Linda S. Weiss PC

My typical process is as follows:

1. The client provides me a general description of the document, rough word count, style requirements, turnaround time, service requested (i.e., full editing or basic proofreading), and with dissertations, theses, and journal articles, a draft of the abstract. The abstract enables me to determine if the subject area is within my area of expertise in terms of editing.

2. I provide the client with a rough estimate of total cost for several turnaround times.

3. The client emails me the document or provides a download link to the document in Word (.doc, .docx) format.

4. I provide a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words. If the full document is less than 3,000 words, the sample length is 10% of the total word count. The edited sample is emailed back to the client.

5. After reviewing the sample, if the client wishes to retain my services, I do require a deposit of 20% of the estimated final cost. Deposits may be made through PayPal, Square, or by check. The entire deposit will be applied to the final fee.

6. If the client does not wish to retain me, the client keeps the free sample and has no further obligation in terms of payment.

7. If a client does retain me, but has any concerns after the edit is completed, I am committed to working with the client to ensure satisfaction with the work. Any minor follow-up proofreading following the first revision would be at no additional cost to the client.

8. Upon final approval of the edited document by the client, the final fee will be calculated and deposit applied, and the balance will become due within 30 days by PayPal, Square, or check. The final fee will be based on final word count, turnaround time, and any changes in services that were agreed upon during the project. The word count of the free sample will be deducted from the final count (i.e., the client will not be charged for that portion of the document).

9. I will not do the following: add new content, paraphrase, check the substance of the material for factual accuracy, rewrite sections of the document, or check for plagiarism (although if I have any concerns about inadvertent plagiarism, I will bring those to your attention).

I am happy to provide writing samples or references upon request.

I track changes using Word's tracking features, and I make liberal use of the comment tool to explain changes, ask questions, and make suggestions. I will provide you two versions of the final document in Microsoft Word: one with the tracked changes visible, and one "clean copy" with the tracked changes hidden. I will also provide a .pdf version of the final document upon request. I back up any documents to the cloud while I am working with them to guard against any loss of data, and I virus-check documents both coming in and going out.