Creating content is often one of the biggest pain points for small business owners; there is always something better to do than write. But write you must if you want to reach new people and turn them into raving fans and paying clients. And a huge part of that process is to write well  – which means editing well.

I’m happy to say I can make the writing process easier for you.

Professional writing and editing services range from a simple proofread to completely reworking complex ideas into plain English. Good editing requires training, experience and flair, and in this arena you definitely get what you pay for.

Regardless of which level of service you require, rest assured you’ll always get my 100% personalised attention on your project.  I don’t used any form of automated program – I find these have little depth or intelligence and are simply unable to do what a human does.  I’m a real live person (who would have thunk it?!) who edits and writes the old fashioned way – improving your writing line by line.

Every project involves a bit of project management, and some of the estimates below factor that in partially (but not necessarily completely). Have a look at my RATES page for an estimate for each service in your sector.

Manuscript evaluation

This gives you a broad brush view of your work and can be a great place to start before embarking on more detailed work. I read and comment on how your work hangs together overall, the stylistic challenges (or otherwise), and may offer some grammatical tips.  You won’t receive any proofing or editing at this stage, however, so it’s not somewhere to spend your entire budget. It’s a great place to start to ensure you’re on track and aren’t wasting any writing time.

• Roughly 10 minutes per 1000 words.
• So, if your project is 50,000 words, expect a quote of at least 8-10 hours.

Proofreading

This is the nuts and bolts stuff.  This is where I get out my virtual red pen!  Common misspellings can creep in but won’t be picked up by spellcheckers, names of people/places can be altered, and translator apps have a habit of being wrong! I basically act as a human spell checker, making sure any errors that you and your computer have missed are rectified.

• Roughly 30 minutes per 1000 words.
• So, if your project is 10,000 words, expect a quote of at least 5 hours.

Line editing

This includes proofreading, PLUS a look at sentence structure and length, repetition of words, phrasing, continuity, tone and appropriate language for your audience. You’ll receive in-depth comments and feedback about the overall structure of the content.

• Roughly 45 minutes per 1000 words.
• So, if your project is 10,000 words, expect a quote of at least 7.5 hours.

Developmental editing

This is a much more substantial editing job and usually applies to book manuscripts or longer pieces of writing.  This is much more than a spit and polish! My developmental editing services are useful for when a publisher (or writer) decides that the draft requires substantial revision and restructuring.  All proofing and simple editing services are included in this process, PLUS guidance on where and how to rewrite sentences or even full passages.  I will often rewrite certain sections that you can either accept or reject. A developmental edit can involve the full overhaul of a story resulting in reorganisation of chapters or even major re-writes.  But don’t be afraid – this is your chance to have an objective eye spot fundamental holes in your story, giving you the opportunity to rectify before publishing.  It will make your piece go from ‘meh’ to marvelous!

The full developmental editing service is what I offer as part of my book coaching package (plus much much more, including how to create a rocking launch party!).

• Roughly 90-120 minutes per 1000 words.
• So, for 10,000 words, expect a quote of at least 15-20  hours.

Writing

I can write new and engaging content from scratch if you have no inclination, time or energy to do so yourself!

For example, I can write website content, advertising material, newsletters, blogs, banners, etc.

Please contact me for a customised writing quote. 

(Sometimes the shortest copywriting pieces are the hardest to write, so copywriting quotes are not based on word count.