Blue Owl Editing
Professional editing, writing, and consulting services based in Seoul, South Korea.
About the Editor
My name is Nate, and I am an editor and writer who specializes in helping non-native English speakers express themselves naturally and clearly in written English. I have degrees in Classical Linguistics from both the State University of New York and the University of Pennsylvania. I have served as the in-house editor at NE Neungyule, Inc. in Seoul, and I have also developed the proprietary curriculums for some of the most competitive language academies in Korea. Whether you need an email to be proofread or an entire document to be edited and revised, I will improve your compositions to ensure that you maximize your chances of finding success in academics and business.
Proofreading and Editing Services
The fee for editing a document is determined not only by the word count but also by the type of editing that the customer requests. While many clients refer to copyediting and developmental editing as “proofreading,” professional editors consider these to be three distinct services that each require significantly different amounts of time, effort, and skill.
Below are the general descriptions and fees for each service. If you are unsure which service you need, feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. I will be happy to look over your document and provide you with a price quote.
Proofreading
Proofreading is usually the final step in the writing process, after all editing has been completed. Proofreading is also generally suitable for documents that don’t require significant editing, such as emails. When proofreading a document, I will check for basic spelling, word choice, and grammar mistakes, but I will not rewrite sentences or make changes to the structure of the composition. Proofreading is appropriate for clients who are satisfied with their document but want to ensure that it is free of errors.
The fee for proofreading is ₩60 per word.
Copyediting
Copyediting is focused on fixing serious grammatical mistakes, ensuring proper sentence structure and word choice, and rephrasing unnatural or unclear sentences. However, the overall structure of the composition will not be changed, and content will not be added to or removed from the document.
Because most of my clients are non-native English speakers, my copyediting service goes beyond the standard approach used by most editors. I specialize in what is often referred to as “line editing,” a more intricate process where I assess and enhance every line of your manuscript. This means that I focus on refining the creative content, improving the writing style, and ensuring flawless language use at the sentence and paragraph levels. The end result that I deliver to you is a transformed and professionally polished version of your original draft, designed to elevate your content and leave a lasting impact.
The fee for copyediting is ₩125 per word.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing is the total revision of a document. I will restructure sentences and paragraphs, and I will add and remove content as needed. A completely revised composition will be created and sent to the customer. The customer can then review the revised composition and request that I make basic changes to the document. This additional step ensures that the revised composition retains the customer’s original, intended meaning.
The fee for developmental editing is ₩250 per word.
College Application Essays
I am available to help you strengthen and revise your college application essays. I have found that most students’ essays require a round of editing and then a final revision to really make them shine. Therefore, I offer both of these services for a set fee.
The process is as follows:
1. Send me a copy of your first draft, along with the essay question/topic and word limit.
2. I will read your essay and provide general feedback about your composition. This might include suggestions to add content, to expand on an idea or example, or to remove unneeded information.
3. Using the provided feedback, you will write a second draft of your essay and send it back to me.
4. I will then completely copyedit and revise the second draft of your essay so that all of your ideas are presented clearly in natural and grammatical English.
The fee for this service is based on the word limit of your essay, and I charge ₩300 per word. For example, if your essay had a limit of 500 words, I would charge ₩150,000 for the entire project, including both the editing and the revision.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or specific requests.
Writing Services
I have over ten years of professional experience writing original content for textbooks and classroom materials covering a broad range of topics, including:
-English grammar
-reading comprehension
-academic writing
-English literature
-수능 English
-TOEFL
-TOEIC
In addition to writing educational materials, I am able to write opinion columns, product and service reviews, and blog posts tailored to the style and voice of your website or publication. I accept orders for single articles, or I can publish posts on a regular schedule if a client wishes to consistently build and develop the content on their website.
The fee for my writing services depends on the needs of the specific project. In addition to the actual writing, projects often include other tasks—such as independent research and fact checking—to ensure that you are provided with outstanding original content. All of these factors will be taken into consideration when determining the fee for your project. In general, I estimate how long it will take to finish a specific project, and then I provide the client with a price quote based on an hourly rate of ₩65,000.
Contact me for a free price quote or to set up an in-person meeting if you are located in Seoul.
Curriculum Development
I have more than a decade of experience developing original workbooks and classroom materials for hagwons and language academies in Seoul. I can help you update your current materials, or I can assist you in creating a new curriculum from scratch.
I have experience working as a content creator and as a project manager, so I am able to complete projects independently or work in coordination with your existing staff.
Feel free to contact me if you would like help developing your academy’s curriculum. I would be happy to discuss what your goals are and how I might be able to assist you.
English Education: Literature and Academic Writing
In addition to my work as an editor, I also have several years of experience teaching private lessons in literature and writing. The majority of my clients have been Korean students who are preparing to study at Western universities. Therefore, I focus my courses on the important works of literature that students are expected to have read and studied before entering top-tier American universities.
My literature classes are conducted as seminar courses, which are small classes that focus on discussion and active learning. This means that my students do not simply sit through a lecture. Instead, they take part in discussions that I lead regarding the plot, setting, characters, symbols, and themes of the novel we are studying.
After reading and discussing each novel, students will write a literary essay. I will help students choose a topic, brainstorm ideas, and then form a strong thesis. After creating an outline together in class, students will write a literary essay at home. I will then thoroughly correct the essay and provide detailed feedback about how to improve the composition.
Students can request that we study a specific novel, or I can suggest a novel based on the student’s reading level and fluency.
Class time, location, and fee
Classes can meet for one, two, or three hours, depending on how many pages of the novel the student is able to read each week. The location is flexible.
The fee for the course is ₩140,000 per hour for one student, and I do discount this fee for groups:
Two students: ₩105,000 per student per hour.
Three students: ₩80,000 per student per hour.
Four or more students: ₩60,000 per student per hour.