“Okay, let’s cut to the chase. How much is this going to cost me?”
Generally speaking, I like to have a sample of the work, along with the size of the total job and what you want done. I can get a better idea of how long it will take and can quote you a project price. If you prefer that I keep an hourly tab, I can do that instead. I just find that some of the categories are not very sensitive to how much time is needed. Having said that, here is a list of my services and rates. My thanks to the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) for providing a reference table showing ranges of accepted rates for common editorial tasks.
Type of Work Estimated Pace Range of Fees
Copy editing, basic 5-10 ms pgs/hr $30-40/hr
Copy editing, heavy 2–5 ms pgs/hr $40–50/hr
Developmental editing 1–5 pgs/hr $60–80/hr
Proofreading 9-13 ms pgs/hr $30-35/hr
Researching NA $40-75/hr
Substantive / line editing 1–6 ms pgs/hr $50–60/hr
Writing 1-3 ms pgs/hr $50-100/hr (5¢-$2/wd)
NOTE ms = manuscript page, pg = page, hr = hour, wd = word
(A manuscript page is 250 words.)
These are rough estimates only. I try to charge at the low end of the ranges. Rush jobs will add a little to the price. Ultimately the actual cost is always dependent on the extent of the editing, research and creative writing that are involved. It can be anything from simple grammar, spelling and word use, to having to go sentence by sentence, rearranging ideas, sentences and paragraphs to bring a nice flow to the article. In some cases, it amounts to an almost complete rewrite of the document. When heavy copy editing, developmental or line editing is involved, the time needed will also depend on the subject matter. If it’s an area where I have some expertise, there is little to no research involved. Other areas may take considerable time in research.
If the numbers above scare you; if you think there is no way to fit anything extra into your non-existent new business budget – I hope you will take a leap of faith and show me what you need done. I mean it when I say I’m passionate about helping you get off the ground with your best foot forward. I will work with you to ensure my services are affordable. The most important thing is that you get yourself out there, looking great. If you are trying to make a positive change in the world, there is a tribe of people out there waiting for you to get your act together and show up! I want to help if I can – really…really, really.
