If you are a professional writer or just want your text to reach its maximum potential, you might want to consider getting it proofread. And you definitely want your text to look its absolute best before it reaches your targeted audience. So, why not hire an expert? How much does it even cost, though?
What sort of text do you want to proofread?
There are proofreading companies that charge the same for whichever type of document you send them, and then there are those whose rate varies. Naturally, that would mean that an informal sort of text would be charged less than an academic or a business-oriented one.
Either way, the proofreader must know your end goal. Since it makes no sense to edit your scientific paper the way they would edit the text on someone’s website.
You can hire either specialized companies or freelancers. However, be mindful that whoever revises your text has had previous experience with that type of document. In this case, categorization matter very much.
What about the price?
How much you’ll pay for their work may vary greatly. Some of them charge you per hour of their work, some of them charge individual words, and there are those whose rate changes depending on how many words your text has. So, you should first find the company or freelancer whose style of charging would fit your needs.
Sometimes, proofreading companies have sites with a built-in engine that gives you the approximate price. You just put in the basic info, such as the number of words, the type of text, and when you would like it finished. And then you get feedback on how much it would cost. Voila. Now that’s handy.
How much is the usual hourly rate?
Charging by the hour may be somewhat iffy. That’s because two different editors might charge the same and deliver the same level of quality, but one can work two times faster than the other. And you can’t really know that before you hire them, and the job is already done.
You may receive an estimated number of hours it will take for your document to be ready, but you can never know how much exactly you will be charged.
In any case, the services usually range from $10 an hour (who are mostly inexperienced and not so skilled proofreaders), up to a whopping $100 an hour.
What about the rate charged per word?
If you are on a budget, this would definitely be the better solution. That’s because you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be charged for their service.
Professionals usually charge from 1 cent up to 10 cents per word. This goes for the basic editing. So, let’s say you have a 1,000-word document you’d like revised. That’d cost you around $50 if we take the middle ground and say that the going rate is 5 cents.
Naturally, if you have a short deadline, they will charge more.
Conclusion
Proofreading is a lot of work, and you might not be an expert, or you might not have enough time to do it. And if you hire someone to do it for you, be mindful of the way they charge their service. Remember to check whether they have experience with the type of document you want to be revised, too.