Services and fees

  • Proofreading and proof-editing

    I proofread on paper or onscreen. On paper, I can use the BSI proofreading symbols or any system you prefer. Onscreen, I can work in Word (using track changes and/or comments boxes), on PDFs in Adobe Acrobat or PDF X-Change, and directly in InDesign files, depending on your preference.

  • Copy-editing

    I copy-edit onscreen, in Word (using track changes and comments boxes), on PDFs in Adobe Acrobat or PDF X-Change, or directly in InDesign files, depending on your preference.

    Fees for proofreading and copy-editing can be calculated as an hourly or daily rate, per 1,000 words or for a whole project. Because clients' needs vary hugely, so do my rates, which can range from £13 to £35 per 1000 words, and is at the higher end for non-native English and technical English. 
    As a rough guideline, my day rate is between £260 and £400. 
    Urgent work (same day or next day turnaround) and evening and weekend work incur a 50% additional charge.
    And I have a minimum fee of £50 per job.

    How much can I proofread or copy-edit in one hour? I always ask to see the text (or a sample) before giving a quote as there are many variables involved, particularly for copy-editing. However, the SfEP provides a basic rule of thumb of 3,000 words per hour for straightforward proofreading.

  • Translation (French to English)

    Fees can be calculated as an hourly or daily rate, per word or for a whole project. However, each project is assessed individually as many factors affect how long a job will take. As a very rough guide, rates are in the range of £95 to £140 per 1,000 words of French, which is in line with the Society of Authors' guidelines.

  • Transcription

    I do mostly medical and medico-legal transcription but have experience in other areas, including video. Depending on the quality/difficulty of the original audio, fees may be calculated per audio minute, per transcribed word or per hour of work.
    Please bear in mind that difficult or poor quality audio takes considerably longer to transcribe. Factors that affect difficulty or quality are: specialised vocabulary, speaking too quickly, background noise, muffled or quiet recording, strong accents, unclear or unstructured speech, several speakers, and speakers interrupting each other.
    As a guideline, one hour of medical or medico-legal audio of average to good quality takes from 4 to 7 hours to transcribe.

Link to The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading

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"Etty is a great proofreader: she pays close attention to the text, is thorough in her reading, flags problems early and always returns proofs on time. I’m consistently impressed with her queries, suggestions and the care she takes. Added to this, she’s a joy to work with."
EE, Focal Press.

"She is very easy to communicate with and surprises me with the thoroughness of her work and the errors she notices that have slipped past several other people."
SP, Routledge.