FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My pricing is based "per page", using the Standard Manuscript Formatting guidelines of 250 words per page, double spaced, 1 in. margins on all sides, 12-pt. Times New Roman Font. Rates range from $3 per page for proofreading to $8 per page for content/developmental editing and line editing and formatting corrections. I require a 10 page sample of the manuscript that I use to gauge the amount of work that might be needed/suggested, and base by project rate on that. I accept installment payments, with invoicing for those at various stages of the project. I do require a 50% down payment when the manuscript is sent to me to start the project.
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
One of my aunt's was an editor as Simon & Schuster, and she had tales of working in NYC. But I never had a desire to live in the big city. Instead, I went to college and worked as a city editor at a small town newspaper and a managing editor at an industry weekly. Life changes happened, and my career took divergent paths. I finally returned to college for my B.S., but the downturn in the economy again forced to to look at my "life path." Hence, the certification in copy editing and the creation of my freelance business.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
I line and content edit manuscripts of 175 to 400 pages in every spectrum of fiction and of any genre. I am what some consider to be a "grammar-phobe"...I dislike misused word and verb tenses, I dislike disjointed sentences and paragraphs that require the reader to start that section over again. I edit the manuscript for any and all types of elements that hinder the flow of the story. I also make certain it is written in "proper English" and that it seems "real" to the reader, regardless of genre. I have an eye for detail, so I notice small formatting errors (smart quotes versus straight quotes, for example). I give detailed comments and references (some are actually bookmarked by the authors for later reference) for the edits and or revisions.