Why Paying to Edit Your Dissertation Might Actually Be the Cheapest Option

It took my friend Robert almost 4 years to finish writing his dissertation. I was writing mine at the same time, and we spent many late nights together in 24-hour cafes, our eyes bloodshot as we sipped our fifteenth espresso of the day and pored over data.

Robert’s advisor had high hopes for his future, too. The department had tentatively offered him a post-doc position on the condition that he publish his thesis within three months of graduation. No problem- thought Robert. The data is solid, and the topic is meaningful. I have a great future ahead.

But Robert found that his thesis kept getting rejected from one journal after another. Rejection letters were brief and vague. What on earth was his problem? Why couldn’t he get published? As the three-month deadline loomed, Robert grew anxious.

He turned to his colleague for help and finally received a clue about why his work kept getting rejected. "Who edited this for you?" His colleague asked. "Nobody," said Robert.

"I can tell. That’s the problem. You need to have this professionally edited before anyone will publish it," his colleague replied.

Robert wasn’t the world’s greatest writer, but he hadn’t thought it would matter too much given the high quality of his research. As long as his paper was readable, no problem, right? Wrong! Robert’s failure to seek professional assistance lost him the post-doc offer (although he found another position later). Robert’s story begs the question: should students really pay for professional dissertation editing? How much is reasonable to spend on editing your thesis?

Why Pay for Academic Thesis Editing?

Students certainly don’t need to seek out and pay for professional academic editing for all of their papers. But for research and papers as important as a thesis or dissertation, sometimes not seeking professional assistance can be the most expensive option. While Robert is just one unfortunate example, the truth is that failing to pay for professional dissertation editing can cost you time and opportunities.

Journal publishing is increasingly competitive, and everyone is trying to publish their work in reputable academic journals with high impact factors. When you submit your dissertation to an academic journal, you are competing with other researchers all over the world, many of whom have years of experience and robust research funding.

You better believe those writers are paying for professional paper editing (and formatting!), and if you want to have a real chance of having your paper read by the journal editors, you need to do the same.

How Can I Find a Good Academic Thesis Editing Service?

Fortunately, there are numerous high-quality academic thesis editing services out there. Moreover, thanks to the internet, an experienced academic editor who knows about your particular area of research is often just a Google search away. But where should you start? How much is reasonable to pay? Should you use someone local or try an online service?

Like any product purchase, you’ll want to do some comparison shopping when looking for an academic thesis editing service. You’ll also want to become familiar with the different types of editing that are available. Does your thesis need intense structural editing? Simple proofreading and review of citation formatting? Do you need to reduce the word count or revise the content of certain sections? Knowing what you need is the key to getting what you want.

How Much Should I Pay for Academic Dissertation Editing?

The truth is that the price you should pay for academic dissertation editing will vary somewhat by region, academic discipline, language, and length. Editor’s World estimates that most writers can expect to pay around $0.02 per word. However, an online search will show you services ranging from $250 for editing an MA thesis to $3600 for editing a Ph.D. dissertation. Different services also calculate costs in different ways. Some charge per page, per hour, or a simple flat fee.

The cost of editing will be calculated by the length, the depth/intensity of editing you want, and the turnaround time. Some academic thesis editing services like Enago offer tiered pricing, with higher costs for rapid turnaround on major editing and lower pricing for simple copyediting. Many students prefer to use professional academic editing services from companies because it is easy to find reviews and get in touch with someone.

Freelancers can offer lower prices, but unless you know them personally, it can be risky to rely on one person to edit your academic thesis. On the other hand, it may be easier to establish personal communication with a freelancer and discuss your work in-depth with them. If you decide to go with a freelancer, start by asking around in your academic department or seeing if your advisor knows any good freelancers who can help you out.

Deciding to Hire a Professional Academic Thesis Editing Service

When hiring a professional academic thesis editing service, you should obviously only pay what you can afford. But planning in advance to pay for academic dissertation editing can help lower the cost. For example, if you know ahead of time that you plan to pay for professional academic editing, then you can see if your institution offers any financial support for academic dissertation editing services.

Some universities have in-house editing or proofreading services, so you can outsource the major editing work and then turn to your institution for help with the final part of the job.

When it comes to deciding whether to hire a professional academic thesis editing service, consider your personal situation and what’s at stake for you with your dissertation. Especially if you plan to seek publication of your work in a journal, hiring a professional academic editing service can be the best choice.

Don’t end up like Robert! Plan ahead and consider a professional academic editing service for your dissertation to ensure your career gets off to the best start possible.