Book Editor Ka Freelance Journey: Self-Publishing Boom

Pehli kitaab ka manuscript mere paas 58 din tak raha. 41,000 shabd. Aur aakhir mein mujhe ₹6,200 mile.

Us raat maine hisaab lagaya toh pata chala ki main ₹0.15 prati shabd pe kaam kar raha tha. Aur ye bhi ki ek jagah maine "dekhna" ki spelling 11 alag tareeke se likhi hui chhodi thi, aur khud ko kaafi achha editor samajh raha tha.

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Self-publishing ke authors kaun hote hain

Mujhe pata nahi tha ki itne log khud kitaab chhapwa rahe hain. Retired teachers, naukri ke saath likhne wale, ek doctor jo apni diary ko novel bana raha tha. Kisi ke paas publisher nahi, toh editor bhi nahi.

Aur yahin gap hai. Kitaab likhna ek cheez hai. Uska flow sudharna, ek hi kirdar ka naam teen jagah teen tarah se likha ho toh pakadna, ek chapter jo bekar hai use hataane ki himmat dena, ye doosri cheez hai. Ye kaam writer khud nahi kar paata, kyunki use sab kuch sahi lagta hai.

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Pehla client kaise mila

Facebook ke ek Hindi writers group mein ek retired teacher ne likha tha ki unhe manuscript ke liye koi chahiye. 30 se zyada logon ne comment kiya tha, "inbox kijiye." Maine nahi kiya. Maine comment mein apna ek 500 shabd ka edited sample daal diya, before aur after dono.

Teacher ne mujhe chuna. Baad mein unhone bataya ki baki sab ne sirf "main kar dunga" likha tha. Mere sample mein unhone dekha ki maine ek line kaise badli thi, aur kyun. Wahi unhe chahiye tha.

Cold LinkedIn messages se kuch nahi hua. 20 bheje, 1 reply, wo bhi "baad mein dekhte hain" type ka.

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Kaam asal mein kaisa dikhta hai

Ek kitaab edit karna roz 2-3 ghante ka kaam hota hai, 4-6 hafte tak. Pehle poora padhna. Phir ek style sheet banana: "Mom" ya "Maa", "okay" ya "theek hai", kirdar ka naam kaise likha jayega. Mere paas pehle ye sheet nahi thi, isliye 41,000 shabd ke baad mujhe poora manuscript dobara ek baar scan karna pada. Wo aadha din gaya.

Phir track changes mein edits, aur har bade badlaav ke saath ek chhota comment. Writer ko dukh na ho isliye "ye kamzor hai" nahi likhta. Likhta hoon, "yahan padhne wale ko kirdar ki ghabrahat samajh nahi aayegi, kya ek line aur daalein?"

Waise, mujhe lagta tha ki editor ka kaam galtiyan pakadna hai. Actually nahi. Aadha kaam writer ki awaaz ko bachana hai. Ek baar maine ek author ke sentences itne saaf kar diye ki wo mere sentences ban gaye. Usne ek hafte baad bola ki "ye mera nahi lag raha." Maine sab wapas kiya. Wo 6 ghante ka kaam tha jo free mein hua.

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Paisa

Pehla project ₹6,200, 41,000 shabd, ₹0.15 prati shabd. Dusra ₹9,300, 38,500 shabd, ₹0.24. Teesra ₹11,400 aur chautha ₹14,850, jo ek novel tha, 52,000 shabd, ₹0.29 prati shabd.

Ab main ₹0.45 se ₹0.60 prati shabd leta hoon, aur kam se kam adha paisa pehle. Aadha advance kyun? Kyunki dusre project mein author ne 22 din ke baad bol diya ki "pichle hafte dukan band hone ki wajah se paisa late hoga." Wo ₹4,650 mujhe 5 hafte baad mile.

Mahine ka hisaab: pichle 5 mahine mein sabse kam ₹2,400, sabse zyada ₹14,850. Matlab ye abhi koi pakki tankhwah nahi hai. Ek kitaab khatam hui toh agli ke aane tak kabhi 10 din, kabhi 3 hafte khaali jaate hain.

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Jo main alag karta

Pehli baat: contract. Pehle project mein kuch likha hi nahi tha, isliye jab author ne bola ki "ek aur round kar do", maine kar diya. Ab har project mein 2 round shamil hain, teesra alag se.

Doosri: ek achha sample test. Ab main sirf 500 shabd free edit karta hoon, uske aage nahi. Ek bar ek banda 5 alag editors se 3,000 shabd free edit karwa raha tha. Mujhe baad mein pata chala.

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Ek chapter jo mujhe yaad hai

Teesre project mein ek chapter tha jisme author ne 9 pages ek hi shaadi ke seen par kharch kiye the. Maine pehle socha ki ise kaat dun. Phir laga, shayad uske liye ye sabse zaruri hissa ho. Maine comment likha, "Ye seen bahut lamba hai, par shaayad isi mein aapki kahani ka dil hai. Kya hum 9 se 5 pages kar sakte hain bina kuch zaruri khoye?"

Wo 3 din chup raha. Phir ek line ka message aaya, "Ye wala bilkul sahi pakda." Us din mujhe pehli baar laga ki main editor hoon, sirf spell-checker nahi.

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Agar try karna ho

Pehle kisi doston ki ya apni likhi kuch pages edit karo, aur dekho ki kitna time lagta hai. Meri speed lagbhag 1,800 shabd prati ghanta thi pehle, ab 2,700. Isse apna rate nikalo.

Phir ek 500 shabd ka before-after sample banao. Koi writers group dhundo aur wahan comment mein daal do. Aur ek style sheet bana ke rakho, bas ek page ki.

Mujhe abhi bhi pakka nahi pata ki ₹0.60 se upar jaana theek hoga ya nahi. Kal ek author ne bola ki "aapka rate bahut kam hai," aur uski awaaz mein ek ajeeb si bechaini thi, jaise wo kuch aur kehna chahta tha...