Hello Angela:

I hope all is well with you and yours. I read most of the newsletter every time it comes and especially enjoyed the article on the guys who have people “take tests” and finish up with a completely edited work. The article was quite timely as it came just before a request hit a Listserv, of which I am a member, from an alleged doctoral student wanting a dissertation proofed and edited, in segments, the price being negotiable. From the copy in the advertisement it was pretty easy to see what the guy was up to. A student approached me about it and I, having just read the article in WritersWeekly.com, was brimming with advice and cautions of one sort or another.

As it turns out, the student never could nail the guy down on price or volume, though his advertisement had stressed that time was of the essence. His having put that in the ad had the intended effect of getting the responder to feel the sense of urgency. When I pointed out to the student that it was the doctoral candidate who had a deadline breathing down on him, and not her, she relaxed just enough to begin negotiations which led her to believe that, like the writer of the article, she would be working free.

Thanks.
Neil