Support for Indie Authors discussion

Is there a norm when it comes to tipping those helping us through the writing process? I recently hired someone through Fiverr to prepare a simple cover for me and was asked when the process was complete if I wanted to add a tip. Coming from a service industry, I've always charged the price I expected to be paid and tips never crossed my mind. What are you thoughts on when tipping should be expected?

Expected - no. But I do sometimes send providers a little extra when they go above and beyond what was advertised/what I expected. My web guy who helps me to sort out knotty problems. A Fiverr cover designer of mapmaker that had super-quick turnaround and stellar product. A cross-promotion where the promoter had to contact me three times because of a PayPal technical problem and was polite and patient and didn't just drop me from the promo.

I recently did some iPhone mockups in Photoshop for another writer using the plain iPhone pics she had provided me, but I also threw her covers onto some fancier "action shot" iPhone mockups that I picked up a little while ago, and had them to her faster than I had promised. She was tickled and although we had just bartered that she would help with some social media shares of my book launch, she sent me a tip by PayPal as well.

It's not like a restaurant where you should automatically be calculating the tip into the amount you will need to pay for dinner, but when people go above and beyond... yes, I'll kick a little bit extra in their direction.

P.D. Workman (Pamela) wrote: "Expected - no. But I do sometimes send providers a little extra when they go above and beyond what was advertised/what I expected. My web guy who helps me to sort out knotty problems. A Fiverr cove..."

Thank you for this feedback. That's what I figured but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the new norm. Thanks again!

P.D. Workman (Pamela) wrote: "Expected - no. But I do sometimes send providers a little extra when they go above and beyond what was advertised/what I expected. My web guy who helps me to sort out knotty problems. A Fiverr cove..."

Thank you for this feedback. That's what I figured but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the new norm. Thanks again!

I recommend you only tip if they far exceeded your expectations.

I find this awkward in the extreme.

To be honest I'd sooner pay a fair day's wage for a fair day's work...

But life being what it is I find myself adding a few bob if somebody has gone the extra mile

The artist I use for one of my series is through Fiverr. Normally I provide very clear instructions and we do not need much back and forth. This last time, my mind was scattered, and I had him redraw the outline for the cover three times. I tipped him over one-hundred percent. Why? Because he ended up doing three times the work without complaint. He was quick. He was his usual professional self and as important, I felt it was the right thing to do. =) I would say you need to go with your instincts.

Thank you everyone for your comments. In addition to helping me sort out my thoughts, they also helped my understand the Fiverr process more.