One Secret to Good Writing? Great Editing!

During my years as a newspaper and magazine editor, I spent many hours each day editing and sometimes rewriting the copy of other professional writers.  Those talented writers had college degrees, usually in journalism or English, and years of professional writing experience.  But we would never have considered printing a reporter’s article without editing it first.

Yet some people who are not professional writers believe their prose are ready to be published without being edited.  I agree with the observation below: “Every writer needs an editor.”  I also agree with what book editor William Targ wrote: “There is no such thing as a publishable first draft.”

  Four Levels of Editing

I provide four levels of professional editing.  The level your document or content requires is based strictly on what stage your document is in:

• Is it a rough draft that needs reworking and rewriting?

• Is it a polished semi-final draft that needs standard editing, possibly including some minimal rewriting, before it is published?

• Is it a final draft ready for publication that only needs to be proofread?

•  Is it an academic or technical paper, possibly requiring special formatting?

  LEVEL 1: PROOFREADING

Check your final publication-ready draft for:
* spelling
* grammar
* punctuation
* correct word choice (its vs. it’s; your vs. you’re; effect vs. affect, etc.)
* consistency (capitalization, abbreviation, hyphenation, use of numbers, etc.)
* formatting errors

  LEVEL 2: STANDARD EDITING

Do all of the above on your polished semi-final draft, plus do minor rewriting as needed to:
* improve clarity
* correct awkward sentence structure
* eliminate redundancies
* remove cliches, jargon, biases

I may also make and provide a few notes regarding your content and structure.

  LEVEL 3: STRUCTURAL EDITING (REWRITING)

Rework your rough draft and transform it into a final draft ready for publication by:
* reorganizing content to improve composition and flow
* trimming extraneous material that lends little to your thesis and disrupts train of thought
* addressing logic issues
* writing supplemental new copy as needed

After delivering a final draft, I will do one round of additional minor editing based on your feedback at no additional charge.

The Dreaded Black Felt Pen

Typically a third to half of a rough draft should not survive to the final draft.  Most writing can be improved dramatically by the ruthless application of a black felt pen.  However, many writers apparently find it excruciating to use the delete key.  Trimming the fat is one of the most important benefits good editing brings to your document.   

Structural Editing means putting your document through Boot Camp.  As a result of professional editing your document gets some discipline, loses some fat, and is whipped into shape.  Your edited document is leaner, more focused, more effective, more elegant.

  LEVEL 4: ACADEMIC/TECHNICAL WRITING

Editing complex subject material.  If needed, conforming the manuscript to a prescribed style (e.g., APA, Chicago Manual, AP).

  Fees Per Word and Per Page For Editing Services

My editing fees are calculated on a "per word" basis. If you prefer to think in terms of pages, here's a good rule of thumb: a typical 8.5 x 11 page, with 1" margins double-spaced using 12-point font, contains approximately 250 words.

• Minimum fee: $25. (If you have a series of small projects, we can set that up under a retainer agreement.)

• Web pages: I am happy to edit your web pages (as a matter of fact, that's the majority of my editing business these days). Please provide a copy of your content in a Microsoft Word file. I am happy to cut-and-paste from your existing web pages and/or work from the back panel of your website or blog for an additional fee. 

• Large projects: My fee is negotiable for large projects, based on the nature, size and schedule of the project.

• Payment in full due within 30 days of completion.  2% discount for payment within 10 days.

• Projects exceeding $100: 25% deposit required upfront.  Projects exceeding $1,000: One-third deposit up front, one-third due after 50% completion, one-third due 30 days after completion.

• Payment may be made by check or PayPal.  Credit card payments may be made through PayPal.

• Trial run?  If you have a large project (more than 25 pages), I will be happy to do the first hour of editing as a trial run.  That will give you a better idea of the value my editing brings to your project.  Then you can decide whether to give the go-ahead to complete your project.  If you decide not to continue, all you pay is for one hour at the hourly rates listed above.

• Discounts on "Rates & Terms" page do not apply to Editing Services.

  Turnaround

Proofreading and Standard Editing:
* 72 hour turnaround for 20 pages or less.
* Additional 24 hours for each additional 20 pages.

Academic and Technical Editing:
* 72 hour turnaround for 10 pages or less.
* Additional 24 hours for each additional 10 pages.

Structural Editing:
* 1 to 2 weeks, depending on your project, your need, and my work load.

Rush jobs:
* One day sooner than above: 20% surcharge
* For even faster service, when possible: 30% surcharge

  My Editor Credentials

• I have several years of professional editing experience, including:
* Managing editor, Enid (OK) News & Eagle; a daily newspaper
* Managing editor, Sapulpa (OK) Daily Herald; a daily newspaper
* Editor, Feed The Children magazine; monthly magazine of nonprofit hunger relief organization
* Editor, Flame Retardancy News; monthly research newsletter

• I am qualified to edit technical and academic material, as exemplified by the five years I edited Flame Retardancy News, a research newsletter on the chemicals industry for a niche international market of scientists and business leaders.

• I am qualified to edit academic papers.  I have earned two master’s degrees of my own (in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and New Testament exposition).

• To be a good editor, especially when providing structural editing (rewrites), one must be a good writer.  My Portfolio of several years of professional writing in a variety of media speaks for itself.

  Other Notes

• I perform all editing services myself.  Unlike many editing services, I do not subcontract out your project to less qualified editors.

• I am happy to edit your online content.  Just give me your copy in an editable Word or Txt file or give me access to your back panel content management system.

• If you request it, I will use Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes” function to enable you to review and accept/reject each edit.  However, I don’t recommend it.  That tool slows down the editing process for me and creates more work for you, too.  My preference is to simply give you back a new-and-improved draft, without drawing attention to every change I made.  But it’s up to you.

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