Here are answers to some common questions. (13 March 2026: Added details to AI policy; added AI to my workflow > what to tell me.1)
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 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, let’s discuss your needs.
Stage of your work |
You want … |
Best service |
|---|---|---|
You finished writing your manuscript and cleaned it up the best you can. You have
You may have asked a colleague or a friend to read the manuscript and addressed their feedback. Text can still be freely edited. Typical file types: Word (possibly Google Doc) |
You want the manuscript
|
(“structural” copyediting, at the sentence and paragraph level) |
Everything above. 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. Typical file types: Word (possibly Google Doc) |
You want your text checked for
You want styles applied consistently to
You want basic accessibility features applied (in headings, lists, tables, images). * I charge by the hour for a full references check and clean-up, separate from copy or line editing. |
(“technical” copyediting) |
You have a designed/laid-out document (proofs), ready to print. Only glaring errors can be changed. Typical file types: PDF (possibly Word, Google Doc) |
You want the proofs checked for any glaring errors and typos and that everything appears as it should. |
|
You have a complete manuscript. Text can still be freely edited. Typical file types: Flexible, but what you get back may be affected. |
You want your manuscript reviewed and get concrete guidance on how to make it
You want to improve your manuscript at a lower cost than a full line or copyedit. |
|
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.
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 Professional Practice Code, 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) (3.2.1)
- 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. (Click or tap on each step to see the details.) For webinar and workshop requests, please get in touch so we can discuss.
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/content integrity review)
- Style, if any (Chicago, United Nations, EU, house style, other)
- Deadline for me
- How many rounds of editing (usually one or two)
- How genAI tools were used to help write the document (if any; no judgments!)
- 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 or a quote for the whole project, 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 recorded 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).
What file formats do you work with?
| Type of work | File formats |
|---|---|
| Copyediting & line editing and content integrity review | Word with tracked changes or Google Docs (no LaTex) |
| Proofreading | PDF (in some cases, Word or Google Docs) |
| 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?
I do not use generative AI for editing tasks.
As a rule, I do not use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, Claude, or my locally installed large language model (LLM) for editing tasks. For example, I do not ask genAI to “fix grammatical errors” or broadly “edit” a client’s text.
- Online genAI tools: I do not put chunks of clients’ work (such as whole paragraphs and sections) into online AI tools, unless we have explicitly agreed that it is OK to do so.
- Local LLM: I may use a large language model (LLM) installed on my computer to help me assess client text (see examples below). No data leaves my computer. Your data does NOT “train” the model in any way (see also the point below about machine learning).
Examples how I use and do not use my local LLM
Tasks I may use my local LLM for
I may use my local LLM to help assess a text, such as to check for specific features. I review every suggestion and decide what to do (such as researching the topic further), using my human, editorial judgment and professional skills.
- List all sentences that mention a particular word/phrase/topic
- List all facts in the executive summary that are not mentioned in the main report
- Suggest what an ambiguous sentence may mean
- Suggest whether a term or phrase makes sense in that particular context
(These are not my actual prompts. In reality, I put in a lot more instructions and context.)
Tasks I DO NOT use my local LLM for
I do not ask my local LLM to make any changes in the text, including
- grammatical corrections (because the “corrections” are often wrong)
- rewrites for “clarity” (because the outputs are not in the author’s voice, often change the meaning, and are inappropriate in tone, bland, and devoid of meaning)
I do not accept local LLM outputs as reliable or true (I question everything it suggests).
I may use generative AI as a brainstorming partner. But I will always use my human judgment to decide what to do with the output.
Generative AI can be useful as a brainstorming partner. For example, if I’m not sure what a sentence means in a text I’m editing, I may ask an online genAI chatbot or my local LLM to suggest possible meanings so I can consider them. For that, I may share a sentence or two of your text with the online chatbot or local LLM.
Whatever the chatbot suggests, I will always review the output and use my human judgment to decide how to use it—whether to do further research, query the client, use the output (although almost always with editing), or reject the output altogether.
I do use standard editing tools with elements of machine learning.
I do 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)
When I use my local LLM, there is no machine learning (the model does not “learn” or incorporate any of the data).
I do not use AI to write content for this website or my newsletter.
Apart from using AI tools such as Grammarly to check my writing for errors, I do not use generative AI to “write” my content. What you read here and on my newsletter is written by a human (me!). I may use generative AI as a brainstorming partner in developing the content, suggesting alternative wordings for sentences (usually when I’m stuck), and for drafting social media posts.
I will disclose specific uses of genAI.
If I do use genAI, I will disclose its use to my clients (for content on this website, I will put the disclosure on the page). Disclosure will include:
- which genAI tool
- what specifically I used it for
I believe in the responsible and ethical use of AI.
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.