Farming out freelance work

I come across solicitations by freelance writers seeking to subcontract their work to other writers. I have resisted doing so, regardless of how overloaded my plate becomes, because I 1) don't want the hassle of employees and 2) am not sure of the quality of other writers' work. I have, however, reached the point where I'm willing to subcontract.

One such assignment is a quarterly newsletter for a nonprofit organization. Because the organization is nonprofit, they pay a somewhat lesser rate than corporate clients. I'm not sure why that expectation is in place. After all, the time, effort, and quality of the work doesn't change due to the nature of the client. Regardless, this project begins to suffer from the single problem that afflicts most such projects: scope creep.

What the newsletter's publisher wants added to the publication isn't outrageous. In fact, it makes good sense and will enhance it. However, what they want will take a lot more time and effort than the fee paid covers. A whole lot. Besides, the additional work will include interviewing people. Frankly, I dislike interviewing people. I'm neither a journalist nor an investigative reporter. I don't like and decline to chase people down to interview them. Heck, I'm not necessarily all that thrilled when I'm the one being interviewed. I invariably say something that sounds odd or off-color or just plain wrong.

Because I have extremely high standards with regard to writing competence, I cannot just hand off an assignment. The content produce by any subcontractor I hire will be subject to editing. If I find I have to rewrite the work, you can bet I won't use that writer ever again. To that effect, the pay will reflect the split of work: two-thirds to the writer and one-third to the editor (me).

I'm looking for one freelance writer who can begin immediately. If you're interested, contact me and provide writing samples.

​In other news ...

The Eagle at Dawn is available for pre-order. This is the fourth book in the Immortal Shifters series, which begins with The Barbary Lion. It will be released on July 1, just in time for the Independence Day holiday. Celebrate independence with Rachel's quest for her own independence. Yeah, the theme of independence runs through most of my books. 

The Barbary Lion, a novella which begins the Immortal Shifters series, is no longer available as a separate book in Amazon. The novella is now published through Project Gutenberg and can be downloaded for free. Be prepared: this book is raw and rough. There's nothing softly romantic about this story.

Coming after Eagle is another collaborative project with Russ Towne. We're publishing a short collection of western romances. These will be G- and PG-rated romances set in the Old West (approx. 1850 - 1890). We'll have stagecoach journeys, cowboys, Indians, and all the other tropes that contribute to the enduring popularity of Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. Russ' story "Catherine and the Comanche" will be the title story. I'll have two short stories after that, the first is "The Mail Order Bride's Choice" and the second hasn't yet been determined. Look for this novelette-length book to be released by the end of July.