I suggest that prospective academic writers estimate their projects by
- estimating the number or words in their document, including tables and references
- dividing by 1,000 and 2,500 words to establish the range of hours an editor will need
- asking a supervisor or colleague for an honest estimation of whether the document will need heavy, medium, or light editing
- multiplying by my hourly rate, which we can negotiate with reference to US and UK guidelines for the profession
Example: A heavy edit of a 5,000 word document would take approximately five hours; a light edit would take approximately 2 hours.
Most ESL documents require medium editing.
I estimate that I can complete 4 pages (1,000 words) of medium editing per hour. In order to reduce your cost, I suggest that you do some preliminary checking of your own. If my estimate exceeds your estimate, I will endeavor to explain why. If I feel I cannot do justice to your document, I will return it without cost.
I accept PAYPAL payments and dollar/sterling checks. Once we have agreed on the job, I will provide a written agreement as to the cost and the schedule for payment.
I ask that all clients reference me in their submissions as follows:
Enid Rosenstiel, MA (Columbus, OH, USA) provided professional English-language editing of this article.