"Because a story is worth a thousand words."

Unclear, uninteresting, or unprofessional documents and presentations cost companies sales, public opinion, and the opportunity to impart vision and motivation to their employees. An editor can ensure your business communication is clearly and accurately presented. An editor can help you add interest and persuasion. In short, an editor can ensure your business communication is clear, correct, and compelling--and that gives you a competitive advantage.

Many authors lose the interest of readers and acquisition editors because their writing contains grammatical errors or lapses in clarity. Occasionally, a book needs only a few tweaks of wording or word-order to speak in a more intriguing or compelling voice. An editor can correct your manuscript against professionally accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. An editor can also advise or help you to utilize storycrafting techniques that will increase your readers' interest and enjoyment.

That's simple. Contact us for a no-cost evaluation. If we can't help, or if an editor's services wouldn't be cost-effective, we'll tell you. Otherwise, we can give you some specific ways in which our editing skills could improve your document. You decide from there.

How much does hiring an editor cost?

Storycraft Communications has established its payscale in accordance with industry standards as determined by the national Editing Freelance Association (www.the-efa.org). Close examination, however, will reveal that Storycraft Communications keeps its payscale on the low side of the national average payscale range.

Professional editors can charge per hour, per word, or per page, depending on the project. Brief documents are usually charged per hour or word, while longer documents, such as books or manuals, are often billed per page. *It is important to remember that no exact estimate can be given until the editor reviews the document. The following payscale information is for approximate estimates only.

The cost of editing depends on the extent of editing your document needs.  There are three basic levels of editing, and each involves differing amounts of an editor's time and skill:

Proofreading:
The simplest form of editing, proofreading is checking your document against professionally accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. At this time, Storycraft Communications offers proofreading at the low cost of $25 per hour. Having your article proofread may cost as little as $25. A professional proofreading of a 200-page book would cost about $400.

Copyediting:
Copyediting includes proofreading plus suggestions on improving your work through structure changes, wording choices, and filling in the occasionally missing pieces of logic. This is what is typically considered "editing" in the publishing business. While proofreading could likely be done by any college student majoring in English, effective copyediting requires experience in the fields of journalism, publishing, or marketing. Storycraft Communications offers copyediting rates among the lowest of professional editors, beginning at $30 per hour.

In some cases, a "substantial edit" may be needed. Some editing firms distinguish between the copyedit and the substantial edit. In the event your document needs a substantial edit, Storycraft Communications charges $35 per hour.

Rewriting:
The most intensive form of editing, a rewriting editor would work hand-in-hand with an author to produce the best possible collaborative document. Storycraft Communications editor Drew Zahn has experience interviewing, ghostwriting, and rewriting articles and books--essential skills when looking for someone to join you in collaborative professional rewrite. The cost for this kind of editing is best handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on the size and scope of the project. If you have a document that needs serious help, contact Drew at Storycraft Communications to discuss the possibilities.

Many authors who seek to self-publish face the daunting costs of printing and marketing their work. Hiring an editor, too, seems like too much upfront cost. But for most writers, hiring an editor can be the difference between a well-communicated message and a dud. If you're serious about self-publishing, but intimidated by the costs of editing, please contact Storycraft Communications. We do occasionally offer discounted or variable payment rates when we deem the project merits it.