Dear WordCount: What should I pay a proofreader?

This is the latest installment of Dear WordCount, an advice column that answers your questions about writing, blogging and running a freelance business.

Dear WordCount:

I am looking for a proofreader/editor. I write career-type articles that may appear anywhere so I’m not sure the standard by which they might be judged. Also since I’m dyslexic I need things like my website, etc., done. Can you tell me if you know anyone out there who charges by the word? I’m new to this so it’s hard for me to compute what it will cost.

Thank you,

CB

Dear CB:

I am not a professional proofreader, so I don’t have first-hand advice to share. However, a quick Internet search revealed a variety of rates offered by professional proofreaders. Some include:

1. Per hour. The Editorial Freelancers Association lists common editorial rates of $30 to $35 per hour for proofreading, based on a proofreader’s ability to cover 5 to 10 manuscript pages an hour.
2. Per project. According to  answers that LinkedIn members left to the question “How much would you pay for a good copy editor,” proofreaders and copy editors often charge by the project (more on that in a minute).
3. Per page, with a page equaling approximately 250 words. Compass Rose Horizons, an editing services company, charges $2 to $12 per page depending on how much proofreading, copyediting or rewriting is involved.

To that, I would add that the price you’d pay a proofreader, or that a proof reader would charge, would depend on the type of copy that’s being edited or proofed. It would also depend on the standard by which the copy would be measured – i.e., does it need to be AP style or something else? – and if the proofreader would be expected to do some amount of rewriting or just go over copy for grammar, spelling, fact checking, etc.

If you’re looking to hire a proofreader for a specific project, create a request for proposal (RFP) that includes:

• A list of work that absolutely has to be done
• A wish list of projects that you’d like to get done but won’t do if it costs too much.

Make it an outline, chart or something simple enough to limit to 1 page. Then you’ve got something you can circulate to prospective proofreader/contractors. Ask them to bid on the work on an hourly basis or as a flat fee covering a set number of hours. If you’ve separated your must haves from your want to haves, you’ll be able to see what you can afford. It might also help you with budgeting, so if you can only afford X work now, you can build the rest into your monthly, quarterly or yearly budget.

Hiring a writer, editor or proofreader is just like hiring any other contractor you’d work with, so you need to take a similar approach to penciling out the expense. Smart freelancers do the same thing when they’re deciding whether to take a job.

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Got a question for Dear WordCount? Submit it to wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.

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