What Is Copy Editing?
AT THIS STAGE, you feel your manuscript is complete, you've produced several drafts. In general, you feel you've gone about as far as you can go, without professional help.
LET ME CLARIFY ONE THING. Copy editing is a very specific task.
Copy editing is close reading forgrammar
punctuation
consistency
typos
spelling
improving sentences
rewriting
expressing an opinion about the content
evaluation of quality
finding the right word
THE POINT OF COPY EDITING is to create a clean manuscript before sending it to a publisher. Even so, every publishing house has its own house style. Their editors may make further changes or recommendations about your MS.
THAT SAID, my rate for copy editing is $35/hour. On average, with a relatively clean MS, simple copy editing may take about an hour for 3 to 4 pages.
IF YOU FEEL THAT you really need help beyond copy editing, then just ask, and I'll give you an estimate of what needs done, how long it will take, and what it can cost.
Bandanna Books • Santa Barbara
Copyright © 2012 Bandanna Books