Language editing

As an editor, I help clients communicate their ideas with clarity, precision, and grace. I prioritize concision and straightforward, direct language.

I am a communicative, hands-on collaborator. We will begin with a (free) discussion of your needs by email, video, or phone. From there, we will work together to determine your project’s scope, rates, and timeline. I stay in touch with my clients until they are satisfied with their work: I will always address any confusion about my revisions or comments for free, and I offer reduced rates for editing of subsequent drafts.

Language editing is available at three levels:

Level 1 editing makes your writing correct. It involves the following:

  • Revising your sentences mechanical correctness—correcting errors in grammar, punctuation (including punctuation surrounding quotations and citations), and spelling (including US vs. UK spellings).

  • A review for accessibility, as well as for inclusive and culturally sensitive language.

  • Marking of incomplete sentences and any confusing language.

 

Level 2 editing makes your work correct and clear. It includes everything at Level 1, plus revising for:  

  • Academic style and tone—ensuring the document’s language and level of formality are appropriate for its audience.

  • Concision—reducing wordiness, repetition, and inflated language, and splitting of long sentences.

  • Precision—marking areas where words, explanations, or terms are unclear.

 

Level 3 editing makes your work correct, clear, and consistent. It includes everything at Levels 1 and 2, plus revising for stylistic consistency:

  • Consistent use and formatting of abbreviations, acronyms, units, equations, and variables.

  • Consistent numbering of chapters, sections, tables, and figures across the document.

 

Add-on editing services are available at affordable rates for existing projects. These could include …

  • generating a bibliography and/or in-text citations

  • citation editing (ensuring that citations are formatted consistently and match your style requirements)

  • formatting to meet the requirements of a style guide or journal,

  • generating a table of contents,

  • … and more, depending on the scope and needs of your project.

 

Rates

My rates are determined by the starting per-word rates listed below, with adjustments made for the scale and complexity of each project, as well as any add-on services. We will sign a contract after we have determined the scope, cost, and timeline of your edit. Work will begin after you’ve paid a 50% deposit, with the remainder due before delivery of the final edit.

  • Level 1: $28 per 1,000 words 

  • Level 2: $34 per 1,000 words

  • Level 3: $40 per 1,000 words

For lengthy projects of 20,000 words or more, you’ll receive a sample edit, billed at the agreed-upon rate, after I’ve completed the first 2,000 words. This will give us a chance to make any adjustments before proceeding further.

delivery

All edits include in-text revisions using Track Changes, marginal comments explaining notable changes and flagging areas in need of your review, and a summary sheet identifying major editorial decisions and the document’s most common errors. My turnaround time for documents up to 8,000 words is usually about one week, with longer texts requiring a bit more time. Faster timelines may be possible, depending on my availability. If you’re on a tight timeline, be in touch as early as you can.

need something else?

If you need writing support for projects that are still developing, you can consider my coaching services or a developmental edit.