Jessica's SERVICES
As an editor, my goal is to be helpful. This means I want to help you put your best book forward, and I'm not out to change your voice. When I suggest changes, I will explain or query, with suggestions on how to fix the issue. My style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition, and I will edit any fiction genre, but specialize in science fiction/fantasy, suspense, and romance.
Pricing demystified: A good editor can edit at most 10-12 pages per hour, assuming about 250 words per page. So for an 80k word novel, just one read-through is going to take about 30 hours. I know that when you're an author, editing rates can seem high, but I hope this can help you understand the pricing more, and how I can confidently say that you are getting a great deal. I will work my hardest for you, because your successes are my successes.
Please note: The following rates are effective January 1, 2017 for all new and returning clients. If you are already scheduled, you will receive the rates advertised when you booked.
Pricing demystified: A good editor can edit at most 10-12 pages per hour, assuming about 250 words per page. So for an 80k word novel, just one read-through is going to take about 30 hours. I know that when you're an author, editing rates can seem high, but I hope this can help you understand the pricing more, and how I can confidently say that you are getting a great deal. I will work my hardest for you, because your successes are my successes.
Please note: The following rates are effective January 1, 2017 for all new and returning clients. If you are already scheduled, you will receive the rates advertised when you booked.
Copyediting
We provide a hybrid of detailed line edits and copyediting tailored to indie authors. Rates are determined based on your word count and the amount of work needed. To determine this, you’ll send your first chapter (up to ten pages), which we assess for editing basics: spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage, repetitiveness, clarity, POV and tense changes, wordiness, and the overuse of adverbs or passive voice. We assign your chapter to a pricing tier and return the chapter to you as a sample edit along with the fee estimate and timetable.
All copyediting projects include two passes by the editor. We do one round of edits, return the file to you for revisions, and then rinse and repeat. All copyediting projects also receive free blurb or synopsis editing if requested.
If you work with Rare Bird Editing for developmental editing, your work will automatically be assigned to Tier 1, the lowest copyediting rate. We recommend rigorous self-editing and critique partners to help reduce your editing costs. The less time a manuscript takes to edit, the lower the editing fee.
Fee schedule:
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Proofreading
A note about accuracy: The industry standard for accuracy is 93-97%. So for every 100 errors, even the most experienced copyeditors will miss three to five, especially after two rounds of intense line edits. A professional editor will improve your manuscript in many ways, but we also recommend a separate proofreader after copyediting before braving the wilds of internet reviews.
We provide a hybrid of detailed line edits and copyediting tailored to indie authors. Rates are determined based on your word count and the amount of work needed. To determine this, you’ll send your first chapter (up to ten pages), which we assess for editing basics: spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage, repetitiveness, clarity, POV and tense changes, wordiness, and the overuse of adverbs or passive voice. We assign your chapter to a pricing tier and return the chapter to you as a sample edit along with the fee estimate and timetable.
All copyediting projects include two passes by the editor. We do one round of edits, return the file to you for revisions, and then rinse and repeat. All copyediting projects also receive free blurb or synopsis editing if requested.
If you work with Rare Bird Editing for developmental editing, your work will automatically be assigned to Tier 1, the lowest copyediting rate. We recommend rigorous self-editing and critique partners to help reduce your editing costs. The less time a manuscript takes to edit, the lower the editing fee.
Fee schedule:
Tier 1
- Fee: $6/1k words (100,000 words = $600; 70,000 words = $420)
- Tier 1 manuscripts have an average of five to ten errors per page and need less feedback on big picture items such as plot holes, info dumps, fact-checking, and widespread use of redundancy and passive voice.
- Turnaround time: Seven to ten business days for round one and five to seven days for round two, depending on word count.
Tier 2
- Fee: $9/1k words (100,000 words = $900; 70,000 words = $630)
- Tier 2 manuscripts have more errors of grammar, usage and clarity, and may need additional guidance on basic writing principles, such as choosing strong verbs and avoiding excessive wordiness. Most manuscripts will be Tier 2.
- Turnaround time: Ten to fourteen business days for round one and seven to ten days for round two, depending on word count.
Tier 3
- Fee: $12/1k words (100,000 words = $1,200; 70,000 words = $840)
- Tier 3 manuscripts have more grammar, punctuation, and systemic issues (filter words, wordiness, telling vs. showing, POV shifts, etc.), and in addition to in-line markup, need more detailed explanations, queries, and suggestions in margin comments.
- Turnaround time: Two to three weeks for round one and ten to twelve business days for round two, depending on word count.
Tier 4
- Fee: $15/1k words (100,000 words = $1500; 70,000 words = $1,050
- Tier 4 manuscripts need significant guidance on basic writing and storytelling principles, such as “showing” versus “telling,” avoiding unnecessary passive voice, and perspective shifts. They also need extensive grammar and punctuation cleanup.
- Turnaround time: About three weeks for round one and ten to twelve business days for round two, depending on word count.
Proofreading
- Fee: $1.50/ 1k words (100,000 words = $150; 70,000 words = $105)
- Proofreading is a final check for spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, and glaring factual errors. We will not address content issues or sentence construction in the proofreading stage. Many of our proofreading clients use another copyeditor for the heavy lifting and Rare Bird for a final polish.
- Turnaround time: Five to seven business days, depending on word count.
A note about accuracy: The industry standard for accuracy is 93-97%. So for every 100 errors, even the most experienced copyeditors will miss three to five, especially after two rounds of intense line edits. A professional editor will improve your manuscript in many ways, but we also recommend a separate proofreader after copyediting before braving the wilds of internet reviews.
