Editing services
Bespoken Word offers professional editing services in Melbourne, to help you publish with confidence.
Choose the right service for your manuscript
Still refining your manuscript?
Copy & Line Editing
Are you ready to publish your book or manuscript?
Proofreading Service
Want the best possible result?
Complete Bundle
Does your marketing copy need a professional polish?
Commercial Editing
Copy & line editing
$0.035 per word
Some editors separate these services, however, I believe for your story to really shine, these two services should be combined, as they go hand in hand. What do I mean by that?
A line edit is where the editor will focus on the structure and style of the text/manuscript. In this process, while the story is always an editor’s focus, during a line edit it isn’t the only focus.
Instead, the purpose of a line edit is to concentrate on the author’s voice and offers suggestions to enhance the author’s voice, simultaneously ensuring that the text is enjoyable and easy to read.
A copy edit is different to a line edit. This edit focuses on making sure a manuscript reads smoothly, and is free of any inconsistencies in spelling, grammar, formality and punctuation.
A copy editor also suggests changes to improve readability, clarity and coherence.
So while I may read over a manuscript many times to make sure all of these issues are addressed, I don’t see the point in separating a line and copy edit as both can be completed — and inconsistencies and the like can be noticed and commented on — at the same time.
I find when you separate these services, you can make the editing process more complicated than it needs to be. Both edits complement each other and can be used to target the core issues together rather than doing it separately, and, I believe, leaving the door open for issues to be missed.
Our services are available to Melbourne authors and writers across Australia.
Proofreading
$0.015 per word
This is the final stage of the editorial process, where we find any errant errors missed during the previous editing stages or new errors introduced after the line and copy edit.
Here, we don’t look at correcting flow, language or story issues, it’s simply to catch any errors before publishing.
Bespoken Word serve Melbourne authors and clients Australia-wide.
Complete bundle (recommended)
$0.04 per word
Purchase both our copy and line editing service, as well as our proofreading service, and receive 1 cent off, per word, the full price.
Commercial Editing
Quote based on project
Whether you need content edited for a web page, or newsletters and promotional material polished so your Melbourne business comes across as professional, Bespoken Word can help.
No one wants their content to come across as sloppy or unprofessional and riddled with mistakes.
Reach out today to see how Bespoken Word can help you.
Get an Estimate
FAQs
What's the difference between copy editing and proofreading?
Copy and line editing happens while the manuscript is still being shaped - it addresses voice, structure, consistency, grammar and readability. Proofreading is the final stage, catching any remaining errors immediately before publication. They serve different purposes and ideally both are done, which is why the Complete Bundle exists.
Do I need copy editing or proofreading — or both?
If your manuscript hasn't been professionally edited before, you need copy and line editing at minimum. Proofreading alone won't address structural or consistency issues. The Complete Bundle covers both and represents the best value per word.
How much does manuscript editing cost in Melbourne?
Copy and line editing is priced at $0.035 per word, proofreading at $0.015 per word, and the Complete Bundle at $0.05 per word — saving $0.01 per word compared to booking separately. Commercial editing is quoted per project. Use the cost calculator on this page for an estimate.
Do you edit business content like website copy and newsletters?
Yes. Alongside manuscript editing, Bespoken Word works with Melbourne businesses and professionals who need website content, newsletters, and marketing material edited to a polished, error-free standard. Commercial editing is quoted per project — get in touch to discuss your needs.
Do you edit academic writing?
Yes. Academic writing requires a particular attention to consistency, citation style and formal register. If you have specific style guide requirements, include that when you make contact.
Do you work with authors outside Melbourne?
Absolutely. While Bespoken Word is based in Melbourne, all editing is completed remotely, which means Alana works with authors across Australia - including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and everywhere in between. If you have a manuscript that needs editing, location is no barrier.
Request a Sample Edit
To help you decide if we’re the right editor for you Bespoken Word provides a 2,000-word sample edit to make sure that our editing style aligns well with what you're looking for in the person editing your book.