Rates and Services
All rates assume the industry standard of 250 words/page. Depending on the project, I ask for a deposit of 40-75% of the total negotiated price.
Writing
Website content writing/blogging (<1,001 words)
From $.15/word. If you need me to research key words/phrases, this will go up. I expect to have an initial round of emails explaining the project and the brand. I like to receive a project brief (including the article’s theme, its purpose and the questions you hope it answers for your readers, the target audience, semantic keywords, length, and sample articles for content/tone). If you’re more comfortable talking on the phone or through video chat, that can be arranged! After I submit the original draft, I want your feedback and will work with you to revise it. Especially early in a relationship, learning a client’s expectations takes a little back and forth.
Longform articles (>1,000 words)
From $.18/word. Longform articles are similar to standard website content… except they’re longer. This means more time spent researching. More time arranging material and creating transitions that help the piece flow logically. More time self-editing. As with other projects, I hope to get a project brief, and also expect to work through a round or two of revisions until we get the piece right.
White papers/interviews
From $1.40/word. Depending on the goal of the piece, white papers might involve paying for subscriptions to digital libraries such as JSTOR, hours of trawling through papers, and hours more of reading dense material. White papers might also include interviewing people in the business and reviewing internal information related to a product or service. Finally, all of this information must be sifted for pertinent, thematic material and made into an outline that is ultimately drafted and edited it into a cohesive paper.
Email/newsletters/landing pages
From $.22/word. These pieces are truly the domain of the copywriter. There are many kinds of copywriters, including those who create slogans (the advertising copywriter) and those who run entire marketing campaigns (the marketer). I don’t do those things. I write and edit text that is used for those things. I work to learn your brand’s style, tone, product, and services, and I research competitors. And I do it quickly enough for the material to stay current. My expectation and experience are that the best copy writing is done together. You know your product. You know your market. I work with you to sell the idea, without sounding pushy.
Editing
Proofreading
From $5/page. Proofreading is the last line of defense against errors before a manuscript goes live. It looks at spelling and grammar in both the text and captions and videos. It also looks at typesetting (margins, line and page breaks, etc.) and other elements of style that need happen at the end of the writing and editing processes. Proofreaders have to be meticulous, sharp, and grounded in the material.
Basic copy/line editing
From $10/page. Unlike proofreading, copy editing isn’t trying to eradicate every last mistake. Rather, during copy editing the document is still a living, changing thing. Basic copy editing looks at issues such as style, verb tense and agreement, word choice and semantics, and other issues of grammar. Some light organizational and formatting issues can also be addressed.
Heavy/content editing
From $15/page. While heavy copy editing looks at the same issues as basic copy editing, it involves more rewriting of the original text. In addition to addressing issues of tone and style, it also attempts to reinforce the themes and foci within the piece. Sentences and paragraphs might be rearranged and rewritten to improve the flow without changing the meaning. Transitions between chapters, paragraphs, and thoughts might be added. The work is checked for consistency in style, descriptions, and tone.
If you don’t have a style sheet already prepared, but need one, I find it best to have the content editor create it. It can list choices in spelling, formatting style, references to be used, timelines, character details, and more. As the work continues through the editorial process, a style sheet can help ensure consistency.
Note that often, works that need to be copy edited exist between the medium and heavy range. After reviewing a fair sample of the piece, I can return a quote for the project.
Developmental/structural editing
From $15/page. Developmental and structural edits look at big-picture issues such as plot holes, characterizations, and transitions between large ideas such as chapters and sections. Material is judged for its ability to reach your target audience, and sections may be cut or rewritten to do so. Some copy editing happens during this stage, but really only to get the material through the developmental edit. I don’t offer developmental edits for every genre. If you feel you need this level of editing, please contact me. We can review your piece and your expectations for it together.
Rush Rates
Yes, I can hurry…
… but I don’t like to. Rushing means that I’m working on the weekend and during the evening. That I’m telling my other clients that their piece isn’t ready yet. That I’m pushing my own work back. At worst, rushing can mean quality suffers, and I don’t like that.
That being said, I’m fully aware that sometimes things need to happen quickly. My rates for a fast turnaround vary depending on the material, the allotted time, and how deep into other projects I currently am.
Reach out to me. Be ready with a project brief and a sample of the material, and I’ll quote you the fairest price I can.