Need editing, proofreading, or HTML/CSS help?

Professional Services
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I’m a professional freelancer with nearly a decade’s experience with editing and web coding (HTML and CSS), and I have openings in my client list. I’m even familiar with ChoiceScript, because I’m writing my own game.

Need you story itself edited or proofread? I’m expert at recognizing when a word’s “proper” spelling depends on your dictionary and double-checking to make sure it matches. I read grammar handbooks for fun, and I know the difference between things like the homophones discreet & discrete).

I offer the following services. (I realize the script means the number of words in your word processor is higher than the number in your actual story, but the multi-file setup of a game makes up for that.)

Proofreading (checking for accidents, typos):
— $3 per 1k words

Light Line Editing (checking for accidents, typos, and making sure your text says what you intended it to)
— $4 per 1k words

Moderate Line Editing (helping you with errors and meaning, as well as some things you didn’t realize were rules (like commas needing to go after most introductory clauses, or the peeked/peaked/piqued distinction)
— $7 per 1k words

Heavy Line Editing (essentially the moderate line editing on steroids, where there are a lot of things you didn’t realize were rules)
— $11 per 1k words

Everything and the Kitchen Sink
— price varies depending on how you’re defining “everything”

(Note: More explanation of the various types of editing can be found on my website.)

All my edits include a Q&A pass, for you to respond to my edits or to ask why I did something.

Edits can be performed EITHER in a word processor or in a text editor.

  • If you want me to use a text editor, I’ll provide a tutorial on how to use Microsoft Word’s “Compare Two Documents” tool, which you can use if you want to see the specific changes I’ve made.

  • If you want me to use Microsoft Word, I will use Track Changes and, if you send me your files once you’re done clearing out all changes, I’ll convert the files back to text format for you, as part of the service.

Need help with HTML or CSS, for your game or your website? I’ve been using HTML and CSS for nearly a decade, coding my website by hand. Every so often, I recode my website from the ground up. I’ve even converted one short story of mine into a web app.

I can help with game code or with websites. (I can even take a PDF and, given the text and images, build a website to match as close as possible.)

My rate depends entirely on what you need.

First 3 clients to hire me because of this post on the Choice of Games forum will get a 10% discount!

  • Discount Slot 1: Available
  • Discount Slot 2: Available
  • Discount Slot 3: Available

E-mail me at misti.wolanski[at]gmail.com (subject line: “from Choice of Games forum”) to inquire or to get on the schedule now!

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Just to clarify if I wanted to hire you for the “everything” package which is $11 per 1000 words. If my choicescript game is 250,000 words I’d be looking at something like $2500 (with the 10’% discount offered) (I’ve rounded it up for an example) Did I work it out right?

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@Nocturnal_Stillness
It does sound like a lot… Not sure how that could be worth it

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Considering the sheer amount of words in your average game written in ChoiceScript games (somewhere around 100,000 words, I guess) and that most of us aren’t professional writers that sounds like a pretty steep deal. (To me at least. Don’t know much about your average proofreader/editor charges)

Guess I’ll stick to copy-pasting the whole thing into MS Word and checking it that way.

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A lot of editors seem to charge this amount or more. A well edited work can get more good reviews which in turn can lead to more sales. I’m considering it even if it’d practically wipe out my first years royalty payments. I’m thinking the overall benefit of a professional edit would be worth it in the long run,

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This is a “no thanks” for me.

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As an end user, poor editing of the hosted and CoG official games sticks out like a sore thumb and yanks me back to reality. The pricing seems reasonable to me, but it would largely depend on sales predictions from CoG as to whether you or any other author would want to jump on the $11 package or the cheaper options. Even a smattering of professional level proofreading/editing is better than none at all.

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I work as a freelance editor, and figure I can proofread as much as 4,000 words in an hour if the text is in okay shape to start with. The word count goes down if I have to rearrange text or write out suggestions for improving the story arc on top of correcting obvious errors. (I’m a playwright and screenwriter, so I can come up with LOTS of ideas to help make a story stronger and more fun.)

My global editing rate these days is $25 an hour–for that, you get my 30+ years of experience helping smart people untangle their grammar and spelling so the text does not get in the way of what they’re trying to say. For a 250,000 word CoG game, that would mean over 60 hours of work (or $1,500) just to get the obvious errors out of the way.

Editors like @Carradee and me can catch all sorts of stuff that an automated spellcheck will never see. That makes us worth every penny.

