The Proof is in the Reading!

Editing

Depending on your needs, I offer the following three (3) levels of editing, 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!

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 Copy editing (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/copy edit:
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/copy edit:
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: Copy editing (Medium)

This is for writing that may require more revisions than standard proofreading/copy editing. 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 copy edit:
My responsibilities include everything listed above under proofreading/light copy editing 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 copy edit:
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 copy edit, 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:

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
  • – Copy editing (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:
  • – Proofreading, $2-4
  • – Copy editing (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 on 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.