Types of Editing
Content Editing (sometimes known as substantive or developmental editing): looks at the big picture and structure of the manuscript, points out things such as lack of supporting information to an argument, reliance on unreliable data, jumping from one concept to another, and in general deals with substantive revisions to strengthen the arguments made in the manuscript. Not to be confused with ghostwriting a book, in which an author hires someone else to produce the manuscript from scratch but takes credit for the work.
Line Editing: focuses not on content but on the prose itself, such as paragraph structure, sentence flow, and word choices. It points out things such as wordiness, repetitive words, repetitive sentences, and redundancies. Line editing most often makes use of MS Word's "track changes" to suggest rewrites.
Copy Editing: checks on grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Most editors combine line editing with copy editing. There may be some rewriting of a sentence for the sake of clarity but does not revise style or content. "Track changes" is standard for this kind of editing.
Proofreading: often confused with copy editing, but is not part of the editing process. Proofreaders compare the copyedited manuscript to the printer's proof to ensure that no errors were introduced during the publishing process. They look at formatting, end-of-line breaks, spacing, typographical errors, and will also point out spelling and punctuation mistakes.
Line Editing: focuses not on content but on the prose itself, such as paragraph structure, sentence flow, and word choices. It points out things such as wordiness, repetitive words, repetitive sentences, and redundancies. Line editing most often makes use of MS Word's "track changes" to suggest rewrites.
Copy Editing: checks on grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Most editors combine line editing with copy editing. There may be some rewriting of a sentence for the sake of clarity but does not revise style or content. "Track changes" is standard for this kind of editing.
Proofreading: often confused with copy editing, but is not part of the editing process. Proofreaders compare the copyedited manuscript to the printer's proof to ensure that no errors were introduced during the publishing process. They look at formatting, end-of-line breaks, spacing, typographical errors, and will also point out spelling and punctuation mistakes.
Editing Plus Coaching Package
Coaching and editing packages are tailored to suit the requirements of each project. Fees are aligned with Editorial Freelance Association rates (see link below). A 300 page document (75,000 words) can average anywhere from $1,200 to $5,000, depending on the type and combination of editing needed. Content editing requires substantive revising of a manuscript and is more time consuming than copy editing which deals with mechanics of spelling, grammar and punctuation. For long-term projects the monthly retainer fee is $500 per month. The Editing Plus Coaching Package includes:
- Unlimited monthly submissions of drafts per project for all levels of editing (developmental, content, line, copyediting, proofreading).
- Coaching/dialogue via phone or video conferencing on an as-needed-basis. Coaching involves discussing and developing ideas, planning the overall structure of the project, fleshing out the topic in logical steps, creating outlines, setting goals, clarifying the editor's changes, and discussing editorial comments. Coaching also involves help with mental blocks and dry spells, and taming gremlins hellbent on sabotaging your writing.
Students struggling to make ends meet get generous discounts.
Just Editing
Standard fee ranges between $35-$60 per hour, or $4 to $10 per page, or 0.02¢ to 0.05¢ per word. It all depends on the scope of the project, type of editing, and number of pages. These fees also involves phone communications as needed to clarify editorial comments and track changes.
How to Get a Project Quote
Submit a 5-10 page sample of your draft to cris10a@cristinaolsen.com. Include in your email a description of your work, an approximate deadline for completion of editing, and whether you have a preference to be charged by the hour, the page, or per word.