FAQs
How do you decide how much to charge?
Every project is different. That makes it really difficult to provide an accurate quote on word count alone. Two manuscripts of the exact same length might require quite different levels of intervention and therefore take drastically different amounts of time. For that reason, I can only provide an accurate quote for your work once I have seen a sample and discussed it with you.
Using that information, I will estimate how long the job will take and multiply that number of hours by the same hourly rate I charge for all of my work. There are no hidden fees. It’s simply charging for the time I spend working. For more on the cost of editing, see this article I wrote: Why is editing so expensive?
Prices are always charged in GBP, but I’m happy to provide rough equivalents in other currencies. And you can find out more about exactly what’s included in each service on the relevant services page.
All services are subject to a minimum fee of £150. This helps me to cover all the additional administration that goes into even very short projects.
How do payments work?
For projects over 10,000 words, I’ll always split the total payment into two parts – one to be paid in advance and one on completion – so that you won’t have to pay it all in one go. I’m also very happy to work with you to discuss payment plans over a longer period of time if that is helpful.
I currently accept payment by direct bank transfer and PayPal. I will always send over an invoice before you pay, so you know exactly what you’re paying for and how the payment should be made.
Can I get a free sample edit?
Yes, in most cases. Sample edits are a really useful way for you to get a sense of my editing style, and for me to determine how much work is needed so I can provide an accurate quote for the work.
For projects over 10,000 words, I’m happy to offer a free sample edit of up to 600 words.
Get in touch to discuss your project or arrange a sample edit.
What format should I send my work in?
Fiction manuscripts
For developmental editing and line and copyediting, please provide your manuscript in Word or OpenOffice format. This is so that I can use track changes, and you can see and review all the changes and comments easily.
For proofreading, I can work with either:
- Word or OpenOffice format, if the manuscript has not yet been formatted for print. I will use track changes to make direct changes to the text.
- PDF format, if the manuscript has already been formatted for print. I will use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat to highlight where changes should be made, but cannot make direct changes to the text itself.
Comics/Graphic Novels
For proofreading, please provide a complete comic/graphic novel in PDF format. I will use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat to highlight where changes should be made, but cannot make direct changes to the text itself. If you’re concerned about file size when sending by email, consider using a free service like WeTransfer or DropBox and simply email the link to me instead.
For line and copyediting, please provide the script in Word or OpenOffice format. This is so that I can use track changes, and you can see and review all the changes and comments easily. If you have art/sketches already, I would also love to see these for the extra context they provide, preferably collated into either a PDF or another picture format.
Games
Board games and TTRPGs
For line and copyediting of a rule book or game components, please provide them in Word or OpenOffice format. This is so that I can use track changes, and you can see and review all the changes and comments easily.
For proofreading, please provide all the relevant components in PDF format. I will use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat to highlight where changes should be made, but cannot make direct changes to the text itself. If you’re concerned about file size when sending by email, consider using a free service like WeTransfer or DropBox and simply email the link to me instead.
Mobile, PC, or console game
For proofreading, I’ll usually work in Excel. Depending on the formatting of the text, I’ll work with you to agree the best way for me to show my corrections and comments (usually by adding a new column for any edited versions of your text). I can also use a different colour so you can see at a glance where edits have been added.
I’m also happy to work with track changes in Word if your text is in script format or hasn’t yet been separated into cells in Excel.
Can you edit just the first few chapters, or an incomplete manuscript?
I only work on completed manuscripts – with one specific exception, detailed below. In most cases, an incomplete manuscript won’t be ready for any of the services I offer.
- Developmental editing – It’s difficult to provide useful feedback on a plot or character arc when I don’t have access to the full thing. You may have written a great beginning, but unless I have the full book, I can’t know whether it delivers or whether the pacing is good throughout.
- Line and copyediting – This is detailed sentence-level editing to ensure your manuscript is engaging on every page. It’s not a good use of your time or resources to pay someone to edit every sentence if whole sections or storylines might yet be changed, as any changes would need to be looked at again anyway.
- Proofreading – Proofreading should be the very last step in editing your manuscript, when the text is fixed and won’t change before publication. If you still plan to make changes, the text would need to be looked at again anyway.
I will be happy to proofread a partial manuscript if you’re looking to tidy it up for querying/a competition that requires you to only send the first 50 pages or 10,000 words, etc.
If you’re looking for help finishing a manuscript, you could look into a service like book coaching, which I don’t currently provide.
Will my text be perfect?
There is no agreed industry standard for an acceptable rate of errors in proofreading, but many people suggest that a professional proofreader working on a copyedited and typeset manuscript should catch 95% of errors.
The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) has some advice on this on their website. “We don’t believe [a percentage] is helpful because, a) some errors are subjective in nature, and b) the proofreader will be working within other constraints such as budget and schedule. We recommend thinking in terms of whether the proofreader has made the text ready for publication – suitable, and of a high enough standard, for the purpose and audience required. There should be consistency and clarity, and no barriers to the reader understanding the message of the text.”
I will do everything I can to ensure that your text is error-free, however:
- If I am line editing or copyediting your work, it will still need to be proofread afterwards. The focus of these types of editing is on improving the language and readability, not combing through the text for errors.
- If I am proofreading your work, I will do everything I can to ensure there are no lingering errors. But perfection can never be 100% guaranteed. This is particularly true where there are additional complicating factors like time constraints, or when the writing has not been copyedited beforehand.
Will you keep my work confidential?
I will never share your work (or any other information about you) unless you have given me explicit permission to do so.
I appreciate that some clients may have deeper concerns about confidentiality or security. My Privacy Policy sets out how any data about you will be used and stored. If you would prefer to have a non-disclosure agreement in place with regard to your project, I’d be very happy to discuss this.
