One of the first things you will want to know is how much editing or proofreading will cost you. But this isn’t a question that has an easy answer. It all depends on the state that your material is in and how you want to publish it. So the first thing I will ask is to see a representative sample of the text. I will then edit (or proofread) a small part of that text (usually about 1000 words) for no charge so that I can assess how long the work will take and what it will cost. My editing rate varies from as much as 3500 words an hour to as little as 800 words an hour, so you can see that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all rate. It depends on how much attention the text needs.

Once I have calculated an estimate for the project, I will aim to keep to that budget. However, if I spot anything partway through the project that is going to have a significant effect on how much work I need to do, I will let you know immediately. We can then discuss an additional fee to accommodate the extra work involved.

My minimum rates are based on those suggested by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, but I will often charge more than these because I have lots of experience. You will be able to find people who will do editorial work for lower rates, but they may be untrained or inexperienced or both. I am happy to discuss working at an hourly rate or for a fixed sum for the whole project.

Projects taking less than an hour will be charged at the full hourly rate. I expect payment to be made in full within 30 days of receipt of my invoice.