Editorial Services

A copy editor will go through your text with a fine-toothed comb and make changes for grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency, and light fact-checking (proper names and place names). In addition, for fiction works, copy editors will pay attention to things like dialogue tags, timeline, and continuity. Copy editors may offer ways to recast or reword your sentences if they seem unclear or awkward, but it's not a deep-dive into the structure or story elements. (It is expected your story is fully developed prior to a copy edit, and it is advised to have a proofread done after a copy edit, as no editor will catch 100 percent of errors 100 percent of the time.)

I edit fiction and nonfiction. Please see my subject &  genre expertise below.

This service is available using Microsoft Word. If you need other software (e.g., Google Docs or Mac Pages), please let me know. 

Rates (USD) begin at 2.5 cents per word for a light copy edit; 3.0 cents per word for a medium copy edit; 3.5 cents per word for a heavy copy edit. I will assess your manuscript and give you a quote based on what it needs and desired turnaround time. Please note while a manuscript is quoted by the word, references themselves (endnotes/bibliography) will be billed at an hourly rate due to the complexity of the work. Quoted rates include one full pass; additional passes are available for an extra fee. I have a minimum of $50 for any copy editing project.

A proofreader will give your text a final once-over just to make sure everything is ship-shape before you publish. Proofreaders review for obvious grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, but won't recast your sentences or suggest rewording except in very rare cases. We can also check your layout and make sure there are no mistakes in pagination, font sizing, and the like, as well as ensure that copy edits have been carried over to the final version by comparing it to the last edit. It is expected that the author has had a professional copy edit performed and that the manuscript is considered clean and ready to publish before hiring a proofreader. 

I proofread fiction and nonfiction. Please see my subject & genre expertise below. 

This service is available using PDF markup or Microsoft Word. If you need other software (e.g., Google Docs or Mac Pages), please let me know.

Rates (USD) begin at 2 cents per word for proofreading in MS Word or Google Docs; 2.5 cents per word for a proofread that includes checking layout in PDF form or proofreading a website. Please note that while a manuscript is quoted by the word, reviewing references (endnotes/ bibliography) will be billed at an hourly rate due to the complexity of the work. Rush turnaround times incur an extra fee. Quoted rates include one full pass. I have a minimum of $30 for any proofreading project.