What do proofreaders charge?

1. 89

   Victoria Lynnposted 12 years ago

   What do proofreaders charge?
   
   Do proofreaders usually charge by the word, by the page, or by the hour? Is there a different rate for light, medium, or heavy editing. Some writers just need someone to do a quick proof, but other writers need some major editing overhauls. Thanks for your input.

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2. 76

   randslamposted 12 years ago

   $300-$500...the variance is due to the length of your project/manuscript...as all they are doing is reading your book and giving you a report of the problems...they aren't editing...only glossing over the flaws.
   
   An editor may charge you anywhere between $2000 and $5000 dollars because they are combing every "jot and tittle"...they are making your manuscript publishable.
   
   Hope this helps.

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   1. 89

      Victoria Lynnposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      $300 to $500? 300 minimum? what is just a resume and not a book?

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   2. 76

      randslamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      For short one page pieces the fee can be as low as $5.00-$30.00.  I try to edit by the hour, or word count, too.

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3. 60

   kthix10posted 12 years ago

   My friends has her own editing company - her is her pricing http://www.bee-editing.com/pricing.php

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4. 78

   EuroCafeAuLaitposted 12 years ago

   I proofread for foreign firms or local Croatian firms that want a native speaker to look over their translation.  By the page (which is 1800 characters, including spaces) the price was about 10 Euros, this is considered a nicely paid job that you can find with a corporation.
   
   For private individuals, and unfortunately, more companies, the trend is to do a per word price.  I and other proofreaders charge .03 USD (in other words, three cents) per word.  100 words comes to $3.00 and so on.  Proofreading services include spelling, punctuation, grammar and more.  The proofreader is expected to identify words that don't fit or sentences that don't flow and suggest (or simply make) changes using a tracking program like Track Changes in Microsoft Word.
   
   I hope this helps!

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   1. 89

      Victoria Lynnposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That does help. Is there any difference in cost per word if the text needs heavy vs. light editing?

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   2. 78

      EuroCafeAuLaitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, the cost may be reduced further if the writer is fairly knowledgeable in English.  I had a Czech client who had lived in Canada several years.  I just did a once-over in an hour or two for half the cost.  There were less than five errors.

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5. 78

   EuroCafeAuLaitposted 12 years ago

   Editors proofread texts by native and nonnative authors.  Native English editors with good attention to detail may proofread, edit and improve texts distributed to international customers and users. read more

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6. 69

   Radical Rogposted 12 years ago

   There seems to be a bit of confusion here. There is, story editing, which is to see whether the basic construction of the story works. Then there is, copy editing, which is an examination of the technical construction of the story.
   Of course each goes a lot deeper and, to a certain extent, overlap.
   Then there is, proof reading. Proof reading is the final check of the printer's proof, set out and formatted as would be the finished book. The only problems should be those created in transferring the finished, edited copy into book format, for example, ensuring their are no 'widows' and 'orphans'.

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7. 60

   Jen Johnsonposted 12 years ago

   I've been doing developmental editing and some ghost writing freelance for several years now and don't charge nearly as much as they list below... check out my profile on oDesk:
   
   https://www.odesk.com/users/~~aabc32fa7c6bfc2a
   
   I charge a flat rate on a sliding scale or $20/hr through their time-tracking app, where they get $2/hour and I get $18.
   
   The downfall to using someone like me is that I don't have an English degree... so if that's important to you, as it is to a number of people in the "literary snob" classification, then don't bother looking on freelance sites. BUT if you're an indie author, there's no reason for you to pay out $2k or more for an edit.
   
   And on the freelance site, I'm sort of in the "middle of the road" pricing range. I also have experience with editing, with a number of books and other materials under my best already, wither as hired work or as part of the publishing company I own.
   
   My process, that way there's no confusion as to which type of editing I'm speaking of (I charge around $300-$1500 depending on the extent of the editing; for most people, it's $300-$500 based on how long the MS is).
   
   I do an initial edit for technicalities, awkward sentences, and to get a feel for the story as well as catch glaring errors in plot and timing. Once finished with the first pass, the MS is sent back to the author (that would be you) for approval as well as learning and clarification of questions I had (not to mention fixing specific portions that I maybe didn't due to the sheer amount of rewriting necessary, as maintaining the author's voice is the most important thing). The author sends the MS back to me, I do another pass, searching for essentially the same problems - syntax, awkward sentences, repetition of words or phrases, and so on and so forth. I also take a special interest in punctuation and its appropriate uses... many people have ellipse or comma addictions that absolutely have to be brought under control .
   
   I don't know how much others charge, but I'm willing to bet that those charging thousands either have worked or currently work for a more major publisher in NY, which could very well add to the price. I charge what I do because indie authors are more likely to afford it, and they are the ones who really need the editing help from an independent source.
   
   Hope this helps - if you need an editor & like my editing style/writing style, just let me know .

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