Copyediting deals with the nuts and bolts of sentences. While line editing looks at the sentence as a whole, copyediting also breaks it down and examines it word by word. The object is to correct errors that might distract readers and draw their attention from the story, while retaining your style and voice. We usually start with a complementary sample edit, which is a great way for you to see what you’ll get, as well as for us to evaluate your writing and determine how long the project will take.
A copy edit addresses the following:
- Capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and syntax
- Overall clarity and precision
- Typographical errors
- Word usage
- Repetition and redundancies
- Awkward or wordy passages
- Situational logic
- Suspected factual errors (but not extensive fact-checking)
- Language consistency (US vs UK)
- Biased or outdated language, and clichés
Does NOT include developmental editing or formatting/layout.
We use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Rates: Approximately $0.03 per word. For standard manuscript pages of about 250 words, this works out at about $7.50 a page. Our per-word rates are based on the Editorial Freelancers Association’s standard pricing scale, and are dependent on the level of editing required, which determines how long the edit will take. For short projects, we have a minimum fee of $100.
Here’s how our process typically works:
Step one: You fill out the Contact Us form.
Step two: We contact you within 48 hours with follow up questions and arrange a zoom or phone call of up to 20 minutes.
Step three: If our creative goals align, we’ll offer a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words.
Step four: We return your sample edit along with a quote within a week (probably less).
Step five: Once we have agreed on payment and time frame, we draft a contract which all parties sign.
Step six: You send us your entire manuscript along with 50% of payment.
Step seven: After we complete the edit within the agreed time frame (usually two to six weeks), you pay the remainder of the money owed and we send you three documents:
- Your copyedited manuscript with Track Changes visible, for you to accept or reject individually
- A “clean” copy of your manuscript
- A detailed style sheet listing preferred spellings, treatment of numbers, and other editorial choices
We include up to an hour of email or instant message exchanges once you have reviewed the manuscript. A second round of editing can be arranged if required.