Editorial Services and Rates
For independent writers of genre fiction and creative non-fiction
Editorial services available
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Any combination of the above.
What will it cost?
Every project is unique. The main driver behind the cost is time. How many hours will it take to check everything to the level of detail that you have asked for? How long it takes depends on:
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the level of intervention you require,
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your manuscript's state of readiness,
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your previous use of beta readers or other editing services,
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the deadline.
An approximate guideline for work rate:
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2,500 words/hour if your work has already been copy-edited, is text only, in its final format for publishing and requires a straightforward proofread,
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1,300 words/hour if you require a full copy-edit, no research and the copy is mostly text,
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700 words/hour if you want an intensive structural edit.
Rates for editing and proofreading (approx.)*
Rates are based on the suggested minimum rates as published by the SfEP.
I offer a free edit or proofread of a 2,000 word, representative sample so you can see if we are a good fit before commissioning me for the full project.
I tend to be commissioned in a proof-edit capacity so I do not charge more per hour for editing than for proofreading. I will consider your requirements, your copy/proof, your style/guidelines (if you have any) and your deadline. An hourly rate or, if you prefer, project rate will then be based on:
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how long the entire project will take,
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how comprehensive your existing style guide is,
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how much out-of-hours work will be required to meet your deadline,
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the amount of non-text material in the manuscript,
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the level of off-page work (not generally required for a straightforward proofread) e.g. research, following complicated timelines, large numbers of characters to track.
The hourly rate will usually fall between
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£15/hour and £28/hour
* Discounts available for longer projects and regular, repeat business.
Editing and proofreading tasks that can be covered:
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check for typos, spelling mistakes, capitalization, punctuation errors, grammar and usage,
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check page numbers and page headings, table of contents matches the text, end-of-line breaks, widows and orphans, running heads,
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check referencing, formatting and labelling of illustrations, graphs and tables,
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flag copyright and fair use issues,
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raise style considerations,
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fact check,
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cross-reference,
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suggestions for wording, re-writing for clarity and flow,
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ensure that style is consistent
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check characters, locations and other content remain consistent throughout,
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flag timing problems, loose ends, irrelevant detail, anachronisms, repetition, unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, similarity of names and numbers,
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raise issues with chapter breaks,
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check dialogue and thought expression,
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raise issues with POV, pace, tense, plot and structure.
