FAQs
Q: What services do you offer?
A: I charge by the hour rather than per page because services vary according to the document. It's fairer and cheaper for the client. My rate includes putting the entire document in APA format; checking references cited against those in the reference list; checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation; editing for clarity; and creating the Table of Contents. Some documents need more substantive editing for content or organization. Some need near-complete rewrites. Most need tables to be reformatted. All dissertations also need to be formatted according to the university's specific guidelines (same goes for many journal articles). I do all these things.
Q: Why do some editors charge $20/hour and some $60...or more?
A: I charged less when I was less experienced . . . and worked slower. Now I've internalized APA style and work more quickly. Currently I charge $46 per hour for most editing, and a typical rate of speed is about 8 pages per hour or less.

Note that for Nova Fischler dissertations, the typical rate is slower (5-6 pages per hour) because so much more is involved. If you are a Nova Fischler student, go here.

When I began I did note to my clients that I guaranteed my services. I guarantee that my work follows APA. Make sure you get that guarantee from any editor you choose. Of course, no one can guarantee that your professor will like the product or that your article will get published.

The most heartbreaking part of my job is re-editing work that has already been edited by someone else who took money and did a lousy job. Choose carefully the first time. Remember: "If you think hiring a professional is expensive, try hiring an amateur."
Q: What is the procedure?
A:
  1. You e-mail me (a) your document, (b) your deadlines, and (c) any other guidelines.
  2. I respond with a conservative estimate.
  3. If you agree, you pay half of the estimate in the form of a deposit. This basically makes our e-mail correspondence a binding contract. It also puts you on my calendar in ink. This deposit is nonrefundable. (When you make a deposit, you are reserving my time, and I consequently turn down other clients.) You can pay via PayPal, a secure Web site that accepts credit cards. You do not even have to sign up for PayPal; I can e-mail you a specific link. Alternative methods of payment may be acceptable, such as money orders (or bags of cash), although they can slow down the process.
  4. I work on the doc. Before or at completion, you pay the balance.
  5. I send you the completed work. I almost always send clients two documents: one with the changes marked using Word's Track Changes feature and one "cleaner" document with only changes marked that are questionable or need input from you. You ask any questions you have.
Q: How do I use Track Changes?
A: In Word, go to VIEW, TOOLBARS, and select REVIEWING. The changes in the document are marked with colored inserts and strikethroughs for deleted text. You can use the arrow keys on the toolbar to go from change to change (or select chunks of text using your cursor). You use the checkmark/X buttons to accept/reject changes. Or just type in the document. Click here for a more complete explanation: Using the Reviewing Toolbar.
Q: What are the most common mistakes?
A: I'm including this bit because I have found that professors often "correct" proper APA style . . . leaving the student confused. As we all know, the professor is never wrong. What to do? I offer APA manual page numbers for common but little-known errors to give the student "ammunition" of sorts. DOWNLOAD THIS PDF you can forward to your profs if necessary.
  1. APA requirements for dissertations are looser than those for the manuscripts submitted for publication in a journal. Single-spacing is allowed for table titles/headings, table text, figure captions, references (with extra space between), and long quotes (APA 5th ed., p. 326).
  2. No hyphen with prefixes pre, post, non, multi, over, under, and semi, among others (APA 5th ed., p. 92).
  3. You use numerals for (a) any number 10 or greater; (b) any number, even <10, that expresses age or period of time; and (c) any number, even <10, that expresses number of participants (APA 5th ed., p. 124). Thus, it is "3 years" or "5 student participants." Also use numerals to express ratios (e.g., "1 in 3").
  4. Subsequent identical citations in the same paragraph do not need the year again, unless there's a chance of confusion with other references by that author.
  5. Once you introduce an acronym/abbreviation, use it exclusively thereafter.
Q: A few words about plagiarism:
A: If I find plagiarism in your paper, I will point it out to you. I will stop working on your document. You are charged for any time I spent on the document; remember your deposit is not refundable. I will send the document back to you with the edits I've done up to that point.