We get asked a lot of questions about our rates. How do we determine our rates? Why don’t we charge by the page or the hour? Why don’t we have different rate scales—one rate for proofing, a 2nd for light editing, a 3rd for heavy editing, a 4th for developmental editing, etc.?
I’ll tell you why in four words: integrity, conscientiousness, professionalism, and simplicity.
We’re PhDs. As such, we feel it’s unethical to divide our services into categories. If we see something wrong—whatever it is—we want to fix it.
To use an analogy, imagine if your M.D. had a list of fees for different services—charging you a low rate just to check your blood pressure, a higher rate to also check your heart, ears, and nose, and an even higher rate to make a diagnosis, give you advice, and write a prescription for you. Wouldn’t that seem a bit unethical and unprofessional? Let’s say you only asked your doctor to check your blood pressure, but she sees you have pinkeye and you’re blowing your nose. But she doesn’t check you out or treat you for those problems because you didn’t pay the full-service rate. Crazy, huh?
Those other “editing services” that charge lots of different rates are just like that hypothetical doctor who ignores her patient’s other symptoms because they don’t pay her to check and treat them. As PhD professional editors, our integrity won’t allow us to ignore something wrong with your writing that needs to be fixed.
So that’s why we charge one rate: we want to do everything we can to help your text or we don’t want the job at all.
We’ve determined that word count is the best, one-size-fits-all way to price our services. Page count is woefully inaccurate since some pages only have a few words, some have charts, and some may even be blank. Charging by the hour also allows an “editing service” to inflate their prices, giving them the opportunity to lie. Yes, lie. The editing job may only take three hours, but they can tell you it took five hours. How would you know? Word counts are lie-proof, concrete facts.
Paradoxically, then, we keep our pricing structure simple by doing everything we possibly can to improve your work short of writing it ourselves.
We’re PhDs—doctors of philosophy. So we’ve philosophically thought through this whole pricing issue. And our philosophy is quite simple: our integrity demands that we be the most conscientious, professional editing service in the world. Period.
We have a sliding scale for our rates based on word count alone. There is no price differentiation for speed, quality, or type of editing. We offer everyone the same high quality, fast editing. There is no extra charge for rush jobs. Your editor is custom chosen for you and your project by our skilled staff, or you may choose your editor yourself by reviewing our editors on the Staff Page.
- The fee for up to 2,000 words is $100, which is our minimum fee.
- 2,000 – 4,000 words: $125 flat rate.
- 4,001 – 6,000 words: $150 flat rate.
- 6,001 – 40,000 words is $28 per 1000 words.
- 40,001 – 60,000 words is $27 per 1000 words.
- 60,001 – 80,000 words is $26 per 1000 words.
- 80,001 – 150,000 words is $25 per 1000 words.
- Any amount greater than or equal to 150,001 words is $24 per 1000 words.
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