Recently I had this query from a reader:
"I have
been an avid reader of your blog and books for a long time and wonder if you
have a short burst of blog advice for people like me who need an expert in a
technical field to cast an eye over a fiction manuscript to ensure that I am
not committing any factual sin.
Finding
the expert is not my problem. My problem is that I would feel guilty asking
someone to spend many hours reading, annotating and advising, only for me to be
the one to reap any rewards. What does he get out of it apart from my profuse
thanks? Is there an unwritten protocol about tangible returns for experts who
advise on their specialist subject? I can’t think why they would wish to do it
otherwise, yet we all see paragraphs of thanks from published novelists to
detectives, bankers, scientists and scores of other professionals. A bottle of
wine seems more of an insult than a reward, yet a cut of the royalties seems
too lavish. Where is the middle ground?"
Here's what I told him:
It kind
of depends on how much work it is for the expert and their attitude. For some,
being thanked in the acknowledgements section of the book is enough.
If you
can isolate the sections that require verification and there aren't too many of
them, you might find that it wont' take too much of their time. If they have to
read the entire manuscript and there are lots of things to check, then probably
they'd find that too demanding.
I would
suggest that you consider how much you would be willing to pay and then
approach the person and say you would value their input and of course will
acknowledge their help in print, but also that you're aware that their time is
valuable and ask how much they would charge for reading the mss and giving
input.
You may
find someone who says they'll do it just out of interest, or you may find
someone who demands an outrageous fee (in which case you move on to another
expert), or someone who suggests a reasonable fee.
I'd just add to this for other readers, don't be afraid to approach an
expert for help. In my experience, most of them are flattered to be asked and
as long as you are respectful of their time they will be delighted to help you.