RE: Copyediting. Why not in-house?

["Clydette Wantland" <cwantlan@uiuc.edu>]

Heather,

Copyeditors not only check spelling and grammar but the offer an 
expertise in the subject area as well as the style of the journal 
(APA, Chicago, etc.).  This is best not left to students, unless 
they are a graduate level and plan to be around for a while. 
Undergrads tend to be over committed with classes, activities, 
socialization, and don't usually pan out.

Picking a copyeditor from a freelance site will cost you much 
more than working with a publisher or developing your own "pool" 
of competent independent contractors. Ideally, you want a 
copyeditor who will work on the same journal for many years to 
develop that intimate knowledge of the style and quirks. This can 
be done with a freelancer just as well as an in-house staff 
person.  I would suggest that set your "per issue rate" rather 
than pay per page off a freelance site. This would be based upon 
number of pages per issue and number of issues per year.

Clydette Wantland
Journals Manager
University of Illinois Press
Champaign, IL  61820
cwantlan@uillinois.edu

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