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Hi, @Nocturnal_Stillness. Your math is correct. :smile: However, depending on your writing, you may not need the “heavy” package. People who have some idea about grammar usually don’t need more than the “moderate” level, which would cost about 1/3 less.

You’re also correct that my fees are in the normal range. Most people I know who charge less don’t offer the Q&A pass.

@ballmot, @Cecilia_Rosewood, @Crotale—it’s your choice entirely. I’m just posting that I’m available. If it isn’t worth it to you, then it isn’t worth it to you. Janice Hardy has good explanations of various grammar and writing things on her blog, written to make sense to the average writer rather than the average grammar nerd.

Even for those who are interested, @LordOfLA makes a good point. Sales predictions can (and honestly should) affect how much cash you put into it.

And @cottage14, it’s nice to meet you! Thank you for giving that everyone that rundown of how things work before I could get back from my errands. :smile: Do you, also, offer editing for ChoiceScript?

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@Carradee, I would happily help any Choice of Games author get game texts into shape. In fact, you may notice that a lot of us contribute to the task voluntarily by reporting issues we run into when beta-testing a game in development. This method is a bit hit-or-miss, since beta testers are primarily interested in the flow of the game, not its semi-colons.

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@cottage14, sounds like posting a story on Wattpad. :slight_smile: Folks there will comment on typos they notice, but won’t catch everything and won’t always be right. (Okay, so the same could be said of pro editors, since nobody’s perfect, but the % of errors caught vs. % of errors missed tends to be higher with a professional editor rather than a beta reader/tester.)

Hope your day’s going well!

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The odd thing is in my game (Unnatural) I’ve had reviews saying the writings good and others saying the writing is terrible. I’m fully aware my grammar isn’t perfect and I’ve picked up a lot of bad habits in the past 30 years so I’m going on the basis that if i go “worst case scenario” you could always tell me it didn’t need the everything option. Regardless atm I’ve double checked and I can’t afford it just yet but I am thinking about it.

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@Nocturnal_Stillness
If you were going to go through an editor, I think it’s best to do it BEFORE your title is published so that the professional editing has the most impact on your reviews. (Since the vast majority of your sales generally occur in the first three months or so.) Obviously, I still went ahead and had TotDH edited afterward, and you don’t have the option of doing it beforehand with Unnatural, but it’s just something to keep in mind.

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Maybe take the discussion of editing in general (or in regards to Unnatural) off of @Carradee’s thread and spin it into a discussion on its own? I think it’s definitely a thread that a lot of writers would be interested in. I’d love to hear more of your experience in hiring an editor, @Samuel_H_Young and if it has helped your sales.

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Yep, no-one’s perfect. I find that, while it’s not as subjective as the actual content, language and writing is also subjective. I’m speaking as someone who edits and writes, though I’ve not gone to ‘editor school’. Honed my trade through reading and years of critiquing on forums.

There’s also a whole can of worms that can be opened when the author is writing experimental fiction and is breaking grammar rules on purpose.

It’s why I personally don’t hold thoughts such as ‘it’s well written’ or ‘badly written’ in high esteem. So much variety in opinions even when it comes to the classics. But if we’re strictly talking about clear typos and such, then yeah, automatically bad writing.

Edit: Sorry, Fairy. I didn’t notice your post till now. I can remove this if you/Carradee like.

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@DavidGil It’s okay. It was more I was worried about @Carradee’s thread getting eaten by more general discussion. You’re directly addressing her though, which is definitely allowed.

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Some common “bad habits” can cause that dichotomy of reviews, but it could also just mean you have a strong style, which necessarily wouldn’t connect with every reader.

Agreed on both counts. Grammar and punctuation are meant to serve meaning and comprehension. In one of my (first person PoV) novels, the narrator’s grammar and word choice actually change with her mood.

As an editor, I advise based on the skill of the writer. By that I mean that I advise someone who knows very little grammar to use what’s formally deemed “proper”, while I might recommend for someone who understands more grammar to break a formal rule, every so often, if it fits a context.

ETA Example: Hyphenated adjectives. For some reason, The Chicago Manual of Style says to put the hyphens when the adjective is before a noun. Not after. Sometimes, a person writes a sentence where following the rule gets a bit confusing.

I’m too new to have a sense of how the thread tangling functions and happens here, so I consider that up to all you, if you think it best to make a new thread for the general discussion. :smile:

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