I am an Australian IPEd Accredited Editor (NSW, 2008) specialising in business, biography, fiction and self help books and marketing materials.
I generally use MS Word’s Track Changes function, but am also comfortable handmarking using standard proofreaders’ marks or using Adobe’s Comments function.
Editing involves working on a manuscript to help polish it to be the best it can be. A writer should revise as much as they possibly can before handing their work over. The less the editor has to do, the quicker the job will be, and the less the editor will charge! This stage of the work is often also called structural editing as it can involve taking out or moving chunks of a text, or suggesting that the author write more in certain areas, so while it looks at spelling, punctuation and grammar, it also looks at the bigger picture. It can involve fact checking, copyright clearances etc, depending on the author’s requirements and the editor’s fields of expertise.
Copy editing is spelling, punctuation and grammar, and general refinements to the text, but doesn’t go as far as structural editing.
Proofreading is the final read through prior to the ‘print’ or ‘publish’ button being pressed. It is normally done after a book has been laid out and it ready to go.
My current rate (at 1 July 2016) is AUD$75 per hour (GST included) which equates to roughly 10 cents per word for structural editing, 5 cents for copy editing and 3 cents for proofreading. However, these are ball park figures and the quality of the work sent to me will dictate the final charge. A well-written work may find lower per-word rates being charged.
For a quote or more information, please feel free to contact me. However, as at December 2016 I am not taking on new clients. Should you require assistance, then please have a look at the structural editors, copy editors and proofreaders on the IndieMosh Experts list, or visit the Institute of Professional Editors website for more options.