a word about rates
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General notes
each project is customized
The initial consult is all about sorting out what it is you need and whether we’re a good match for each other.
As to rate, typically for a well-defined edit project, we’d generally settle on a project rate, given as a range. For coaching, we’d typically work with packages of hours. It’s more economical.
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Editing
All editing comes down to charging for time and expertise, whether that rate is given in terms of words, pages, hours, or project. The editor who gives you a flat fee, or even a range, is calculating the time she’ll spend and charging accordingly. The difference is that when you get a rate in terms of words, pages, or project, the hourly rate is the subtext. You won’t know exactly what it is. You also won’t know how fast, or slow, she’s working.
Typically, informational nonfiction is higher; fiction and narrative nonfiction are lower.
The deeper the work, the more time it takes. And so also, the more expensive it is. Dev editing and line editing have different aims, a different focus. Deep and deeply intense line editing (more typical of nonfiction than fiction) can take as long as dev editing, or longer. Costs follow accordingly.
Line editing virtually always runs more than copyediting. Copyediting, more than proofreading.
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Manuscript critique / dev edit
Because there’s no way to do a “sample” for a ms critique or dev edit — both of which require a deep read of the entire ms — coming up with a project estimate is a trickier proposition. I’d give you that rate as a range, with dependencies.
To ensure a good match, we’d have an in-depth conversation first about your background as a writer and author, your goals for the project, and so on. And I’d want to take a look at the piece in question or the ms, so that I could dip in and read here and there to get a sense for it.
A dev edit can be on a work of any length. A ms critique refers to book-level work.
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Line edit
For a line edit, I’ll also need to take a look at the piece or ms. I’m happy to do a sample edit for a small fee that would then be deducted from the total cost. Working through a sample would give us each a preview of the relationship.
The final work might differ somewhat, as in reading the entire work I’d have a better idea of how each piece fits into the whole.
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What’s included
Ms critique
A concise editorial letter that addresses and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the ms and offers suggestions for improvement. No work or commentary in the ms itself.
A video conference to walk through this overall analysis and recommendations
Dev edit
Your piece or ms with extensive marginal notes and commentary
A detailed editorial letter that addresses and discusses the major issues, drawing also examples from the ms
A video conference to walk through the analysis and recommendations
Line edit
Your piece or ms with suggestions marked directly in text for making sentences and passages (and so also the argument, the ideas, or the story) stronger and more effective, with supporting notes and commentary as needed
A concise editorial letter, if enough issues warrant it, that addresses and discusses the major issues, citing also examples from the ms
A video conference to walk through the sentence-level issues
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So, what can it run?
For a ms of about 50,000 words (approximately 200 ms pages*), a ms critique might run about $2,500 (5 cents a word or about $12.50 a ms page); a dev edit could run about $3,500 (7 cents a word or about $17.50 a ms page) or more; a line edit, if deep, might be in the neighborhood of $4,500 (9 cents a word or about $22.50 a ms page) and up.
These are ballpark — super ballpark — figures. Everything, everything, everything depends on the particulars of a project. The number of words alone supplies no information at all about the work that might be needed.
For shorter works (articles, essays, short stories, flash), the cost per word may well be higher. The total cost, of course, is a fraction of book-length work.
* Note that a ms page is about 250 words.
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Coaching
Coaching typically starts at about $100/hour and can run up to $200 or more. Purchasing coaching in packages brings down the per-hour cost. Or we might set a monthly schedule. Coaching is open-ended and flexible. I can provide support in meeting your writing goals and in improving your writing, in whatever way works best for you.
