Proofreading Quote Template
The mistake that costs new proofreaders the most money is quoting from a word count. Two 60,000-word documents can differ by a factor of three in the time they take, and the only way to know which one you have been sent is to assess a sample of it first. This structures a quote around that.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to charge, what to promise, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ A sample-assessment section recording what you read and how long it took
- ✓ The scope, stated as what is and is not included, matching the agreement
- ✓ The price, with the basis shown, whether per word, per page or per hour
- ✓ Turnaround, dated from receipt of the final file
- ✓ An expiry date, because your capacity next month is not today's capacity
- ✓ A re-quote condition tied to the sample, so the price is conditional rather than fixed blind
How to use it
- Ask for the whole file, then assess a representative sample of it, not the first page.
- Time yourself on that sample and derive the job from your own measured rate.
- State the basis of the price as well as the number, so it can be discussed rather than only accepted or refused.
- Give the quote an expiry date and a re-quote condition, then send it the same day.
Why the sample matters more than the word count
A word count tells you how long a document is. It tells you nothing about how much work it needs. A polished report and a first draft of the same length can take very different amounts of time to proofread properly, and the draft may turn out to need copyediting rather than proofreading. Quoting from the count alone means you find out which one you have only after agreeing to the price.
The fix is to read a representative sample before quoting. Ask for the whole file, then choose a few pages from the middle and the end as well as the start, since authors often polish the opening most. Time yourself on those pages at your normal standard and note the kinds of errors you found.
Building the quote section by section
The sample-assessment section records what you read, how long it took, and what you found. It is short, but it is what your price rests on, and it gives you something to point to if the rest of the file turns out different.
The scope section repeats the scope wording from your service agreement, so the client sees the same description of the work in both places. If the sample showed that the text needs more than proofreading, say so here and offer the appropriate service or decline.
The price section shows the number and the basis. For example, "estimated 18 hours at my standard rate, quoted as a fixed fee" lets a client understand where the figure came from and discuss it sensibly. Add the turnaround, dated from receipt of the final file, and an expiry date for the quote itself.
The last line is the re-quote condition: the price assumes the rest of the text is similar to the sample, and if it is substantially heavier you will stop and re-quote before continuing. Clients rarely object to this when it is stated at the start.
Where quoting fits into winning work
Speed of reply matters as much as the price. People looking for a proofreader often contact several at once, and a clear quote that arrives the same day compares well with one that arrives later. Unit 4 of the course covers measuring your speed and quoting from a sample, and the rate calculator on this site converts between per-word, per-page and per-hour figures.
A filled-in example
| Client | A fictional software company, 24-page user guide |
|---|---|
| Sample assessed | Pages 2, 11 and 22, about 1,800 words in total |
| Time on sample | 55 minutes; mostly punctuation and inconsistent product names |
| Scope | Proofreading against the client's style guide; no rewriting |
| Price | Fixed fee based on an estimated 7 hours at the standard hourly rate |
| Turnaround | Four working days from receipt of the final file |
| Valid until | Fourteen days from the date of the quote |
| Re-quote condition | If the remaining pages need substantially more work than the sample, work pauses for a revised quote |
Mistakes to avoid
- Assessing only the first page. Openings are usually the cleanest part of a document. Sample from the middle and the end as well.
- Showing the number without the basis. A bare figure can only be accepted or refused. Showing the estimated hours or the per-word basis invites a conversation instead.
- Quoting a firm price on unseen text. If the client will not send a sample, quote a range with a clear re-quote condition, or decline the job.
- Letting the quote sit. A reply the next week often arrives after the client has chosen someone else. Aim to send the quote the same day.
Proofreading Quote Template FAQs
Should I quote per word or per hour?
Quote the client a fixed price wherever you can, because it is what they can approve, and derive that price per hour behind the scenes from your own measured speed. Per-hour quoting transfers the risk of a slow day onto the client, which they will reasonably resist.
What if the client will not send a sample?
Then either decline or quote a range with an explicit re-quote condition. A firm price on unseen text is a bet, and it is one you will lose often enough to matter, because the files people are least willing to show are rarely the clean ones.
How fast should I send a quote?
The same day, and preferably within a few hours. In a trade where the client is usually contacting several people at once, a considered quote that arrives first is worth more than a perfect one that arrives third.
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