FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I generally charge $30 per hour and ask for a (negotiable) $20 deposit once we have agreed to work together. My fee includes time I work directly on your document, time I spend producing tailored study materials (for tutoring clients), and time I spend talking face-to-face when we agree that doing so will be more efficient. This is a competitive price and an outstanding 'bang for your buck'. To keep costs stable for tutoring clients, I simply charge $45 per session and include all of the above work in that price. This generally works out to hourly savings for the client for the first few months, after which time I typically reduce the price. Relevant to editing projects, I also work very quickly. My turn-around is generally 48 hours or less, meaning that you get your feedback fast. As for hours billed, the majority of projects I've worked on have been billed for no more than two hours. When working on long manuscripts, such as dissertations, I typically take no more than fifteen hours. It is generally safe to estimate one hour per thousand words when I am provided with a fully thought-out document or, if you request proofreading only, one hour per three thousand words. For very long documents, like dissertations, I can often work more quickly than that. Of course, I can help with brainstorming and early drafts too, resulting in more billed hours overall but quicker work on the more polished drafts because I become familiar with your document! I also offer discounted rates for return clients, and further discounts for clients who refer their friends and colleagues to me.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
For all clients, I will ask for your writing up front. For editing clients, this will be the document you want me to work on. For tutoring clients, this will be a writing sample that you have not had help with. I will follow up as quickly as possible to settle the details. For editing clients, I can give you my anticipated total cost, let you know how many rounds of feedback I think you'll need, and tell you when to expect your first round of feedback. Note: most documents only take one round, and it is rare for them to take more than two rounds. I will request a deposit of $20 before I begin the editing work. In most cases, I will request the remaining fee when the project is finished. In rare cases involving an extensive number of rounds or more than one round on a very long document, I may request intermediary payments along the way. For tutoring clients, I will follow up to set up an initial meeting. During this brief meeting, I will make sure we are on the same page about your goals and provide a rough outline of my lesson plans. I will also provide you with an example of the kinds of study materials I will create during our time together, this one based on the writing sample you will have given me. And, of course, we'll set up a schedule for ongoing tutoring sessions and payment for them. I will request a $20 deposit in advance of this initial meeting, which will be deducted from the fee for our first tutoring session if you choose to continue working with me.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I worked for three years as a writing instructor and writing tutor at a community college (Gillette College). For two years of that time, I also worked as a GED instructor, preparing students to pass the reading comprehension and writing portions of that exam, as well as helping them prepare resumes. I am currently working on my PhD in linguistic anthropology at the University of Virginia, which involves helping undergraduate students write papers for their anthropology courses and, later, grading those papers and leaving constructive feedback. My bachelor's degree (from Eastern Michigan University) is in writing and linguistics. My master's degree (from the University of Western Australia) is in sociolinguistics. All of these degrees add up to someone who really understands how language works, on paper as well as in daily life. Through my studies, I have published multiple book chapters as well as a masters thesis and two substantial literature reviews. I have also reviewed the work of my classmates and colleagues, including work that has later been published as journal articles or that has comprised chapters of their dissertations.