Editing Rates & Submission Guidelines
First 1,000 words edited FREE for new
book authors!
This enables me to better estimate the rate for the
remaining manuscript and give you an idea of whether or not you like my
editing style. Just send me 1,000 words and the total word count of
your manuscript. I'll return the sample with my editing notes, along
with a recommendation for what type of editing I think it needs and a cost
estimate for my editing services.
Different types of documents require different
levels of editing. This is why I offer three editing levels, priced
accordingly:
Level 1 Edit
Ideal for a final edit. It's
always a good idea to have another pair of eyes scan your document for
accuracy before having it printed, turning in an important report or
assignment, or submitting a bid for a project. (Nobody's perfect,
after all.) The Level 1 Edit checks for spelling, grammar, correct
word usage, indentation, punctuation, and style guide adherence. For
a manuscript that will be published as a book, this level of editing is
also known as "copy editing".
Rate: $0.013 - $0.022 per word. The higher rates apply for highly
technical documents or lengthy documents sent as hard copies. An
excessive number of problems with a document's style will impact its
grammar, and may also push the editing rate upward. Half the amount
estimated for the total manuscript will be due upon acceptance as a
retainer fee, with the remainder due upon completion of the edit.
Level 2 Edit
Checks for everything in Level 1, plus style issues, length, continuity,
logic and
adherence to guidelines. (Please submit the guidelines for grant applications
or contest entries along with the document.) This level is
recommended for the first edit of a manuscript, or for an article that
must be shortened to fit available space in a publication. My
editing at this level combines light content and line editing into one,
streamlining the process and providing a better value for authors. For books
being submitted to publishers, a Level 2 edit is recommended, followed by
a Level 1 edit after the first changes are made. (See "Book Editing
Package" below.)
Rate: $0.025 - $0.038 per word, depending on the level of difficulty
and number of errors. The same retainer-remainder payment
arrangement described above applies to this level.
Level 3 Edit
Checks for everything in Levels 1 & 2, plus accuracy of facts and
trademark infringements. For fiction, major plot and character issues are
also addressed. This is a full-bore content edit with fact checking. Recommended for technical
documents, reference works and anything else that will be published and
could leave the author vulnerable to lawsuits.
Rate: same as for Level 2 Edit, plus $75 an hour for research
time. Documentation of hours will be provided. The same
retainer-remainder arrangement describe above applies to this level.
Proofreading
If all you need is a quick once-over to check
for typos before getting something printed, I can also do this.
Turnaround is usually within 24 hours, depending on the length of the
project and my workload at the time I receive it. Please let me know
when you need it back when submitting anything for proofreading, and if I
can't deliver by then, I'll refer you to another editor.
Rate: $7 per text page, flat rate.
Book Editing Package: Level 2 Edit,
Followed By Level 1 Edit
This package is what most book authors
need. A Level 2 Edit is performed on the manuscript, and it is
returned to the author. After changes are made, the second draft
receives a Level 1 Edit, and any remaining Level 2 issues are also
addressed. After the author incorporates these changes, the
manuscript should be ready for submission to an agent or publisher.
Rate: $0.039 - $0.055 per word, depending on the level of
difficulty and number of errors. Payment is usually handled with the
above-described retainer-remainder arrangement for the Level 2, followed
by payment in full for the Level 1 when it is completed.
For all levels of editing, you will
receive your document in an electronic (Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF) file with
areas highlighted and footnoted where corrections are needed, along
with any other suggested changes. If you prefer to receive the file
with
these changes already made, or a hard copy of the document ready for
typesetting, add $0.003 per word to the rate.
If you originally sent the
manuscript as a hard copy and would like to receive an electronic file
with all edits in place, add $1 per page to cover time spent on scanning
and cleaning up the scanned documents.
Submission Guidelines:
Electronic files (the preferred method): All documents should be e-mailed as an
attachment in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. If you don't have
either one, include the text in the body of your e-mail. Format your
text to be double-spaced and your paragraphs for a first-line indent.
Please use page breaks between chapters, instead of just spacing down
to start new chapters within the manuscript.
Hard copies: All hard copies
should be typed on 8.5" x 11" paper, double-spaced in 12-point Times New
Roman, with 1" margins on all sides, page numbers in the upper right-hand
corner and a header on each page showing the title of the manuscript.
Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or box for the manuscript's
return. Please use white paper and black
ink. Please remember to keep a copy for yourself in case it gets lost in the mail. Never
mail the only existing copy of your manuscript. I charge $1 per page
extra for scanning and converting your paper document into an electronic
file with which I can work.
Click here to get my e-mail and regular addresses.
For all manuscripts, the length on which billing
is based will be the number of words submitted to me for editing, not the
length after editing. This word count will likely differ between the
Level 2 and Level 1 edits.
For books or short stories, you should
have completed the entire manuscript before submitting it for Level 2 or
above editing. This is because content editing may require
reorganizing the way your story is told to make it flow more smoothly, and
I can't know this without reading the entire manuscript.
I'll be happy to edit the first 1,000 words for new clients free of charge,
which will enable me to better estimate the rate for the remaining
manuscript and give you an idea of whether or not you like my editing
style. You may want to take the suggestions I make on this sample of
the work and apply them to the rest of the manuscript before submitting
the whole thing.
For newsletters, directories and magazines, I can open files in
PDF, Adobe
PageMaker, Adobe InDesign, and Microsoft Publisher.
I am also able to open Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
If you need to send me a file that's too large to attach to an e-mail, use
a free service like YouSendIt.com to upload the file and send me a link to
it. Please include separately on the disk
all files for any graphics in the publication or presentation that are
required for opening the file. I can also supply files to your
printer in any of these formats, or as PDF files.
Please specify which level of editing you
want me to perform (see above list), and indicate whether you will also
need a finished copy or file with the changes already made ($1 extra per page). It
would also be helpful if you'd let me know when you need the document
returned to you. If I'm unable to meet this deadline, I'll let
you know as soon as possible so you can find another editor, and give you
a few leads on other editors I know. It usually takes around 90 days
to complete a Level 2 Edit of a 200-page
manuscript and 30 days to complete a Level 1.
Thank you in advance for entrusting your precious
work to Thompson Writing & Editing, and for adhering to these guidelines.
I look forward to working with you!
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