Stumped? Read on

Why do I need an editor when my friends and relatives have read my manuscript?
Can’t I index my book myself?
Can you edit and index my book at the same time?
What will editing cost?
What will an index cost?
Will my writing be ready to publish after you edit?
How do you accept payment?
Can I download your résumé?

 

Why do I need an editor when my friends and relatives have read my manuscript?

Friends and relatives can provide useful feedback about sections that are unclear to them, and I do encourage you to ask them to read your manuscript before you send it to a copyeditor. But they are unlikely to have the training to spot inconsistencies and to correct grammar, spelling, diction, and style.

I keep current on trends in language and editing and indexing practices by joining professional organizations, reading related blogs and journals, attending webinars and conferences, and subscribing to reference works. Most likely your friends and relatives do not do all that.

Can’t I index my book myself?

Yes, you could, and some authors prefer to do it themselves. However, I can see your book fresh, as your readers will, and analyze its contents to create an index that will help your readers find the information they want easily and efficiently. You will be busy with final proofs and may be tired of your book after spending so much time on it. And it is unlikely that you are as familiar with indexing best practices and standards as I am.

Can you edit and index my book at the same time?

No, not at the same time. Editing and indexing require looking at a book in different ways. And editing is done early in the publishing process, while indexing is done at the end after the book has been laid out and the page numbers are fixed.

What will editing cost?

Editing can be priced by the word count, by the page, by the hour, or by the project. The price depends on the level of editing you need (heavy or light), the quality of the writing, and whether there are notes, references, or bibliography to edit. I will give you a price after I see a sample of the work.

What will indexing cost?

Indexing is usually priced by the indexable page. The price per page varies according to the number of words per page, the density of the writing, the length of the desired index, and other factors. I will give you a price based on a sample of the book.

Will my writing be ready to publish after you edit?

If you only need a light copyedit and the writing is good to begin with, it might be ready when I have edited it, although no copyeditor guarantees publication of the edited work. In all cases, I will return your work to you with the changes tracked so that you can see what I did. You will need to read through the entire file and accept or reject my changes.

In most cases, you will have to answer some queries from me, fix some inconsistencies, and perhaps supply missing information (such as for a reference). After you have done all of that and have accepted or rejected my changes, you might want me to read it again for “clean-up” to assure that everything was indeed fixed and that no new errors were created. This clean-up reading is usually agreed upon before editing begins and is included in the price for my editing services.

How do you accept payment?

Payment can be directly deposited or transferred to my bank account. If you are outside of Egypt, I have an account in the United States to receive payments. A deposit is usually required before I begin your work and to reserve time in my schedule for you.

Can I download your résumé?

You can download a PDF file of my résumé here.