Editing

Our approach to editing / proofreading is meticulous in execution, simplistic in pricing and thorough in scope. Our primary goal is to help you produce a finished product that serves your intended purpose, resonating with your voice and emotion. In other words, it should sound like you and equally as important, it should feel right to you. Our expectation of you is that you submit the best version of your completed work to me with your initial submission. 

In addition to our love mutual love of reading, together we bring an eclectic array of experiences to our publishing venture. April has an economics degree from Temple University, and spent several years as a marketing project manager for several international corporations. She is currently completing a Master's degree in education. Dr. Lisa's background includes more than 15 years of writing newsletters, assisting with a few blogs along the way, resumes and cover letters, a couple business articles published in Black Enterprise, coauthoring one book, and provided editing service for several others.  The added benefit of earning a doctorate degree provides clients with the knowledge that her service come with my personal passion for writing, reading, and story telling, honed and fine-tuned through my successful completion of a rigorous doctoral program. Having been challenged by the collaborative nature of a doctorate committee, the continuous need for critical thinking, and the expectation of detailed and repeated examination of my own work Dr. Lisa  and April are fully prepared to use their skills to help you develop your project. 

We do not scale our services in an ala carte structure. You will find many editing services that base pricing on whether you need minor or major editing, and whether you require help with structure, composition, or flow. This pricing structure is extremely effective when it comes to the ala carte selection at your car wash, i.e., add on interior cleaning and the price increases; however, for us, being hired as an editor means we commit to collaborating with the author by providing our full array of skills with the intent of supporting the writing project through to its completion. In addition to making the customary changes for grammar, spelling, and syntax, we will also provide minor assistants in the comments that relate to structure, content, and the general feel of the piece. We make our eclectic skillset and research abilities available to our clients for the sole purpose of enhancing the entire collaborative experience. 

When necessary, we will recommend that you consider hiring an editor who is able to focus on an area of your project that we deem in need of specific and critical attention that goes beyond the scope of our editing services. It is for this reason, that our process begins with a preview of your writing. See THE PROCESS below for details.

As previously stated our pricing plan is simple. fair, ethically sound, and easier to calculate to price per word rather than per page. Because some pages contain a few sentences, and others a few words – charging by the page could mean the client pays for pages that are nearly empty. This type of pricing is also affected by font size, and spacing settings for words, lines, and paragraphs. Pricing per word eliminates any confusion and provides for a consistent pricing system. Here is our pricing scale:

• The fee for up to 2,000 words is $90, which is our minimum fee.
• 2,000 – 4,000 words: Flat rate of $110.
• 4,001 – 6,000 words: Flat rate of $125.
• 6,001 – 40,000 words is $23 per 1000 words.
• 40,001 – 60,000 words is $22 per 1000 words.
• 60,001 – 80,000 words is $21 per 1000 words.
• 80,001 – 150,000 words is $20 per 1000 words.
• Any amount greater than or equal to 150,001 words is $19 per 1000 words.

Turnaround times are on a project-by-project basis. Typically, it is safe to estimate two to three days for every 50 to 75 pages, or up to 12k to 18k words. We work to have a fairly robust turnaround time. If there are pending deadlines you need to meet, please share that information upfront to allow us the opportunity to help you meet them. we do not charge extra for “rush” jobs or faster turnaround times. We are either able to complete it in the desired time frame not. While it is possible to begin the process sooner rather than later, scheduling permitting, It is not possible to rush the editing process itself.

The first step in the process is for us to receive a sample of the writing project that requires editing. If his is a manuscript, we request a minimum of two chapters. Feel free to include a non-disclosure agreement. You may submit it via email, large file service, or mail. The copy will not be returned. However, we will destroy the copy or delete the file if we do not end up working with you on the project.

Submit your document in Word format (.doc or .docx) as an email attachment. My email address is Lisa@drlisasummerour.com. Please type "editing request" in the subject line.

Upon receipt of your document, I will email a contract to confirm the total fee, 25% down payment, and turnaround time.

If you agree with the fee and turnaround time, please do the following:

• Sign the contract and return it to me.
• I will use your email address to request the deposit amount totaling 25%, using Chase QuickPay account.

Once I receive the initial 25% payment, I will begin work on your document. I will indicate corrections and suggestions in your file using the Track Changes feature of Microsoft Word. 

I will email two versions of the completed document:

• The first file will show the suggested changes. You will then have the option of accepting all changes by clicking the Accept icon on the Review tab of Word, or you can apply specific changes by clicking the Accept and Reject icons on the Review tab.
• The second file will have all the corrections applied.

In conjunction with the completed project, I will email a final invoice for the 75% balance. Payment is due upon receipt of the invoice.

As an editing contractor, I claim no rights of ownership to any works I am entrusted to edit or review. By agreeing to provide documents to me for review, you agree that you have the legal right to submit such documents as the author of the work or a legal representative thereof. 

If there are special deadlines or other circumstances that you need to make me aware of for the successful completion of your editing project, please make me aware sooner rather than later. It is my goal to partner with you for a smooth and successfully completed project that both of us can be proud of. Effective and immediate communication will help ensure that this is the case. 

I work on a laptop equipped with Word 2016. Although I cannot be responsible for any adjustments made due to automatic formatting from incompatibility between our computers or their operating systems; I will be sensitive to such changes and do what I can to work with you so your publisher has what they need in the desired format – to the best of my technological capabilities.