I find it is best to offer a basic rate, with optional extras so that clients can prioritise the services to suit their pockets and the time they have. (If you don’t pay me to do it, you have to do it yourself – and you will do it more slowly and less well!)
The basic rate is 21 cents per wordfor both formatting and editing
I charge individuals R84 per page of 400 words, broken down into R16 for formatting and R68 for editing. This means that 100 pages would cost R8 400. That excludes any references, figures or tables.
Documents of less than 10 pages incur an extra R50 to cover the time taken to create an invoice and emails.
Please note that I will happily format without editing but I cannot edit without first formatting.
For references, the rate is R12 each
I charge individualsR12 per reference to format it and check its completeness.
For a thesis or dissertation, if the reference is incomplete, I will make a Comment telling you what is missing because it is unethical for me to look up the details for you when you are being examined on your referencing skill.
To check the use of citations in the text is another R3 per reference. I hyperlink each citation to its reference, with a screen-tip showing the text of the reference.
For figures and tables, the rate is R10 each
I charge individualsR10 per figure, table, photograph, etc. to format it so that it stays where it is put in the text, and to create a caption with an automatic label and number that can be used in cross-references and to generate a List of Tables, List of Figures, etc. If a table runs on to more than one page, it is counted as an extra table for every extra page.
To insert cross-references in the text to the figures and tables (actually to their captions) is another R2 per caption.
The all-inclusive rate is 27 centsper word for both formatting and editing
The all-inclusive rate is usually the better option. I charge individuals R108 per page of 400 words, broken down into R40 for formatting and R68 for editing. This means that 100 pages would cost R10 800. That excludes any references, figures or tables.
Many editors quote per page and you need to be able to compare my quote with theirs; that is why I talk about pages above. However, I believe a rate based on a word count is fairer than a rate per page: A word rate excludes the space around figures and tables and counteracts differences in font and margin sizes.
Most universities specify that a thesis or dissertation should have 2,5-cm or 1-inch margins, 1½ line spacing and 11 pt Arial or 12 pt Times New Roman font so I have used that as the basis for my calculation that one page is 400 words.
To count the words in your document: Select the parts of the document that will be edited – usually Chapters 1 to 5 of a thesis/dissertation. Exclude the front matter, the table of contents, and the appendices. The number of words selected will be shown as a fraction of the total number of words in your Status Bar, e.g., “Words: 30 012/40 010” (the display varies for different versions of Microsoft Office).
If a word count is not displayed in the Status Barat the bottom of your screen: Right-click in a blank part of the Status Bar; when the Customise Status Bar menu pops up, tick Word Count. The number of words in the whole document will then be displayed in the Status Bar, e.g., Words: 40 010. Click outside the Customise Status Bar menu.
Note: I charge companies 175% the individual ratebecause the quality of my work is worth more than most individuals can afford. This rate is in line with the average rate charged by editors according to the latest South African rates survey.
ZAR Rates
Process for Individuals
Rands
Unit 1
Cents
Unit 2
ZAR
Unit 3
Format and edit a questionnaire/survey
15
/question
-
250
/hour
Format and check completeness of references**
12
/each
0.28
word
250
/hour
Format a basic document
40
/page*
0.1
word
250
/hour
Format figures and tables (per page)
10
/each
-
250
/hour
Add in-text cross-references to tables, figures, etc. (captions)
2
/caption
-
250
/hour
Create an Excel worksheet
30
/worksheet
-
250
/hour
Compile a PowerPoint presentation, with formatting and animation
25
/slide
-
250
/hour
Add animation to an existing PowerPoint presentation
10
/slide
-
250
/hour
Automate/add timing to an existing PowerPoint presentation
10
/slide
-
250
/hour
Edit a basic document
100
/page*
21
word
250
/hour
Check citations against references
3
/reference**
0.07
word
250
/hour
Create an index - with three levels
60
/page*
0.15
word
250
/hour
Process for Companies
Rands
Unit 1
Cents
Unit 2
ZAR
Unit 3
Format and edit a questionnaire/survey
26.25
/question
-
437.5
/hour
Format and check completeness of references**
21
/each
word
437.5
/hour
Format a basic document
70
/page*
0.175
word
437.5
/hour
Format figures and tables (per page)
17.5
/each
-
437.5
/hour
Add in-text cross-references to tables, figures, etc. (captions)
3.5
/caption
-
437.5
/hour
Create an Excel worksheet
52.5
/worksheet
-
437.5
/hour
Compile a PowerPoint presentation, with formatting and animation
43.75
/slide
-
437.5
/hour
Add animation to an existing PowerPoint presentation
17.5
/slide
-
437.5
/hour
Automate/add timing to an existing PowerPoint presentation
17.5
/slide
-
437.5
/hour
Edit a basic document
175
/page*
36.75
word
437.5
/hour
Check citations against references
5.25
/reference**
0.1225
word
437.5
/hour
Create an index - with three levels
105
/page*
0.2625
word
437.5
/hour
*Page = 400 words in 1,5 line spacing
**Reference = A “reference” in this website is a paragraph giving all the details of a book, article, etc. that you refer to in the text, so that readers of your book/dissertation/thesis can go to the source and read it for themselves.
2021-01-20 00:00:00
Click here for a PDF of my ZAR rates. GBP and USD rates depend on the current rate of exchange but you can click here to get an idea of my GBP rates and here for an idea of my USD rates.
Notethat all these times can only be approximations.
It averages an hour per page to edit and format a document with references.
It generally takes me 10 hours to format 100 pages, 20 hours to check 100 references, and 70 hours to do the editing. This is a total of 100 hours for a 100-page document with 100 references.
If you are writing a thesis or dissertation, you should let me format and edit your questionnaire and each chapter as soon as you and your supervisor finalise it. That would allow me to finish soon after you finalise your conclusions and recommendations and would make meeting the submission deadline much easier.
I would charge R1 000 for a one-day consultation, if it is possible to meet face-to-face and work on the documents in your office, plus R500 for the “call-out fee”. Once we know what we are working with, we can discuss where to go from that.
If you email me all your existing documents and phone me to tell me how you want to use them, the base cost would still be R1 000 to allow for the harder work involved in familiarising myself with the documents without seeing them in use.
