In addition to leading the world’s kindest, most supportive online writing group, I offer proofreading, editing, and writing coaching, and writing services.
Proofreading and Editing
Proofreading services focus on drafts that are near completion or even in the galleys stage but need to be reviewed for lower order concerns: grammar, usage, syntax and fluency, formatting, and typos. Editing includes proofreading as well as attention to higher order concerns: organization, clarity of ideas, and the development of evidence. If you ask for proofreading services, your document will be returned to you with corrections; if you request editing services, your document will be returned with lots of questions and suggestions for shaping your ideas and their presentation.
Proofreading and editing both cost $10/15 minutes for full-time graduate students and $12/15 minutes for those who are not graduate students, typically with a 1 hour minimum, then billed in 15 minute increments. If you would like an estimate for a large project, I’m happy to provide an initial half-hour of work at the rate above and then provide an estimate based on the pace of editing your particular document.
Unlike many freelance proofreaders and editors, I can often provide a 24-hour turnaround on projects. If you find yourself in sudden need of help, feel free to reach out and ask for last minute help. A guaranteed 24-hour turnaround includes a surcharge of $50-$200, depending on the length of the project (article/book chapter to dissertation/tenure file).
Writing Coaching
While proofreading, editing, and coaching services all support a good final written product, writing coaching has a bigger goal as well: to support you in good writing habits. We use the manuscript(s) you are focusing on as the grounds on which you will grow as a writer. Thus, writing coaching involves three main parts: my reading your work, my offering written feedback on your work, and you and I meeting regularly (in person, on phone, via Skype) to discuss your manuscript narrowly and to implement strategies to improve your writing habits throughout the process–from idea generation to polishing and pitching a manuscript.
For those who want to commit to a long-term effort, I provide a 12-week commitment of 30-45 minute weekly meetings and 1-2 hours of reading outside of this, plus written comments on work for $1800. We are typically able to get through 5-20 pages of material per week (depending on how dense it is and what kind of shape it’s in/if it’s new words or revised ones, etc.) this way. The cost is about $60/hour this way. For those who prefer a faster timeline, we can work at a faster tempo of two half hour meetings per week, with me reading/responding 2-4 hours per week or 10-40 pages per week over 6 weeks for $65/hour ($1950). For 6- and 12-week commitments, full payment can be made up front, or we can split it in two.
For those who need a shorter commitment, writing coaching costs $70/hr, billed in 15 minute increments, with a one-hour minimum. In that case, I read whatever you write for as long as it takes (recognizing, again, that there is a lot of variation there). As with proofreading and editing, we can begin with a “test drive” in which I read/respond to what you see as the current “typical” piece of writing you’re working on. In half an hour, we can get a sense of I can read 5 pages per hour (which is not usually the case for those writing in their native English) or 10 or 15 or more.
Other options include:
- shorter check-ins of 10-20 minutes 2-4 times per week via phone or Skype
- working on a project using a model that you like, such as Wendy Laura Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks, Destination Dissertation by Sonja K. Foss and William Waters, or Howard Becker’s Writing for Social Scientists, beginning with whatever chapter makes sense for you.
- using a model that you already like or want to try but I’ve not mentioned here
Writing Services
I am available to perform other kinds of writing services to the extent that they do not violate norms regarding intellectual honesty. For example, I draft
- copy for websites promoting your work
- templates for emails addressing common academic concerns such as grade complaints, plagiarism charges, or academic performance
- templates for letters of recommendation
The cost for writing services is $70/hr, billed in 15-minute increments with a 15-minute minimum.