Frequently Asked Questions

What are your rates?

How long will it take?

How do I know what level of editing I need?

 

What are your rates?

Our fees depend on the type of project and the service we provide. In general we charge by the hour. We provide estimates in advance and keep you apprised of progress.

For copy editing and proofreading, we can provide a project rate if the complete document is available for review before work starts. We can also provide you with a brief sample edit of your own material, on request.

For writing projects, we can also provide a project rate based on length of document and the number of revisions. It is important in this case to know the specific requirements of your project.

For manuscript evaluation, we charge $750 for up to 100,000 words, with $5 added for each extra 1,000 words.

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How long will it take?

How long the work takes depends on the size and complexity of the project and on the type of work being done. We will provide an approximate schedule along with our cost estimate.

For editing, we generally quote based on 500 to 1,500 words per hour, depending on the level of edit required (substantive, structural, stylistic or copy editing) and the condition of the material when we receive it. Estimates work best if we can review some portion of the project in advance.

Proofreading is significantly faster than editing (2,500 to 4,000 words per hour), but the complexity of the layout can affect the amount of time it takes to proofread a final document.

For writing, we will provide a schedule once we have a clear understanding of your project and how much material you have already gathered or written.

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How do I know what level of editing I need?

Some things you should consider when deciding whether you want copy editing or more in-depth structural or stylistic editing are the author (a professional writer or not), the project (something that will be short lived or that will stay online or on a shelf for a long time), your timeline (quick turnaround or time for more in-depth editing) and your budget. We can help you decide whether you need copy editing or more in-depth editing based on a sample of the work and an understanding of the overall project. Proofreading is the final step before production (printing, presenting or launching live) and thus the material should already be well edited and in its final format.

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