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FAQs and Resources

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FAQs

Where do we start?

You may email me directly or through my website contact page. Submit any questions you might have and please provide me with:

 

  • a brief description of your copy (industry/field/genre, publication goals, etc.)

  • the estimated word count

  • what services you require (copyediting/proofreading/formatting)

  • details or links regarding any house style guides, style manuals, or submission guidelines to adhere to

  • any deadlines you need to meet

 

I will check my schedule availability and reply to you, usually within 1–2 business days (Sunday–Thursday). 

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Once reaching an agreement on services, fees, and deadlines, I will provide you with a simple contract covering expectations of service. 

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Still undecided? Upon request, I can offer a free, short sample edit of your copy. This allows us both to see if we are a good fit for each other. It will also help me prepare price and delivery estimates for your edited manuscript.

What will this cost and how long will editing or proofreading take?

Rates and time estimates depend on the editorial services requested, the level of editorial intervention needed, and the complexity of the material. Deadlines with quicker turnaround times than normal require prepayment of rush fees, starting at 20% of the original estimate.

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To provide you with an accurate rate quote and turnaround time estimate, I need:  

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  • the total word count of your manuscript

  • a minimum sample of 3–5 pages of your manuscript, or the entire manuscript if less than 1,200 words

  • a minimum 10-page sample of longer works (book-length manuscripts or dissertations)

  • the reference list, endnotes, and bibliography (if any)

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Editing will begin once I have received your deposit and rush fees (if any). Full payment of the balance is due by the completion date. Longer projects such as full-length books or dissertations require a 50% deposit and may require interim payments.

Do you check only spelling and grammar?

While checking the spelling and grammar of the text are certainly important parts of the editing or proofreading process, it is by no means all that I do. Other areas of review include, but are not limited to:

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  • hyphenation, capitalization, and punctuation

  • treatment of numbers, numerals, abbreviations, and acronyms

  • word choice, syntax, and usage

  • clarity, conciseness, consistency, and coherence

  • tone, voice, and audience

  • adherence to required house or style guide

Can I see the changes you make?

I edit using the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word. Comments and questions will be inserted in comment balloons that appear in the right-hand column of your screen.

 

I am happy to provide you with instructions if needed.

 

For an idea of how tracked changes and comment balloons appear, see the image below:

Electronic editing in MS Word with track changes and comment balloons.

© 2016 Ariel Mizrachi

What happens after I get my edited manuscript back?

For copyediting services, once I have edited your manuscript using Track Changes, you will have the opportunity to accept or reject changes that I have made to the document or revise your text as needed in response to my questions or comments displayed in the comment balloons in the right-side margin.

 

For an additional fee, you may request additional rounds of editing to incorporate final changes and clean up the document. 

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For proofreading services, depending on the manuscript's format (MS Word or PDF), I will make changes or comments using either Word's Track Changes features or Adobe PDF markup tools. The next steps from there depend on the format and your publishing goals.

 

I can help you with additional rounds of proofreading upon request at an additional fee.

Resources

©2017 Ariel Mizrachi

© 2016 Ariel Mizrachi

Editorial Tools and Resources

The style manuals, dictionary, and software I use to edit include:​

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  • ​The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th and 17th editions

  • Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition

  • Garner's Modern English Usage, 4th edition

  • Microsoft Word 2019 Track Changes 

  • Adobe Acrobat DC markup

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My other favorite resources include:

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  • MLA Handbook, 8th edition

  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 6th and 7th editions

  • The Yahoo Style Guide

  • Words into Type, 3rd edition

  • Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage

  • The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, 3rd edition

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