SERVICES

Editing & Beta Reading Services

Before contacting me on my proofreading and beta reading services, please read the FAQ below to determine whether the services I provide suits your editing needs. Once you read and understand the FAQ and wish to utilize the services I provide, you may shoot me an email with the following email subject: PROOFREADING CONSULTATION with the body of your e-mail formatted in the following guidelines.

Who am I?

When I am not hiding behind my author persona, I am just a normal person in her 20's who recently graduated in the field of Education. Prior to becoming a published author I was an education major with experience as a home English tutor, teaching conversational English to ELL/ESL (English Language Learners/ English as a Second Language) students. I was also a work-study at my college's English department where I had the pleasure to not only help teach conversational English, but also proofread, edit, and help students who needed help with academic essays or further their understanding the English language.

Shortly after graduating, I immersed myself in the world of self-publishing, and self-published my books. As a full time writer, I primarily edit my drafts. I also voluntarily read and review books (Note: I do not do paid reviews and currently am not accepting books to be reviewed), where for the most part I would report/give suggestions to an author or publisher when I do catch some obvious mistakes on a published book on Amazon (this function is made available on the native Kindle App on your smartphone or Kindle Devices, and yes, you CAN and you SHOULD report content issues to Amazon!)

My motto in life is "a good book shouldn't be plagued with errors", nor should an author, especially a self-published author, pay a handsome price to get their work edited. I've been in your shoes and I wish I had an affordable proofreader/editor when I first started out.

Sadly there are people out there who charge a large sum to provide editorial services, but often times still miss some errors (not everyone does this and I do believe that there are highly qualified proofreaders and editors out there). I however prefer collaborative and quality services at an affordable cost, and that's the purpose of making this service available to you.

What can you guarantee with the service you provide?

As I've mentioned, I am primarily offering proofreading services. I can guarantee that in terms of errors in spelling, grammar, or style your document, draft, or manuscript will be error free.

Something to keep in mind though before you proceed in employing my services: There is a difference between a proofreader and editor. A proofreader, for the most part, proofreads your document to catch simple errors such as spelling, grammar, and style - they usually work with you at the beginning and at the end of the editing process. An editor can be a proofreader (and vice versa), but there are also a variety of editors out there as well.

Some editors focus on developmental writing/editing (the big picture, whether or not your story, characters, setting, dialogue, story structure, facts mentioned in the story or plot is consistent or accurate). Copy/Line editors as another example, edits your document word for word, or suggest how to word sentences to fit the standard grammar rules, but they may not take into account the story's vibe, feel, or message.

Can a proofreader or editor proofread and help with developmental writing? Yes they can. Some would market the both separately to charge you at an extra cost.

I am all about transparency. I will tell you right now that I am not perfect and I may not be the right person for you (if so, please feel free to contact someone more qualified). Hence why I branded the service as primarily, a proofreading service. If I do spot an errors in your story's development or consistency (this is part of my free beta reader service), then I will inform you about it, but I CAN'T guarantee that I will catch ALL the consistency or developmental errors that may exist in your work and thus I would highly encourage doing your own research in finding a proofreader, beta reader, or editor that would meet all of your editing needs.

I can make suggestions on how you can improve a sentence, but at the end of the day, it is your choice on whether or not you would accept them on your final draft, and as I've previously stated I am not perfect, I am merely a fresh pair of eyes who can help you improve you writing to some extent.

Should you publish your book/work shortly after receiving my proofreading services?
I would highly suggest you hire (or look for beta readers who would be willing to read your manuscript free and as another pair of eyes to provide feedback on how to improve on your draft (this can be friends, family, or even a professor). Any draft should undergo various levels of editing and polished before publishing.

You are the first editor of your work, by the time you reach out to me for proofreading services, I would assume you've already done a basic spell check on your work as I'm merely a second pair of eyes aiming to catch errors you might have missed, and if you wish you can always have a third or forth pair of eye to comb through your final draft/manuscript.

If however you are satisfied with my suggestions or proofreading services, you are free to do whatever you want with your draft publish it or not, look for another beta reader or proofreader or not, it is your choice. This is my advice when it comes to the importance of prioritizing editing your work so that you can put out the best version of your work out there.

