Contact/Hire

Need something expertly edited, proofread, designed, or written? Have a comment or question that you’d rather not leave in a public forum, and prefer to address me directly? Please contact me at alex.straaik@gmail.com. (Also, here’s my resume.)

• I have an M.A. in Writing and Publishing, and have worked in the publishing industry for nearly a decade. Respectively, I am fluent in the Chicago, AP, and AMA styles; have edited full-length books, long magazine articles, shorter blog entries, and completed layout designs for organizations ranging from independent publishing houses and to both print and digital magazines. I also taught Creative Writing/Journalism at a medium-security prison for 3-years, and am comfortable with all genres of work. To take a look at what my colleagues and employers have to say about my work, just click on Testimonials.

Here’s a kind of “cheat sheet” for typically used industry jargon, & fair rates:

• The copy editor is really the person who will finesse your manuscript; this can be done on a heavy or very light level, and thus the time it takes—which is also contingent on the length and density of the text—to complete a copy-edit can vary from a few hours to several weeks. Not only should a good copy editor make sure the grammar, syntax, spelling, and usage are proper, but also s/he can also be called upon to query the senior editor and/or author on lapses in logic/evidence, confusing passages, and re-write and re-organize part of text in a way which holds true to the writer’s voice.

• The proofreader sees the manuscript after it has been copy edited and designed; s/he is literally checking the final page proofs before the editor  and author. The major responsibility of the proofreader is to make sure there are no spelling, grammatical, usage, or syntactical errors, as well as inconsistency and deviations from the style sheet. This includes, when applicable, analyzing tables, charts, illustrations, and so forth.

• The Editorial Freelancers Association have a reliable chart of general fees for these services, and more. You will notice that I charge below the industry standard, but still deliver nuanced and professional services: just $25/hour for most proofreading and basic copyediting; $30/hour for heavy copy editing; $40/ hour for professional writing (extremely demanding work that requires extensive research is billed at $50); $45/ hour for writing (if the pieces requires extensive research/is extraordinarily dense material, the rate may increase to $50/hour); and $50/hour for developmental/content editing (which includes research). I am always willing to speak with my clients to discuss the type of work we both agree is necessary, as well as the estimated pace and fees. Please contact me at alex.straaik@gmail.com.

EDITORIAL FREELANCERS ASSOCIATION SUGGESTED FEE CHART: