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Services
| Frequently Asked Questions Which type of editing does my project need? If you want broad suggestions and overall critique to bring a promising but unruly manuscript to the next level, you need developmental editing. If your work is farther along, and you want to make it shine before submitting it, you need copyediting. If you're unsure, I can look at a sample of your writing and advise you. What does an editor do? What will you do for my project? Short answer: An editor will increase the chances that your writing is noticed. Noticed in a good way. Long answer: A good editor attends to more than just grammar, spelling, style, and syntax. A good developmental editor
A good copyeditor
Will you edit my [love letters, handwritten graphic novel, dog's autobiography...]? If it's written and you want it edited, I'll edit it. Do you know how to edit my kind of stuff? It's [medical stuff, legal stuff, business stuff, psychology, history, philosophy, education, French, music, math, computer science, literary fiction, genre fiction...]. I've done all of the above and more, so the answer is probably yes. How much will this cost me? My copyediting rates start at $40 an hour, with a $100 minimum. Highly specialized or complex projects run higher. If you're a typical client with a typical project, the rate is $40. My developmental editing rates start at $60 an hour. Why? Developmental editing is harder. It requires more experience and skill. Ouch! Don't some people charge less than that? Yes. You can go to craigslist and find a guy who will offer to "proof read for cheap." You can go to a big freelance website, and someone whose training consists of "I always see typos in the newspaper!" will bid low. These days, publishers are outsourcing editing to India for $8 to $12 an hour. You get what you pay for. What's in it for me? Why should I hire you and not the craigslist guy? Even the best writers need a good editor. Given the competitive nature of publishing, you do yourself no favors by taking the cheapest way out. Sure, you can easily find someone who calls himself an editor who will work cheaply. You could also serve Twinkies and tap water at your wedding. It's all the same, right? I know what I'm doing, and you'll be pleased with the result. Do you ever work for less than $40 an hour? Yes. Like many people, sometimes I work free of charge for a good cause. The local homeless shelter is a good cause. "I don't want to pay you $40 an hour" is not a good cause. Can you give me an estimate of what my project will cost? The typical copyeditor works at a rate of about 1000 to 2000 words per hour, depending on many factors. I tend to be fast. A 10,000-word dissertation will take about five hours and cost $200. An 80,000-word novel will take about forty hours and cost $1600. The typical developmental editor works at a rate of about 500 to 1250 words per hour. Again, I tend to be fast (if five manuscript pages an hour can ever be considered "fast"). An 80,000-word novel will take about sixty hours and cost $3600. Once you send a sample of your writing, I can give you a firm bid. Will you write a term paper for me? No. |
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My services are simple: You want something edited. I'll edit it. Please contact me to work out the details! |
