Cost of Service
How much will it cost to edit my work?
The table below will help you calculate the potential cost of editing your document. The cost per word is based on an hourly rate of $20.
| Light editing: minor changes in punctuation, spelling, and grammar ... | 1-2 cents/word |
| Moderate editing: many spelling and grammar corrections, some rewriting ... | 2-4 cents/word |
| Heavy editing: extensive rewriting ... | 4-6 cents/word |
| Structural changes, formatting ... | hourly rate |
Charges frequently fall between these list prices; for instance, 2.2 cents per word may be charged for well written material that needs punctuation, spelling. and grammar corrections, and occasional rewording. Typical charges for moderate editing are 2 - 4 cents per word. The services page has a description of work that will be performed on your document.
How to use the Cost-per-Word table:
In MS Word 2003, the Tools menu will provide you with a word count for the whole document. Word 2007 has the word count of the opened document on the menu at the bottom of the screen. By multiplying the word count by the cost per word you can calculate the projected total cost of the editing. For example: a document with 3000 words rated at 2 cents per word will cost $60.
How do I get a cost estimate from the editor?
Submit all or part of the document to the editor and ask for a cost estimate. The file should be submitted as an MS Word document (or PDF) attached to email. You can also ask about the expected time to edit the whole document. The editor will need to know the length of the document to estimate the time it will take to do the editing.
How much will it cost?
Based on the time taken to do a portion of the document, the editor will estimate the cost of editing the whole document. The editor charges a rate of $20 per hour. When the writing is fairly homogeneous, a cost per word may be cited (see the Cost-per-Word table above for rates). The cost per word is always based on a time charge; that is, the cost estimate is based on the time taken to edit the material.
How long will it take?
If the editor knows the length of the document, an estimate of the time it will take to edit the whole document can be given based on the time taken to edit a portion of the material. If you are in a great hurry and the editor has to drop other projects temporarily, there may be a higher cost for the editing.
Terms
Payment may be made in Canadian or U.S. funds by cash, cheque, money order, or Interac (if you have online banking, this is the easiest method). International payments can be deposited into a Canadian bank via a swift code provided to the author by the editor. For large manuscripts, partial payment must be made in advance.
Consultation
To discuss a problem with the editor, call the telephone number on the contact page, or drop a line to e-mail. There is no charge for consultation.