Your needs as a writer will vary a great deal depending on your own ability, your available time, the type of project and your goals for the work. I offer two types of editing services, proofreading and style editing.
Proofreading includes:
- Spelling and punctuation
- The right word: “to,” “too,” “two”? “affect” or “effect”? “an” or “and”? “think” or “thank”? — spell-check will not notice if the incorrect one is used
- Verb-noun agreement, consistency in verb tense
- Omitted or doubled words
- Sentence fragments
- Pronoun-reference agreement
- Consistency in font and formatting
Style Editing includes the previously mentioned Proofreading and asks: Does it make sense? Is it clear? Is there a more understandable way to say it? I will check:
- Sentence construction
- Word choice
- Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
- Use of passive voice
- Consistency in terminology
I will also make alternative suggestions for you to consider through the Track Changes tool in Microsoft Word. Fact checking is not included. I will assume your facts, as well as your format of references and spellings of people’s names, are all correct unless there is inconsistency.
For articles, reports, business letters, web sites, etc., projects are billed by the hour.
Rates:
Proofreading: $40/hour; Style Editing: $50/hour
Estimated time: Proofreading: 4-8 pages/hour depending on complexity; Style Editing: 2-5 pages/hour depending on amount of rewriting
A page is maximum 250 words, double-spaced, in Microsoft Word.
For manuscripts without charts, sidebars, etc., projects can be billed by the page if desired.
Rates:
Proofreading: $5.00/page (maximum 250 words, double-spaced, in Microsoft Word)
Style Editing: $7.50/page (maximum 250 words, double-spaced, in Microsoft Word)
Additional Expenses:
Project Management: 5% of total for Client Communications (emails, phone calls, etc.) about the project or discussing/clarifying suggested revisions