We'll pay for Sommer's editor

For the green eyes now, and for Passes shoots going forward. The cost is handled. The work is finding someone whose edits Sommer likes and whose way of working she's comfortable with.

We'd rather run a short search than hand Sommer an editor and hope. So every step is small, a trial doesn't commit her to anything ongoing, and the pick is hers. We handle the finding, the coordinating, and the paying.

Three steps, each one small on purpose

Sommer's feedback decides which editor we move forward with

A quick trial with an editor we've worked with before

Samples by end of this week

What happens

We send over a few sample edits on the eyes, so Sommer reacts to real work on her own photos, not a portfolio.
If she wants to go further, he gets a small batch: around 5 to 8 photos, with a 3-day turnaround as the target.
Her notes go through Beth. He does one round of revisions and sends it back.

What we're looking at

The look. Does the green read the way she wants it to?
The notes. How well does he take her feedback and act on it?
The speed. Does the turnaround actually hold?

He's someone we've used before and he's easy to work with. That's why he goes first. Whether he stays is decided by the trial, not by his history with us.

Likes it: straight to step 3. Doesn't: no harm done, step 2.

If desired, a short list of other editors

Target: within a week of her notes

What happens

We go out and gather a handful of editors: samples of their work, availability, and how they take direction.
You get a short list, with each editor's work next to their name, so Sommer can judge by looking.
You pick one or two to try. Same small batch, same turnaround, same notes-through-Beth format, so the comparison is fair.

What you can add

Anyone you two have liked working with. Send them our way and we'll see what we can do.
Any references from the first trial. "More like this, less like that" is enough to steer the list.

We handle sourcing, rates and coordination, so Sommer only has to judge the fit.

Sommer chooses on actual results, not on promises or portfolios.

Agree on the ongoing arrangement

Target: settled by mid-November

What happens

Once there's someone Sommer is happy with, that's her editor.
We agree on turnaround and how notes flow, so she knows what to expect every time.
First job: the existing green-eye photos. Then new Passes shoots as they come.

What stays the same

Arsenic covers the cost of the arrangement we put in place together.
Beth stays the point of contact for samples and feedback.
If the fit changes down the road, we revisit the arrangement and look at alternatives.

Done: editing is one less thing on your plate.

Dates for samples and trials are ours to own. Where an editor's own delivery is involved, we'll confirm the date with them before we give it to you.

Beth is your point of contact for samples and feedback

Sommer's notes go to Beth, Beth gets them to the editor, and revisions come back the same way. One thread, one person.

Thursdays, you get a status update on our regular call

Where the search stands, what's coming next, and what we need from you, if anything. Until the editor is set, it's a standing item.

Trying an editor doesn't commit Sommer to anything ongoing

Every trial is a small batch. She doesn't have to take on anyone to see their work.
She can pass on any step and we move to the next one.
Arsenic covers the cost of the arrangement we put in place together.

The one thing we need from you

A yes to the first trial, and a sense of how many photos Sommer would want to see before she can judge an editor. We'll take it from there.