Hi

Can anyone offer advice on the average time required to edit a page of technical text, i.e. not an easy to read story or newsletter? Does a rough estimate of 3-4 pages an hour seem right?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Axis Inc

Hi Can anyone offer advice on the average time required to edit a page of technical text, i.e. not an easy to read story or newsletter? Does a rough estimate of 3-4 pages an hour seem right? Thanks

This might be close time-wise. It would depend on how savvy you are regarding the content of the technical text in the document and how much time you would spend looking up anything that was questionable as to accuracy of spelling and context.

HTH a bit,

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Jules, SunRise Virtual Solutions - WordPress Customization & XHTML/CSS Web Sites

Well that depends on the quality, grammar usage, technicality i.e. Scientific, Engineering etc.

For instance for an Engineering document it would take me 2-3 days. Because I would need the research documentation that they are basing their article on. Or if it is Scientific again 2-3 days.

For regular articles (as long as you know what they are trying to say) I would say 3-4 pages should go by the hour and not the days.

It should be easy enough to run the document through Word for grammar and misspelled words. Then go back and make sure that the words used are correct such as ware & where, and hear & here etc.

I hope that helps.

Andrea

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

I'm not familiar with the subject I would be editing, but I don't imagine it would be too full of technical jargon. From what I can gather, it would be a case of final proof reading/copy editing a paper that the person has already checked themselves. I suppose there are lots of variables like technical terms, amount of editing required, amount of feedback required etc.

I'm torn between wanting to do a quote that is reasonable and won't put them off hiring me, and wanting to make sure that I'm not underselling myself. I would prefer to overestimate and then not have to charge the person so much, but don't want to scare them off!

Can they send you the document then you send them a quote? Or are they asking for a quote before you get the document?

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

Hi there,

There are so many variables. Besides the fact that it's technical and that the subject is relatively unfamiliar, you should also consider whether there are numbers/statistics to double-check; whether there are graphs or charts of any kind; whether there are notations, endnotes, etc.; and whether the technical jargon is usually full words or acronyms. (I find acronym-filled sentences harder to proof). And that's on top of the biggest variable: whether the person who wrote it has done a terrific job of proofing already. Unfortunately you probably won't know that last one until you've seen the document firsthand.

I've been editing and proofing other people's work for more than 15 years, and I STILL tend to underestimate time requirements. So what I've finally learned to do is tally up a number based on 5 pages/hour (might want to use 3 pages/hour for technical). Then when I write up the quote, I double that number. That's the only way I can stay in the ballpark. In fact, that doubled number is usually far closer to accurate than my original thought.

The nice thing about doing it that way is, there are no nasty surprises. If it really does take that long, it's OK because it's what the client expected. And if it takes less, the client will think you're a superhero.

If you're very concerned the client will run away when he sees your honest estimate, you might offer a flat-rate deal as a sort of trial. I've done this before. Let's say your client is willing to spend no more than $25. Work out how much time that will buy at your rate, and start proofing. When $25 of time is up, stop. Even if you're in the middle of a sentence, STOP. Then send the client an email telling how much of the document you got finished, and attach a small sample of the proofed section. If it turns out the document was already well-proofed by the client himself, he may decide not to continue. But my experience doing it this way is, once the client sees the difference, he realizes how much he needs the full proof and decides to have me finish the job after all.

Whatever you decide, DO NOT be tempted to underestimate. Remember, you're worth every dime.

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AnnaLisa Michalski, Sunny Words Writing Services

It sounds like maybe a bit more clarification is in order. What exactly do they want you to do? It sounds like you've made some assumptions based on what the client has said but that what they want is still a bit unclear. Do they just need a second eye to pick up on any misspellings, punctuation or grammatical errors? If that's the case, then I would quote less time and cost. However, if they need you to do some fact checking or actual editing, then it would be more work and would take more time; therefore, would be more costly.

Maybe it would help if you drafted a questionaire of sorts and asked some pointed questions (some of which you may have the answers to already). How many total pages are there? Do you want just proofing (spelling, grammar, punctuations, etc.)? Do you want formatting checked? Do you want any editing done? Do you need any fact checking done? etc. It might not even be a bad idea to ask who the intended audience is, what the purpose of the article is and stuff like that (especially if he wants some editing done. If his intended audience is the layperson and everything in the article is way over your head, he may want to dummy it down a bit).

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Stephanie
New VA in the research phase :daisy:

That's a really helpful reply, AnnaLisa! In my own experience, you're absolutely correct.

People don't value editing as they should, however, and it's maybe a really good idea to give a fabulous rate for the first job only, so your client can understand the difference it makes and start to respect your worth. Just offer an introductory rate, and make it clear what your fees are on a regular basis. This way, they have a chance to get their feet wet in the wondrous world of eloquence.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

Thanks everyone for your replies. They were very helpful. I think the introductory rate is a good idea too.

I know from reading various threads here that estimates are hard to do but come easier with time. It's a learning experience. If we get it wrong this time, we just do it different next time.

Great tips, AnnaLisa! Providing an introductory edit at a set rate is exactly what I do when I'm not sure how much work will be required or if the client seems to be dragging their feet.

Best wishes! (And let us know how things turn out!)

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"