Thread: Setting rates for proofreading graduate papers?

As forced retirement approaches, I want to consider setting myself up to read graduate papers (MA, PhD, etc). I have done this a lot already, but I always set the rate flexibly (and cheaply!), mostly because I was friends with either the students or their advisers. This is not a good business plan, I know.

How do those of you in this line of work establish a publicly stated rate? It seems that hourly is not practical, because it does not tell the student what the final price might be. Per page (or per 100 pages) is closer to it, but how do you deal with these issues:
1. a range of English skills (i.e., am I rewriting a mess of a paper?)
2. papers from subjects I know nothing about (i.e., do I look at citation style? insist on clarity from my POV?)
3. academic issues (i.e., what if I see a serious flaw in research design or methodology?)

I do not visit the forums often, so if there is a post that covers this, I am grateful for the links. Standard searching turned up nothing useful.

Is there also a price guideline to charging Thai teachers for writing their assignments for an MA?

^At least a handy.

Shandy?

5,000B per paper is the going rate, unless you're really well respected. Then you can charge 500 per hour, but definitely don't over do it like charging 100k per paper.

If you're doing this because you have no other choice, then I feel sorry you. I wouldn't do one of those even for 100k. You're pretty much rewriting the whole thesis. Unless you can rewrite a thesis in a month or two, it wouldn't be worthwhile.

Also, don't worry about errors in methodologies etc. Just fix the English. That alone would drive you mad. I see no reason why you'd want to drive yourself even more mad.

There's an idea. Just cherry pick your thesis.

The comments here closely align with how my thoughts have been going.

If I take the 5,00 baht figure for a typical 200-page thesis, then I figure on a quote of 1,000 baht for every 50 pages. Sixty pages would be 2,000 baht; it isn't pro-rated by page.

I would say that if the English is poor enough, that rate might increase to 2,000 for 50 pages.

Complete re-writes? If a lot of comments (I use "track changes.." and "comments") won't do it, I may turn the job down and wait for a big counter-offer.

I also have sufficient expertise in technical fields that I feel comfortable reviewing papers in a number of scientific areas. Google and Wikipedia help, of course.

These have been quite helpful.Thanks to all.

---Update---

Originally Posted by MDJase

Also, don't worry about errors in methodologies etc. Just fix the English. That alone would drive you mad. I see no reason why you'd want to drive yourself even more mad.

That is very hard to do much of the time. Particular phrases that are a problem are OFTEN linked to research design problems, especially clumsy language in research conclusions and reports of interviews. Just because they said they felt a certain way doesn't make it true! . And I may be asking for suffering, but I kinda enjoy the academics of this work.

Just give a try first. Edit a couple at 5,000 a pop and see if you can still keep your sanity. If yes, keep doing them for that price and you'll get a never ending supply of thesis. If no, just jack up the price. Good luck with that!