Hourly rate

I charge £28 per hour for proofreading or editing, rounded up to the nearest half an hour. This is broadly in line with the professional rates suggested by the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP).

There is no charge for initial enquiries or provision of quotes. However, once you have engaged me for a job, the rate includes time taken on emails or phone calls needed to complete the work.

The starting point for all quotes is the word count, not the number of pages. Any word count should include wording in tables, captions, headings etc, as these all need checking.

You might find the following links useful:

Free PDF word counter

Free web page word counter

How long will it take?

Here, you can work out roughly what your project might cost. Please be aware that these are averages. There are also some sample projects below.

The work rate for straightforward proofreading is around 2,500 – 3,000 words per hour. The most efficient proofreading can be done on a Word document. The same text in a PDF will take more time.

Editing takes longer than proofreading. Depending on the amount of input asked for or needed, the work rate is around 1,500 – 2,000 words per hour. Any quote is based on the word count of what is given to me, not the final count, which may well end up lower!

To receive a quote, just email me your document or website link, with a note about which service you would like, the intended audience and any deadline. There’s no obligation.

Sample projects

Projects can vary widely in the time taken per 1,000 words. Quotes are based on the type and quality of the written text. Here are some examples of typical projects, with their costs at current rates.