The purpose of the service is to provide an affordable solution (you can also say it doubles as a beta reader) when free proofreading software are limited and want the editing process to be risk free. I may not provide you with the full package of a professional editor, but I hope that with the services I provide, we'll be able to minimize the errors on your draft and make it as close to perfect as possible.

How does your editing service work?

Brief summary:

You reach out to me for a free consultation via email. Please read the guidelines before submitting a consultation request.
We agree on a price for editing your full manuscript (you are not required to pay the full cost of editing until you are satisfied with each stage of the editing process, I do however require a $10 security fee to protect myself and service from being used unfairly).
Once I've edited 50% of your draft, I will email you 50% of your draft to review. If you are satisfied with the edits, only then will you be required to pay HALF of the cost for editing or chose to pay the full cost for editing.
Once I've edited your full manuscript, I will only email you 80% of your draft for you to review and if you are happy with it, I will require the remaining half before sending the remaining 20%. Review the final edits to see if you are happy with them. If you are not happy with the remaining 20% I will happily revise until you are satisfied without any additional cost to you.

Cost of Editing

I will calculate the estimated cost it would typically cost you to hire a professional proofreader/editor (based on your word count) and you state your budget (the highest amount you are willing to invest) and we agree on a final cost together. You may also view my fixed rates below.
Aside from $10 security fee, there IS NO HIDDEN FEES or up front cost that you would have to pay immediately. Payments will be paid based on the completion of two editing stages:
- At 50% editing completed, I will notify you that 50% of your draft has been edited. You will go over the edits and if you are satisfied with the edits, you may chose to pay 50% of the agreed cost. You decide whether or not you want me to continue editing the rest of your draft.
- Once I've edited the rest of your draft, I will notify you and send 80% of your completed draft for review. If you are happy with the results, you may chose to pay the rest of the cost for editing before I send you the rest of your edited draft (this is to protect me should you take advantage of my service by taking the remaining draft without paying for a complete service).
- TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE:
  - Suppose we agreed to edit your 30,000 word manuscript for $50. You pay $10 for the initial security fee from the agreed cost to start editing.
  - I will edit 50% of your document and send 50% of your document to you for review. If you are happy with the edits (and my recommendation as a beta reader), you may chose to pay half of the cost for editing ($50 - $10 = $40, $40 / $2 = $20 per stage) at that stage of the editing process or pay the full price.
  - If you are not happy with the edits, you are NOT obligated to pay half of the cost right away, I will continue to proofread or revise (if necessary) the first 50% of your draft until you are satisfied. You can chose opt out of my editing services as well as keep my initial edits, but I will no longer edit the rest of your document.
  - If you chose to continue with my service, I will continue editing the rest of your document. I will send you 80% of the edited document for you to review and you chose to accept the edits or not. If you do accept the edits, you may chose to pay the rest of the agreed cost ($20) and I will send you the remaining 20% for you to review.
  - The purpose of not providing you with the remaining 20% edited draft is to ensure that you or anyone will not take advantage of my service. It's easy for someone to claim that they are not satisfied with my editing and refuse to pay for the time I put editing your entire draft. This should be fair as you were given an option to gauge my skills multiple times during the collaborative process and should have ended the editing process if you were not satisfied at the initial 50% of the editing process. I hope you understand, the editing process is not easy and you should have opted out by the first stage of editing if you were not satisfied. I will not allow you to take advantage of my services for your selfish gain.

Is this a scam?

Some may think this is a scam or it is too good to be true (if it was, why would I give you a chance to opt out at any time and do not require to you pay the full cost upfront before I edit? I would assume you've done your research by reading through my blog, posts, and the entire Service FAQ long enough to gauge my skills as a writer. I've also edited the first chapter of your manuscript free during the consultation period).

My reason for structuring the service this way is because I've been in the same shoes as those who wished they could afford a proofreader and don't want to risk paying hundreds of dollars only to have a proofreader half-ass a project OR even miss some minor errors - even traditionally published books still have some errors - and I want to build trust with my customers by providing quality service and one that is uniquely collaborative with you in full control. I am also still growing as a proofreader so it's also a learning process for me and helps me improve in my own writing / editing skills as well.

If you are happy with the services I provide, please feel free to recommend my services with your friends or consider me as your proofreading partner for your future works.

