Arlene Prunkl, freelance editor

Experienced book editor, fiction and nonfiction.

I specialize in both fiction and nonfiction books, corporate communications, and academic manuscripts. You may be a first-time author preparing to self-publish, a business leader desiring a clearer corporate image, or a student with papers to complete. I can help you understand and touch your readers, establish and polish your style, improve your marks or profits, and ultimately, leave a legacy in writing.

I've always been a communicator. I have a wide-ranging background in television broadcasting (British Columbia Institute of Technology—Broadcast Communications) and the media, arts and classical music, academia and teaching, and the stock market and personal finance. Beyond being a logophile (passionate about words!), I also have interests in history, literature, politics, economics, philosophy, science and the environment. I'm a lifelong learner, and embrace every new project with enthusiasm and curiosity.

My services include:

Recent projects

On the Road to Nowhere, Robert Boyd (2004)
Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4, Rita Louise, Ph.D. (2004)
The Insider's Guide to Home Equity Borrowing, Pete Hitesman (2004)
My Life as I Remember It, Allan McGill (2004)
Smoke-Free: The Untold Story of Canada's First Successful Clean-Air Bylaw,
Barbara McLintock (2004)
Compulsory Compassion: A Critique of Restorative Justice, Annalise Acorn (2004)
Monsoon Madness, Gae Rusk (2004)
Art Warrior, Zbigniew Kupczynski (2003)
Financial Freedom on $1 a Day, Suzanne Kirkland Kincaid (2003)
Faces of Courage, Sally M. Rogow (2003)
Buyer-Approved Selling, Michael Schell, Marketshare Inc. (2003)
Personal memoirs and autobiography of Mr. Dennis Culver (2003)
Business in Vancouver Newspaper (2003-4)

Rates

Editing rates are determined by a number of factors, including the subject of your work, manuscript length, complexity and quality, and the type of editing you feel is required. As with most editors, I charge by the hour. However, unlike some editors, I don't make a great distinction between rates for the various types of editing work. This is because, depending on the above variables, an editor's speed may range widely—anywhere from two to twelve pages an hour. So I keep my rate structure simple:

Proofreading and copyediting: $40 US / hour
All other editing and related work: $45 US / hour
Rush rates: add 25% to total cost

Request a free estimate

If you would like a free estimate, simply email me with the following information:

1. Your name
2. Your email address
3. Your phone number
4. What is the subject of your work?
5. How many pages is your work? (based on 250 words per page)
6. What is the word count of your work?
7. When is your deadline?
8. What type of editing you think your project requires
9. Please copy and paste 250 words (one page) from the middle of your manuscript.

Client feedback

"Arlene Prunkl just finished editing, proofreading and creating the index for my new book. I could not be more pleased with the results of her work. Arlene worked relentlessly and tirelessly on the project, bringing it in ahead of time and on budget. Furthermore, I quickly learned to depend on her comments and suggestions, and was amazed at the level of detail, skill, professionalism and perfection she brought to the work. In addition, she was a pleasure to communicate with—my emails received lightning quick response, and she was always friendly and personable, yet professional. Before this project, I wondered why I needed an editor; now I realize that the critical role she played could never have been bypassed if I wanted a professional-quality book."
— PETE HITESMAN, author of The Insider's Guide to Home Equity Borrowing

"Granville Island Publishing has retained the editorial services of Arlene Prunkl in the capacity of copy editor and proofreader since March of 2003. During this time, she has worked on six books for us, and has proven to be adept, competent and highly professional. She has a fine eye for the language and well-considered suggestions for change. I admire her enthusiasm and passion for precision, and I look forward to a continued mutually enhancing business relationship."
— JO BLACKMORE, Publisher, Granville Island Publishing

"The work Arlene did for me involved desktop publishing, typing and layout, using the commercial typesetting package, LaTeX. LaTeX is a powerful but fussy text editing program which Arlene seems to have mastered. After several editorial revisions, the camera-ready final copy was perfect, including complicated figures and many different text fonts. I was very proud to submit the article to an international conference and scientific journal for publication. Arlene is pleasant to work with, efficient, and my finished work testifies to her high level of competence."
— JOEL G. ROGERS, Senior Research Scientist, TRIUMF
Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics

"I'm delighted to provide Arlene with a ringing endorsement for her work as an editor on my book Buyer-Approved Selling. Arlene substantively edited many parts of the book with an eagle eye for errors and attention to the smallest detail. I valued her critical comments and suggestions, her ease and skill with language, and her sincere and caring approach to the work. My book has exceeded expectations in already being in its second edition, due in part to Arlene's involvement."
— MICHAEL SCHELL, President, Marketshare, Inc.
Author of Buyer-Approved Selling: Sales Strategies from the Buyer's Side of the Desk

"Arlene Prunkl did a wonderful job of proofreading my material for my book, Financial Freedom On $1 A Day. I am honored to use my book as an advertisement of Arlene's work. Her careful proofreading skills contributed to a fine book, which, to my great pleasure, is doing very well. We already have a Spanish edition in the works! She's fast and accurate, and I highly recommend her services."
— SUZANNE KIRKLAND KINCAID, author of Financial Freedom On $1 A Day

Arlene Prunkl, PenUltimate Editorial Services