After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are labour shortages in all sectors of the Australian workforce. To help find an editor when you want one, it is important to consider an inquiry from the editor’s perspective.

Editors receive many inquiries from potential clients. Often the inquiry is about the availability of the editor and the cost of editing. Unfortunately, many inquiries do not provide sufficient information in the initial request for an editor to answer.

On availability, it is important to advise when the material may be ready for editing, such as right now, a definite time in the future, or an unknown time in the distant future. It is also important to advise of any timeframes or deadlines for returning the edited work. Editors may work at different paces, or be balancing other work, and this affects availability to edit any specific piece of work at a specific time.

On cost, professional editors prefer to see the full material to be edited before providing a quote with a cost. The editing work required on material can vary so much, I never provide a cost based on the total word count alone. I always need to see the full file.

My website here provide useful information on what affects pricing and what information to provide when seeking academic editing.

See my other blogs on working with an editor:

• When is the right time for editing
• How long does it take to edit..?
• The right scope for editing – the whole thesis or chapter by chapter
• Fair hourly pay rates for self-employed editors
• Indicative costs for editing a range of academic material

To find a professional editor, consider IPEd’s online directory of editors here. You can search over 350 editors by different criteria including type of editing, subject area and Accredited Editor status. Many entries have additional information or a website to help find the best editor for the job.

To work with an accredited editor on research-related material, please contact me at rhdaniels@bigpond.com