Professional Editing Service Center

The Professional Editing Service Center (PESC) provides high-quality proofreading and copy-editing services to members of the WSU community, and individuals outside of that community, at competitive rates and with a guaranteed level of quality.

If you have any questions, please contact us at prof.edit@wsu.edu.

Printed manuscript with editing notes written on the back of the first page.

Mission Statement

Proofreading and copy-editing are necessary services in the field of academia, and have almost as much importance outside of academia as well. This work is demanding – asking proofreaders and copy-editors to draw upon a vast array of knowledge and experience to navigate the conventions of the text as well as maintaining the voice and presence of the author – but can be invaluable as it allows the author the confidence to know that their piece is as strong as possible in these complicated areas. Because providing these services at a high level of quality is such a specialized field, it is important for an author to find an individual who can offer these services at competitive prices. Because of this, PESC:

  • Works to match clients with proofreaders/copy-editors – connecting individuals who need the service with top-quality workers.
  • Takes out the uncertainty around services rendered, offering a number of different services, and some consultation on which service to choose.
  • Guarantees the quality of work, allowing clients to be confident in the services provided.

All of the services provided by PESC are coordinated online. Use the Request for Service link in our menu to begin working with an editor.


How to Request Service

PESC connects clients with service providers. If you are interested in procuring the services of a PESC editor, please follow the following steps:

  1. Read about the types of service offered and decide which type of service is best for you.
  2. Follow the link in our menu to the Request for Service page and complete the form.
  3. If you are a Grad Student: make sure you have permission from the faculty member overseeing this document. More information is available under Important Information.
  4. Check your email for a response from an employee of PESC who will provide you with a contract and who will begin the service interaction.

Important Information

Editors need a minimum of 48 hours to review a request before accepting a job. Please keep in mind that job requests with tight turn arounds/deadlines may not succeed in locating an editor. We recommend submitting your job request as early in your writing or publishing process as possible.

Contracts

PESC is invested in meeting the needs of the client and in protecting a client’s information and investment. Before any services are performed, the client will be provided a contract that:

  • outlines any limits/expectations surrounding the services
  • provides information on a client’s rights and assurances
  • obligates both parties to agreed upon parameters.

After initial contact is made between a client and a service provider, the client will be given an estimation of work required, both in terms of hours of charged service and total time before the document is returned to the client. These estimates are subject to change with prior notice.

Graduate Students

If the individual requesting service is working on a document for assigned graduate course work, the faculty member who assigned the course work must provide email permission for the Professional Editing Service Center to edit the material. If the graduate student is working on a thesis or a dissertation, faculty permission is recommended but not required.

More specifically, the faculty member must send an email from his/her WSU email address to prof.edit@wsu.edu containing the following information:

  • the name of the grad student requesting service,
  • the title/nature of the document,
  • and a statement of permission for PESC to edit this document.

Types of Services

  • Please note: undergraduates do not have access to these services.

PESC offers a number of services in different tiers of pricing and return. Before starting any services the provider will contact the client in order to agree upon specific elements of service, maximum hour limits, and to cover any questions presented by either party. While specific elements and issues within tiers of service are negotiable, the parameters of the different services provided, as well as the listed prices, are non-negotiable.

No service will be provided until a contract has been submitted. Information on method-of-payment options will be explained once the service request is initiated.

Formatting – $35 per hour: For theses and dissertations

Proofreading – $35 per hour: Correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and eliminating typos

Copy-Editing – $40 per hour: For clarity, concision, consistency, readability, and academic word choice, tone, and style

Structural/Conceptual Editing – $55 per hour: Reorganizing paragraphs, sections, or the entire document for improved logic, flow, and emphasis, and for length.