Here are answers to some common questions. (Updated 26 September 2023 to add AI policy.)
Is this page hard to read? Try the PDF version or EPUB version (on Google Drive). (The PDF isn’t fully accessible; I’ve been learning how to fix the issues but will need more study time!)
How do I know if you are professional? Am I in safe hands?
As a member of the UK Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), I’m bound by its Code of Practice, which ensures its members act professionally and abide by certain industry standards.
For example, I will
- give a true and fair representation of my qualifications, experience and skills (3.1.4)
- not accept any job that I believe I cannot carry out to an acceptable standard (3.1.5)
- work with you to clearly define the terms of the work at the outset and agree on it in writing (e.g., in an email) (3.2.3)
- make the best use of my time for a job and make an effort to complete it to the required standard and schedule (3.1.6)
- keep you informed of my progress and respond to your emails in a timely manner (3.1.10, 3.1.11)
- take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the files you entrust to me are safe (3.1.9)
- respect confidentiality at all times (3.4)
How do I work with you? What’s the workflow?
Here’s my usual process.
1. You contact me with your requirements.
Please tell me:
- Type of document (such as journal article, research report, web article) and topic
- Approximate word count (not the number of pages)
- Type of work (line editing/copyediting/proofreading/presentation)
- Style, if any (Chicago, United Nations, EU, house style, other)
- Deadline for me
- How many rounds of editing (usually one or two)
- Other details
2. I give you an estimate or quote and we discuss whether we are a good match.
Please send me your draft so I can give you an accurate estimate. If it’s very long, send a section that will give me a good idea about the state of your document. (Don’t worry, no judgments!)
You can also request a sample edit. If you decide to hire me, the time I spent on the sample edit will be added to the cost of the whole project.
3. We agree on clear terms. For larger projects, you make an upfront deposit.
We’ll agree on the timeline, rate, payment schedule, number of editing rounds (either one or two), and other details. For larger projects, you may need to make a deposit (up to 50% of the quote).
4. If we agreed on two rounds of editing, I submit a draft for you to check.
You review my suggestions and answer any queries.
5. I finalize the document and return it to you with the invoice.
If we agreed on a single round, you will get all my suggested edits and comments at this stage.
If we agreed on two rounds, you’ll get a revision that incorporates your answers to my queries.
In both cases, I’ll give detailed feedback and offer options to help you finalize your document. The final decision on any point is always yours.
6. You make the final payment (and submit a testimonial too please!). Project complete 🙂
Please see below for payment options.
Testimonials are really important for me as an independent editor. Your taking the time to submit a testimonial is very appreciated!
What is your rate? How much will this cost?
My clients said that I exceeded their expectations. Many have come back as repeat clients.
- My base rate is USD50 per hour.
- For a rate per 1,000 words, please send me your draft.
- The minimum charge for a project is USD50.
- Reviewing and fixing references is charged by the hour.
My speed depends on your document and what you want me to do. So the quotation and final price will depend on your project.
My rate aligns with industry standards suggested by the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading (UK).
How do I make payment?
You can pay in USD, EUR, JPY, and SGD via bank transfer. (Please ask about THB payments.)
I recommend you use Wise (formerly Transferwise)—it’s often the cheapest transfer option (if you sign up via this link, you’ll get a free transfer).
How do I know which editing service I should request?
It depends on what stage your work is at. Here’s a guide—but if you’re still not sure, you’re welcome to ask 🙂
| Status | It needs… | File types | Best service |
|---|---|---|---|
You finished writing your manuscript and cleaned it up the best you can.You’ve completed:
Preferably, you’ve asked a colleague or a friend to read the manuscript, and you’ve addressed their feedback.Text can still be freely edited. | You want the manuscript checked for
| Word, etc. (working document) | Line editing (“structural” copyediting) |
| Everything above, plus your supervisor or colleague has reviewed the text for content and language. You may have had an editor help you. The manuscript needs to be put into a consistent format (style) so it can be submitted, sent to design, posted on the web, etc. Light edits can still be made. | You want styles applied consistently to
| Word (working document) | Copyediting (“technical” copyediting) |
| You have a designed/laid-out document (proofs), ready to print. Only glaring errors can be changed. | You want the proofs checked for any glaring errors and typos and that everything appears as it should. | PDF, sometimes Word (“proofs”) | Proofreading |
Read more: What do you need? Copyediting vs. proofreading to understand the differences between those two services. The CIEP also has a very helpful guide and downloadable factsheets.
What file formats do you work with?
| Type of work | File formats |
|---|---|
| Copyediting & line editing | Word with tracked changes or Google Docs (no LaTex) |
| Proofreading | Word, Google Docs, or PDF |
| Website text | Word with tracked changes or Google Docs; RTF or plain text if you prefer. Working directly in WordPress post/page is also an option. |
Do you use AI tools?
As a rule, I do not use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, and Claude to do editing tasks (for example, I would not ask ChatGPT to “fix grammatical errors” in a client’s text).
I also do not put clients’ work into such AI tools, unless we have explicitly agreed otherwise.
I’m happy to include in our contract (or email correspondence) that I am not to put any of your text into ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Claude, and other similar generative AI tools.
I do, however, use the following tools that may have elements of machine learning (where text may be sent back to the service to further train the tool):
- Grammarly: as an additional tool to find errors that I may have missed
- DeepL and Google Translate (for translation projects only): for initial rough translations (the AI-generated rough translation will never be the final product I submit to you)
- Otter.ai transcription, if that is part of the project
I believe in the responsible and ethical use of AI, in a way that safeguards and respects privacy and copyright. I will do my best to keep up to date about the technologies and the responsible use of AI.
(Reference: The Responsible AI Manifesto)
Other questions?
Please contact me with other questions.