Basic price structure

My basic fee ranges from $50 to $100 an hour. The top rate is for substantive editing and collaboration. Often for copy editing or proofreading, I'll charge $75 or even less if it's a project that has already been well-edited. I also have a "friends and family" discount that can be broadly interpreted to mean you know someone I know who can vouch for you. I generally send an invoice after my editing is completed or as major sections are finished.

The fine print

This is a partnership (or not)
Writing is a process that can be very lonely and extremely personal. I've had many years of working with writers who loved being edited and writers who loathed it. If I find we can't work together, or you find you don't like the direction of the editing, we don't need a divorce court to break up. I'm glad to help a writer find another editor. But I get paid for work done, and I also expect to be paid a $200 breakup fee to compensate for any jobs I might have turned down in anticipation of a process that could have lasted weeks or months longer. That said, there should never be any hard feelings, just progress forward.

The legal stuff

It's your work. It's your name
Please know that you are responsible for what you write. I will do my best to check facts if something seems amiss, but I do not sign indemnity clauses. And I do not work on spec. I get paid once the work is performed and returned, not upon publication or acceptance.

Please know that editing is a process you need to budget for ahead of time. I do not offer payment plans. Once you've been given an invoice, you have 30 days to pay. If payment is not received in 30 days, the amount due is subject to a 10% surcharge per month late.