Fees and timings

Every editing project is different so there’s no simple answer to questions about how much it will cost or how long it will take. The information below is provided as a ballpark guide for your planning – for estimating the cost of editing (and/or proofreading) in your project budget and for allowing reasonable timeframes in your project plan.

Central Editing rates (AUD)

Central Editing cost estimates are typically in the range of $60 to $90 per 1,000 words for proofreading and $80 to $130 per 1,000 words for copyediting. Projects with short deadlines that require work on evenings or weekends attract an additional fee. 

So, a 20,000-word report will generally cost between $1,600 and $2,600 for a straightforward copyedit and from $1,200 to $1,800 for proofreading. 

For more about pricing see: The cost of editing and proofreading.

Turnaround times

The time it takes to complete an edit or proofread varies according to the ‘quality’ of the text and the degree of intervention required, as well as current project workload. For the same 20,000-word report allow at least five days for a straightforward copyedit and three days for proofreading. Shorter timeframes can be negotiated for a ‘rush’ fee.