Information for clients

QUOTES AND ESTIMATES

My fees are tailored to the project, with the exception of developmental editing for fiction (see rates on the services page) and editorial and production support (for which we can negotiate a per day rate).

The fee will be based on your document’s length and complexity, which type of editing is being applied, and any specific needs you have, which all affect the work involved and time it will take me to complete it. Project admin time is factored into the fee. Urgent work may attract a surcharge.

I can provide you with a quotation if your document is completed and ready for me to look at. I understand this isn’t possible when you’re booking before the document is finished; in that case, a representative sample and the probable final word count can help me make a relatively accurate estimate.

Remember to include in your word count all items to be edited – tables, text-heavy figures (e.g. diagrams, illustrations), captions, text boxes, footnotes, endnotes, references and annexes.

My quotes and estimates are free and come with no obligation to accept them.

TIMING

I’ll let you know whether I can meet your preferred timeline or deadline when you contact me. For large projects, please give me four weeks notice. Smaller projects are more likely to be able to be slotted into my schedule with less notice.

If your time frame is flexible, I’ll include in the quote the date by which I could complete the project.

LOGISTICS

I’m based in Melbourne, Australia, but work with clients from around the world.

We can communicate by email, or for projects that need more discussion, by web chat (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Slack) or web calls (e.g. Zoom, Skype).

For file transfer, we can use email, free document sharing tools for large files (e.g. WeTransfer) or your organisation’s collaboration platform.

SUPPLY OF MATERIAL

For editing, please supply a file with minimal formatting; for example, remove unnecessary highlighting, use plain fonts, place text in a single column, ensure text in boxes is editable, and anchor elements like photos to the page (or remove them from the document). Also clear any residual drafting comments and tracked changes. Pages should be numbered, so they can be referenced in comments, if needed.

OUTPUTS

Unless agreed otherwise, I edit in Microsoft Word using its tracking and commenting functions. I’ll return the document to you with all changes and comments visible. It will be up to you to accept or reject each one. I can provide an additional ‘clean’ copy (all changes accepted and all comments deleted) if you prefer, but it will remain your responsibility to check all edits.

For substantive editing, I’ll also return a brief report explaining the document-wide issues.

For developmental editing, the outputs are a report (of 5–10 pages, depending on the size of the manuscript and its status) and an annotated manuscript (i.e. comments only: no changes will be made to the text).

For editorial and production support, outputs are as agreed.

I can edit to American, Australian or British spelling and style, and I’m familiar with several style manuals.

If no house style guide is in use at your organisation and no style sheet is supplied to me, I’ll return with the edited document a list outlining the style and usage decisions I made to ensure internal consistency and alignment with standard editorial practices.

POST-EDITING REVIEW

Some edits will be corrections of errors in grammar and style, and some will be straightforward changes that improve aspects of your writing or the document’s presentation. Other edits will be more complex or subjective – these will be accompanied by a comment explaining or substantiating them unless their intention is clear without one. Keep in mind that I’ll inevitably raise some queries (in Microsoft Word comments) that will need your clarification. For substantive editing, English language editing and developmental editing for fiction, these may be numerous and there may be suggestions requiring a significant amount of follow-up work by you, should you choose to follow them.

Remember that edits and suggestions are not criticisms of you or your work but opportunities to improve the document.

IMPORTANT

I respect your intellectual property and privacy. I won’t share or discuss your manuscript or the information you provide to me with anyone.

It will be up to you to decide whether to implement the feedback I provide through my services, and how you’ll move forward to achieve your goals.

I can’t guarantee that using my services will lead to publication of your book, funding of your research or any other desired results.