Editing Level Descriptions
Depending on your needs, I offer the following three (3) levels of editing, each designed to polish your writing and make it outstanding! Whether it’s a book or corporate materials, I am a firm believer in good writing. I’ll edit just about anything, fiction (I especially love YA books), nonfiction, resumes, press releases… you name it, I’ll probably edit it.
Don’t forget a FREE editing consultation: If you would like a free editing consultation, please feel free to send me a 2-4 page (500-1,000 word) sample of your work and we can go from there, determining your needs, and customizing rates that work for your project. If your document is very short, other arrangements will be made.
Level 1: Proofreading/Light Copyediting (Light)
This service is for writing which is already polished, but needs another keen eye to look it over. I will track changes I’ve made, as well as insert comments and suggestions for you to consider. After all, spell-check only knows that the words “there,” “their,” and “they’re” are indeed words — not when they’re each most appropriate.
What I will do in a light proofread/copyedit:
In a light edit, I am responsible for correcting faults in the following areas:
1. Spelling
2. Grammar
3. Capitalization
4. Punctuation
5. Numbered lists
6. Table of contents
7. Table and figure numbers
What I won’t do in a light proofread/copyedit:
I will not question content or style problems. It is not my place to be a critic. If I believe a manuscript is weak in certain areas, or I find major inconsistencies or errors, I will mention it but won’t go overboard in the hopes that someone higher on the publishing scale would notice such inconsistencies.
Level 2: Copyediting (Medium)
This is for writing that may require more revisions than standard proofreading/copyediting. I will track changes I’ve made, as well as insert comments and suggestions for you to consider.
What I will do in a medium copyedit:
My responsibilities include everything listed above under proofreading/light copyediting as well as ensuring correctness and consistency of the following:
1. Numbers: (For example: Is it 7:00 a.m. or 7 AM or seven o’clock in the morning?)
2. Abbreviations
3. Gender neutrality
4. Content and style (as follows):
- Audience: The manuscript needs to clearly serve its audience.
- Logic and clarity
- Word usage and choice
- Format: Check for consistency, including titles, headers and subheaders.
Level 3: Line editing/Substantive editing (Heavy)
What I will do in a heavy copyedit:
In addition to everything that is required in a light and medium copy edit, I will delve into some heavy-duty editing, and may make more suggestions for rewriting (though I will not provide much rewriting myself– more on that below). I often catch some of these inconsistencies in a medium copyedit, but unless asked to perform a substantive edit, I may not focus on these:
1. Redundancies
2. Wordiness and/or triteness
3. Vague generalizations
4. Weak sentence style
5. Organizational weakness
6. Lack of focus
Substantive editing involves a lot of labor-intensive work. I will not be involved with much of the actual rewriting, but I will make suggestions. A cardinal rule of this level of editing requires that rewriting must come from the original source.
When inquiring about any of the above services please include details such as word count and page count. Please contact me to let me know how I may assist with your editing needs.
Rates:
NOTE: Due to the current economy crisis, I will work with you directly to create rates that are customized to both a) meet your needs and b) fit your budget.
Editing & Proofreading Services: Starting as low as $2-$3 per page; rates differ based on levels of editing and how quickly I am able to edit your subject matter.
- FREE editing consultation: If you would like a free editing consultation, please feel free to send me a 2-4 page (500-1,000 word) sample of your work and we can go from there, determining your needs, and customizing rates that work for your project. If your document is very short, other arrangements will be made.
- Hourly rates:
- Overall average rate: $30-40/hour
- Proofreading (3-10 pages/hour), $20-50/hour
- Copyediting (Medium) (5-10 pages/hour), $20-50/hour
- Substantive editing (Heavy) (2-5 pages/hour), $25-50/hour
- Developmental editing (1-5 pages/hour), $32-60/hour
- Content editing, $20-50/hour
- Per page rates:
- Overall average per-page rate: $3
- Proofreading, $2-4
- Copyediting (Medium), $3-6
- Substantive editing (Heavy), $4-10
- Developmental editing, $5-12
- Content editing, $4-7
- Per word rates: 1 to 3 cents per word, depending on editing level
MINIMUM NOTE: A minimum of one hour ($30) will apply to most projects.
A note to Web site owners/designers:
Whether you believe it or not, first impressions mean a great deal. I’ve passed through many (professional) Web sites that have featured multiple typos, and even if visitors are not grammar mavens and English majors, people notice these mistakes. I don’t mean one typo here and there, but pages absolutely riddled with grammar mistakes and punctuation nightmares.
I understand this doesn’t always matter in the realm of SEO, but if you want your Internet presence to be taken seriously, it does matter. However, the problems I’m referring to have been on Web sites for large companies and corporations. I want to help your Web site to be as successful as you want it to be.
