FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I price by the hour at $30-50 per hour depending on the difficulty of the job. I look at the number of pages (based on an industry standard of 250 words per printed page) and divide it by 5-10 pages per hour. Before I figure up the total cost, I also look at how long it will take to pre-read the manuscript before editing. When I have that number and the total number of hours, I multiply that with the rate per hour (standard is $30, unless the job is deemed slightly more in-depth, and I will state that explicitly in my pricing details) to determine the final cost of the project.
- Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
I recently edited a project for an alumna of my undergraduate Alma Mata. I did the work pro bono, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her. This project brought out the true joy in editing for me. I was not working for money, but for the simple act of editing and for the fact that I was doing it for someone that connected me with a time and place that meant so much to me. Her book was released just recently to great fanfare. She has contracted me to work with her on further projects, but the memories I made working on this one will stick with me for the rest of my life.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Do not just hire the first editor that you find. Do your homework. Communicate with the editor. Find out what his/her style is, how he/she works, what he/she charges, how he/she communicates best. Some people do not work well together, and the same goes with the editor-author relationship. This relationship is important, and making a rash decision by hiring the first person to come along could be a mistake. Editors can be pretty expensive as their rates are fairly large per hour, so make sure that you are getting the best relationship possible for your money. Take the time to understand what you are looking for and who you are looking with; it could be the be the best choice you ever make.