Cost & Turnaround
Pricing
You’re going to roll your eyes, but I have to say it. Every project is priced uniquely. I don’t have a one-size-fits-all rate for each service. It depends on the state of the manuscript and the expected timeline. My prices are based on the Editorial Freelance Association’s average freelance rates, factoring in my education, experience, demand, and skill set. I know that’s not a helpful answer for shopping around, so I’ll tell you this: in general, expect these ranges:
Editorial Assessment: $0.015-$0.025 per word
Developmental Editing: $0.03-$0.05 per word
Line Editing: $0.03-$0.05 per word
Copy Editing: $0.02-$0.03 per word
Proofreading: $0.01-$0.02 per word
Consulting: $50 per hour
Timeline
Project timelines are even harder to put in a box, but I’m going to do my best. Timelines depend on my availability (obviously), the type of service, the word count, the author’s pace (where revisions are involved), the number of services, and the state of the manuscript.
I do want my authors to know that I have chronic illness(es), one of which is narcolepsy. It’s a sleep disorder that makes pacing my work very unpredictable. I rarely take projects with rigid deadlines because I need grace (don’t we all?).
With that said, here are some basic expectations for the average-length book (50K-60K words):
Editorial Assessment: 1-3 weeks
Developmental Editing: 8-12 weeks (total)
Line Editing: 2-3 weeks
Copy Editing: 1-3 weeks
Proofreading: 1-2 weeks