Freelance System

What is the purpose of the junior editor system?  Can professional freelancers bypass this system?

Even experienced, professional editors require approximately three manuscripts to become familiar with the PEJ system.  The junior editing system gets the editors up-to-speed and thus takes pressure off of the quality assurance department.  It is one of the ways that EquityEdit provides value-added to PEJ.

I think I did really well on the my test manuscript. Do you think that my first working orders will be of the less-lucrative variety in spite of that?

You may still get less lucrative orders from time to time. Sorry we can't really quantify the exact probabilities.

As a junior editor, can I sign up with senior editors that already have a name in the bracket next to his/her name or am I only restricted to names with empty brackets?

In general, you can only sign up in empty brackets. If a senior editor is willing to accept two mentored editors on a single day, s/he will add their name twice.

Does the editor first receive a note asking if he/she is able to do the edit? Is the amount of the fee presented at that time?

That is exactly how it works; the fee is presented at that time.  Now although you can decline to do an edit, this should only be due to an unforeseen circumstance.  PEJ oftens works under tight client deadlines and asks editors to be fully reliable to accept orders on a day indicated as available. 

Should an editor ask for more time if he/she is completing another project but would like to have the opportunity to do the edit?

No, the deadline is final. PEJ operates on tight client-driven deadlines.

What if an editor feels that an editorial consult would be helpful? I guess what I am asking here is if two or more editors might consult with each other on especially tough edits?

The goal for efficiency's sake really should be to get them done yourself. You will get feedback from PEJ if there are any issues.

I have not received any feedback from the quality assurance department [QAD] on the last several edits I submitted - is feedback routine?

Not receiving feedback should be the goal!  After the first few edits, you should have learned the system sufficiently to avoid QAD responses.  QAD responses are inefficient both for you and for PEJ.  So just keep up your high-quality editing!  If new issues arise in editing, do your best to address them in a fashion as close as possible to the PEJ system you have learned.  The QAD will always let you know if they feel you need to make some changes.

Is the QAD's function basically the same as that of a senior editor?

The goal of the senior editor is to teach you the system in an efficient and cordial fashion.  By the time you graduate to independent editor, you should have learned the system.  The QAD really focusses on monitoring your work to make sure it is up to professional standards.  They will not provide feedback unless you make serious errors.  In fact, your goal is to never hear from them.  Hearing from them is inefficient for PEJ and for you.  The way you do this is 1) always read your work over and never make any careless mistakes; 2) make straightforward comments in your editor notes that do not  pose questions to clients; 3) provide a final product that is suitable for publication in terms of style, scientific terminology, and grammar (though obviously not necessarily in terms of content).

Regarding figures.....I made some changes to the labels on graphs (e.g., to make units of measurement consistent across all figures). But I  also made changes to fonts, etc. as per the journal's specific instructions (e.g., font size, type, no bold-face, etc.). This also led to some fiddling with alignment of text boxes, etc. In the end, a fair amount of time and effort.  What exactly is expected for a Professional Edit?

You are responsible for the scientific terminology, style and presentation of the intended journal and audience, not for editing to conform precisely to a journal's formatting. What you did is more part of a "submission edit," a distinct product in which a manuscript is checked as to whether it conforms journal submission guidelines. This product is done by in-house PEJ staff.  You should avoid doing this, since you are not compensated for it, and you need to focus on the specific parts for which you are responsible.

Am I ever expected to make any changes or comments on References?

Unless specified otherwise, you are not expected to make changes or comments on references.  References are typically not included in the editor compensation, and for your efficiency it is very important that you do not over-edit.

If I do find errors in the references (or in other places in the manuscript for which I am not compensated), should I go ahead and make note of them for the author?

If it takes you less than 30 seconds to do so, that's fine.  But you must be VERY vigilant about your time.  Critical to you enjoying this job and performing top-notch edits  is that your effective hourly compensation be maintained at a high level.  You must focus on only those tasks for which you are responsible, and do those extremely well. 

I'm wondering if ProEdit has guidelines (or if there are generally accepted guidelines) regarding editing of translated patient quotations - do you edit for clarity, for style, or not at all?

You should edit for clarity, proper grammar, and spelling.  Be careful not to alter the content or style of the quotations.

Availability and Scheduling

I was looking over the Google Calendar with the intent of signing up to indicate my availability for the rest of the month and next month. I noticed in some of the day spaces numbers and plus signs (eg + 2 more; + 3 more). When I clicked on these, several names came up. What does this mean?

Currently, all editors sign up on the same google calendar; as such there may be anywhere from two to seven or even more editors signed up on a single day. You may sign up for any day regardless of how many other editors have signed up on that day. The procedure is the same: right-click on the thin horizontal rectangle containing the number of the date you wish to sign up for, and add your name as an event. To view all the editors' names when there is a +2, +3, etc. tag, right-click on the +X and all will be made accessible to you. Please let me know if you have any further concerns.

What if I sign up for a given day or days and then learn for whatever reason that I will not be available for one of those days? Do I send a note to explain to someone? Do I remove my name? [Is it even possible to remove one's name once it has been entered into the calendar?]

It is typically best that you enter your name only if you are fairly certain that you'll be available. If an unforeseen circumstance arises, you may remove your name; there is no need to find a replacement. There is no need to send a note of explanation.

What if I sign up for a given number of days by the 25th or a given month and then later in the month something changes and I find that I have more time for editing? Am I allowed to sign up at that [later] time?

Definitely. You may at any time add your name to the calendar if your availability opens up.

What do the open brackets mean behind your name on the Google Calendar?

The brackets are for our "mentored editor" system whereby new editors receive mentorship on the first few edits from senior editors. The new editor edits the manuscript, sends it to the senior editor who then checks over the work and sends it to the orders department with the new editor cc'd. Currently, the senior editor receives 65% and new editor the other 35% of compensation. This was set up just after you joined. PEJ may at some point invite you as a senior editor if you meet their criteria.

Although I would like to sign up for more editing slots, I have received orders at a fairly wide range of times on the days I have indicated availability.  Is there any way to indicate a window of availability? (e.g., if I am available all day to edit on a Thursday but have to work Wed and Fri, I would be happy to receive editing orders Wed night or Thurs morning, but not late on Thurs night.)

Currently, no.  The main difficulty is the 15-hour difference between Japan and US makes for some limitations here.  We are actively working to overhaul this system.