Editing & Proofreading — What’s the difference between them?

I’m happy to offer editing and proofreading services to professionals, authors, students, businesses, and researchers. I offer three levels of assistance:

1. Proofreading — Checking for typos, punctuation errors and grammatical errors. This service is for documents that have already been edited and are almost ready for publication. No major changes are needed — just that last bit of polish.
2. Copyediting — Helping with word choice and sentence structure, avoiding continuity errors, ensuring factual correctness and clarity of meaning, plus the proofreading services above. This service is for documents that are in good shape but could use a bit of help to look more professional.
3. Developmental editing — This service is for documents that need more help, such as significant rewriting of many sentences. It includes copyediting and proofreading services as well.

Is it really important to have error-free writing?

According to this article, people notice and some people care. Sure, not everyone will notice or care, but why not get some help to make sure your writing looks as professional as possible?

What if I’m not sure which service I need?

Still not sure? Contact me and send a sample of your writing (or the whole document, if you prefer — your privacy is my priority). I’ll help you decide which level of assistance would be most effective for your writing. I’ll even do a free sample for you so you can see how I help!

What do I get?

You’ll get your document back in Microsoft Word format with tracked changes so you can see what changes I made, often with notes explaining why each change was made. You’ll also receive a “clean copy” that’s ready to go. If you’re unsatisfied with any aspect, I’ll work with you to make it right. If you need a format other than Word, I’ll work with you in your preferred format, but tracked changes might not be available.

How soon will I receive my edited document?

That depends on the length of your document and what services you need. If I agree to take on your project, I will work tirelessly to complete it. In addition to my day job and my family activities, I’m usually capable of completing about 2000 to 3000 words per day — more if it’s simple proofreading and less if it’s heavy editing.

If your document is long, I’ll keep you updated on my progress daily.

How do I get started?

Click here to send me your document (Microsoft Word is preferable, but other formats are available) and any questions about the process. I’ll respond to you within a business day with a quote and a sample.

Price List:

1. Proofreading: $12 per 1000 words

2. Copyediting: $20 per 1000 words

3. Developmental Editing: $40 per 1000 words

*All prices are in USD. Minimum order is 1000 words; after the first 1000 words, charges are per word of the source document. Payment is through PayPal (you can use your credit card to pay through PayPal). Special arrangements can be made for repeat, regular customers.

If you’re interested in how my rates compare to those of other editors, check this page out!

Please email me at elhediting@gmail.com for more information.

Thank you!