the custom, of payment, then all action becomes the province of belief and individual value judgments.