Rates
Rates vary according to the type of job and the editing level needed or desired. See descriptions below.
Services
Light edit: One or two fairly quick passes through the document to correct basic errors and flag issues for the author to address.
Medium edit: Two passes through the document, some basic research, and minor rewriting of obvious problem areas.
Heavy edit: Two and possibly three passes through the document, and serious involvement with the content. May include heavy revisions of structure and language, in keeping with the author's intent and voice.
At the request and discretion of the author, this is what I do:
- Correct faulty spelling, grammar, and punctuation
- Correct usage (such as can for may)
- Check specific cross-references (for example, "As Table 14-6 shows...")
- Ensure consistency in spelling, hyphenation, abbreviations, numerals, fonts, and capitalization
- Check for proper formatting and sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists and other displayed material
- Change text and headings to achieve parallel structure
- Flag inappropriate figures of speech
- Ensure that key terms are handled consistently and that vocabulary lists and the index (if there is one) contain all the terms that meet criteria specified by the author
- Ensure that previews, summaries, and end-of-chapter questions reflect content
- Change passive voice to active voice, if requested
- Flag ambiguous or incorrect statements
- Eliminate wordiness, triteness, and inappropriate jargon
- Smooth transitions and moving sentences to improve readability
- Assign new levels to heads to achieve logical structure
- Suggest – and sometimes implement – additions and deletions
- Conform the text to a particular style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style (books), The Associated Press Stylebook (news articles), or other guide preferred by the author
- Allow deviations from the style guide, if the author consistently uses acceptable variants
