Doing Business
I offer editing/proofreading of completed texts for short- and long-term projects as well as copywriting services to create original text for your media needs. All of these services are available to businesses and individuals with web content, print media, academic, and career project needs. The rates for all services are hourly.
- EDITING services: you will receive detailed editing for grammar, mechanics, and content, plus feedback. $30/hour
- PROOFREADING services (recommended for final drafts that have already been edited for content): you will receive a detailed review to check for grammar, mechanics, and formatting. $15/hour
- COPYWRITING services: you will receive an original text written by me based on your list of must-have content. $45/hour
After hiring, all phone and internet consultation will be billed at same rate as work contracted. Rates are negotiable based on combinations or subsets of services (e.g., proofreading with minor edits or proofreading with copywriting at the weak spots). For your security and mine, a contract for your project–designating services requested and hourly rate–will be signed by both parties.
I provide all services virtually, with E-meetings as desired by the client. All work and file transmission will be conducted via internet.
For Editing: Using your text file, I make my edits and comments with Microsoft Word Comments and Track Changes. This allows you to see everything I change while retaining the original text in the background (so you can decide whether or not to use those changes and suggestions). I like to keep my edits transparent. Using the Track Changes tool also provides a standard set of editing marks that reduce the confusion we might encounter in a hand-written mark-up. At the end of the editing process, I e-mail your attachments and a PayPal invoice for the work completed.
For copywriting: You provide a list of must-haves so that I can include every detail necessary to your topic. The client is responsible for all fact-checking and information. I will transform your must-haves and data into an original text for your business or personal use.
If you think we would make a good team, I’d love to hear from you at amanda@redinkenthusiast.com. We can discuss the nature of your project, the needs the texts must fulfill, and any specific areas on which you’d like particular focus. After I am more informed on the project, I can give you a finalized price quote based upon expected hourly input. For editing quotes, I will need a 1 page sample from anywhere in the text and the total word count of the original text, and for copywriting quotes, I will need your list of must-have content.
*Amanda Marsico provides both sentence-level copy edits (grammar, spelling, mechanics) and content-related line edits (tone, voice, semantics, usefulness, concise and precise language). However, Amanda holds the author as the expert on all technical and fact-related portions of the text. The author is responsible for ensuring accuracy of any trade-related, technical, statistical, or researched material at the time of submission for editing. Amanda Marsico does not provide fact-checking services, marketing advice, or legal advice.
Thank you for your interest in my services. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Red Ink Enthusiast™ 
Hi Amanda, I wonder if you’d be willing to connect and chat about freelance editing and writing. I’m currently employed full-time and am trying to build a freelance career on the side. I have a website and am beginning my blog, but I don’t have a portfolio or clients yet. How did you get started? How did you find your first clients and jobs? Let me know if you’re up for a chat! Thanks!
Hi, Alison. My first client came from Craigslist. My second, and most repeat client, came from Thumbtack.com. I found many clients there, although I left the site after having some problems with their quoting process. My second most repeat clients came from a cold-call. I got a flyer in the mail that was full of errors, so I marked it up and mailed it back to them with a letter about my services. It’s the only time I’ve tried getting a client that way. It happened to work. This is literally all I’ve done to get editing clients. I don’t have many, but it’s the repeat business that keeps me afloat. In all honesty, the repeat clients are the preferred situation anyway, as you get accustomed to what they want and how to work with them. Thanks for the question, and I hope you have a good experience with your new endeavor.