Do you accept donations?
Apart from the final cost we agreed upon, I will not obligate you to donate for my service, though it would also be appreciated if you did. If someone is impersonating me asking for donations, please report that person to me via email and legal action would be taken. I will NEVER reach out to you in person asking for a donation.

How are payments made?
As I've mentioned earlier, payments are divided and made between stages. You may chose to make partial payments between stages or pay the full price. Methods of payment will be discussed via e-mail. I usually accept payments through Paypal, however alternative methods will be considered. I will not accept direct deposit or wired payments. Please do not ask me for my bank information, I will not ask for your banking information or accept any payments through direct deposit.

Need a Beta Reader?

I also offer Beta Reading services were I would read your manuscript, draft, or document. I will tell you my thoughts on your draft and make suggestions as any advance (ARC) reader. I will NOT edit or proofread your document unless you've arranged for or purchased an editing service.

Guidelines for consultation

To request for a free consultation please read the following guidelines and include them in your e-mail. I will proofread the first chapter of your manuscript for FREE provided that it is no more than 5,000 words in length and includes the following information (please allow two to three days for me to get back to you):

Title the subject of your email as "Proofreading consultation"
Include the title of your draft on the body or message portion of your email.
Include the genre(s) of your draft/manuscript/story.
If possible (this is not required) a summary of your story/manuscript's premise.
An estimated word count or the total word count of your draft (to help me compare the average prices on proofreading and editorial services) and give a rough estimate on potential yet affordable cost.
The first chapter of your manuscript (copy and paste it on to the body of your e-mail). I won't accept PDF, Word Files, or links on your initial consultation. Please do not send me embedded/html links, spam mail, files, or documents that may harm me or my computer. I will take legal action should you attempt to cause me harm.
Please indicate if your document, story, or characters have any language barriers, slang, or educational background to consider as it is essential when staying true to the story or characters itself (example: for some stories there may be slang that most editors will assume is a grammatical error but in reality, the slang would make sense in for you as it is your story. Another example would be whether or not your character is well educated - this is to make sure it stays true to the characters background and personality. You wouldn't want a character who is a doctor but have a low level of grammar, and you don't want a 8 year old to use big words unless the child is a genius).
NOTE: To reiterate consultation and editing the first chapter of your work is FREE of charge. I will reply to your email with suggested edits on your first chapter and you will determine whether or not you want to proceed with working with me.

Why do I ask for these information?
To better understand and proofread/beta read your story/manuscript/draft, I need to know more about your story itself. Are there characters I need to pay attention to with regards to how they speak? Does their educational background or experience influence how they speak or act? If so, are there slangs or certain dialogue I should leave untouched to make them sound true to the story or character? These are some things I need to consider as a proofreader, beta reader, or editor.

Rates

Most proofreaders charge an average of $0.0095 to $0.0125 per word, depending on the genre. To put that in perspective:A 25,000 word manuscript would cost between $237.50 to $312.50.

A 50,000 word manuscript would cost between $475 to $625.
A 75,000 word manuscript would cost between $712 to $937.50.
A 100,000 word manuscript would cost between $950 to $1,250.

My average rate, should you hire me as a proofreader, is $0.002 per word (rates may be negotiated to meet your budget) to put that in perspective:

25,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $50
50,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $100
75,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $150
100,000 words + Free Beta Reading Services: $200

Beta Rates:

Beta Tier 1: Less than 50K words 》 $25
Beta Tier 2: 50K - 80K words 》 $35
Beta Tier 3: over 80K ‐ 120K words》 $50
Beta Tier 4: over 120K - 150K words 》$75
Beta Tier 5: over 150K - 200K words 》$100
Beta Tier 6: over 200K - 250K words》$125
Beta Tier 7: over 250K - 300K words》$150
Additional words (for manuscripts that go over the initial word count agreed upon): $0.002 per word.

Special Note:
Should there be an increase of demand, I will prioritize those who contact me on a first-come-first-serve basis or those who opt for a priority edit/beta reading service. Should you contact me when I am booked for the month, I will schedule you at the next available slot.

If you are on a deadline, please contact me two to three weeks in advance to reserve a spot. Please allow 1 to 2 weeks for me to complete editing/beta-reading your manuscript/draft.

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