[Stctesig-l] Time Estimates for Editing

[ME Schutz, your Gentle Editor]

Marie Highby writes in part:

1. Would a 10 pages per hour be a realistic figure or should that figure be
adjusted upwards or downwards?

2. Assuming 10 pages per hour, would expecting 80 pages per day and 400
pages a week be realistic and sustainable on a regular basis?

Any comments anyone has on this subject--what's the maximum quantity a
full-time editor can reasonably be expected to deliver over a sustained
period of time--would be great to hear....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After 20-some years of tech writing and editing for computer and scientific
instrument companies, I too would advocate a number more around 5-6 pages
per hour as a standard, particularly with paper edits. You will have none of
the magic search and destroy or track changes tools at your disposal. Add to
that, your edits will involve queries and resolving queries on global issues
early in the process can be time consuming, but overall will improve the
quality of your edit and the quality of the document. 

For some documents, you will come in early with your edit...but allow enough
time to handle the documents well.

Hope that helps...
ME

Mary Ellen Schutz, your Gentle Editor
Gentle EditingT LLC
www.GentleEditing.net
608.695.8254
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men...Frederick
Douglass