Consulting

Some kinds of things are more about working together on options than finding resources. If you’re looking to improve your research skills, manage information better, organise a home library, or other related topics, the information on this page is about what I can offer.

What are some options?

• Improve your research skills : Maybe you’ve got a specific skill you’d like to improve, like searching or evaluating a particular kind of material. Maybe you’d like to learn more about academic publishing and what different journals are. I can come up with personalised information to help you learn what you want and need.
• Home libraries: Do you have a home or coven library you’d like to organise better? I can suggest tools and resources, help you come up with consistent categories or tags, and share information about best practices.
• Overwhelmed by your digital life? I can work through options for managing your files, recommend resources, and provide other support and best practices for files, bookmarks, and other digital materials.
• Productivity : A lot of productivity systems are designed for mainstream business use. Others definitely don’t take issues like chronic health or exhaustion or brain fog into account. I can help you investigate systems and tools to try.

How this works:

• Please read through the rest of this page so you understand the practical details and what you’re getting.
• When you’re ready to discuss what you need, fill out the form at the bottom of this page with more about your project.
• I expect it will take some back and forth, clarifying questions, and other details. These projects are more individual, so I want to figure out what works for you (and for me.)
• Once we agree on a project, I send you an agreement for the work. It includes what you can expect as a report, my anticipated timeline, and the charges for the initial work. (A sample agreement can be accessed from the policies page if you want to see how things work.)
• If the agreement works for you, you sign it, return it, and pay me for the initial work we agree on. This is where the timer starts.
• I do the work, and share it with you.
• I deliver any reports, resource materials, or other documents, and (if relevant) we find a time for any synchronous conversations.

For some projects, other formats than a report may work better – we’ll talk about the options as part of the agreement.

Fees:

My base fee is $50 (US) per hour, billed to the quarter hour. These kinds of projects are extremely variable, so I expect to evaluate your particular needs and make a specific proposal – if you have a budget in mind, let me know and I will let you know what I can offer.

Payment is normally invoiced via PayPal (you don’t need an account, just a card you can use online).

I know that money is often an accessibility issue. If this is true for you, I’m glad to work with you to make the most of your money, and payment plans are available. I provide a number of resources for free, and some other options may be available.

My questions page has additional info about payment options.

Other practical details

Format:

I normally arrange a project through email (that way we both have a record), and will provide my research in a written summary or report. I offer a PDF or GoogleDoc by preference, but I can provide alternate formats on request.

Text-based and video chat are potentially available, but are subject to my availability (which may be very limited depending on your timezone). Please ask directly and I’ll tell you about current fees, scheduling considerations, and other important details.

Time and responses:

Reports and discussion of your topics will be by email – this gives both of us a record of what we’ve discussed and is the easiest way to share links and lengthy material.

Our agreement will include a time frame when I expect to provide the report based on the amount of work and my current availability.

I normally reply to initial queries within 24 hours (including on weekends), and check email from ongoing clients daily (even if I can’t give you detailed information then, I’ll let you know when I can get back to you.) The request form will note if there are any current delays, and I put up an autoresponder for email.

Important notes

My policies page has additional important information on all these topics, but here are the key points.

• I am a librarian. I am not a doctor, lawyer, or any other kind of licensed professional. I can direct you to resources, but not provide advice on medical, legal, or other similar topics.
• I am a witch and priestess, but not your witch or priestess. I do not provide direct practical advice or training about witchcraft, magic, ritual, or related topics through this service. You will get a list of resources and materials you can use to make your own decisions (which may include information about groups, teachers, events, or other resources near you.)
• If I direct you to groups or individuals, in most cases, I do not know these people (or only know their general public reputation.) If I have a closer connection with someone I mention, I will let you know. You are responsible for evaluating the individuals or groups yourself. Relevant reports will provide some resources to help you do this.
• I do not provide instant replies: I have a day job and do not answer questions for this side business while I am at work. You can normally expect a reply within 24 hours (including on weekends). I have times when I may be travelling, dealing with health issues, or otherwise less available. If these come up, I will let you know when you can expect a reply.

I retain copyright of the materials I provide to you. Our agreement will include a license allowing you to share, copy, and otherwise use the report I send to you in whatever way you see fit. This allows me to use the research I’ve done for you for other projects in the future without worrying about copyright issues.

I do not do detailed research for you or provide complete access to print sources. I will identify books and other resources you may want to request and can help with ways you could get access to them. In some cases, I may be able to copy or summarize brief passages from books I already own, if relevant and useful to your answer, but in most cases you will need to get your hands on the materials yourself.

Answers to other questions you may have (and their answers) can be found on my questions page. 

Interested in consulting services?

Fill this out to get a conversation started!

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Last updated July 17, 2017