How Much Does Copyediting Cost

Virtually everyone who writes anything is looking for some type of eventual payoff. But to get the most out of what you write, you should take steps to make your writing stand out. The best way to do that is through solid copyediting.
Your “reward” might be a fantastic grade on a paper or dissertation, advancement or approval at work, or publication. To reach that goal, there’s usually a price. How much would you pay for skilled, specialized copyediting? What’s it worth to you to obtain the sort of payoff you seek for your document? And what’s the cost to you in the event you don’t?
Professional copyediting costs money; that’s no secret. But it is money well-spent. Many people think they can fake it. After all, how hard can proper punctuation be? And with today’s spell check programs, is a human editor really necessary?
Copyediting is a skilled profession. Professional editors are trained to copyedit efficiently and effectively. They see mistakes that you don’t: not just the misspelled words and missing commas – and spell check and grammar check or not, you do have errors – but also poor transitional phrasing, faulty subject/pronoun agreement, and a host of other issues that a writer doesn’t even contemplate when he reaches the copyedit phase.
Great writing can’t be faked. How much are you willing to spend to ensure your e-book or paper is professionally presented? How much will it cost you if it is NOT professionally copyedited? Needless to say the services of a professional editor aren’t free. No professional service is. The expense of having a skilled backup edit your e-book, dissertation, business proposal, blog post or other document is trivial compared to the price to you otherwise. How much is it worth for you to get that document published? To have that business proposal succeed at the bank? To have an agent or publisher decide to pick up your e-book?
And how much do you want to stand out among the plethora of writers who do not seek professional copyediting, but choose to “copyedit” their documents themselves? The choice is yours. Can you afford not to hire a skilled editor?
Ms. Todd is an award-winning, full-time professional editor, published writer and marketing consultant whose passion is to help others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing. Her extensive experience in coaching and management has allowed her to independently consult for numerous international editing services and websites.