Virtual Schoolmarm:
Fixed-Cost Packages for Postsecondary Students
and Recent College Graduates
Sunny Words understands that postsecondary degree students, as well as recent graduates, have special needs when it comes to writing assistance. The Virtual Schoolmarm line offers packages designed with these needs in mind. Rates are customized to the college budget.
Please note: Sunny Words believes in the educational value of student writing assignments that are actually completed by students. Therefore, Sunny Words does not offer or condone essay-exchange or writing-for-hire services for students.
Sunny Words is happy to work with college students who wish to improve academic papers they've already drafted and first-edited. Think of Virtual Schoolmarm as an extension of the college writing center, complete with a professional with experience in teaching, writing, and editing.
Sunny Words contract terms apply to all Virtual Schoolmarm packages. In addition,
- Signed contract, student-client materials, and 50% deposit must be received before work can begin.
- Completed work will be returned to student-client within one week of receipt of signed contract, client material, and 50% deposit.
- If student-client so chooses, he may resubmit the same item to Sunny Words for a second review after implementing first review recommendations. There is no extra charge for a second review. Third and following reviews may be ordered at an hourly rate of US$60.
- If at any point work claimed by student-client to be original is discovered to have been plagiarized, contract will be canceled, payment returned, and the incident reported to academic authorities.
Undergrad Writing Critique Package
Undergrad Paper Mini-Editing Package
Graduate Thesis Editing Package
Résumé/Curriculum Vitae or Cover Letter Makeover Package
Résumé/Curriculum Vitae or Cover Letter Proofreading Package
Undergrad Writing Critique Package
This package is designed to guide the unsure student toward overall writing improvement rather than simply providing static corrections.
What you provide:
- your complete draft that has been self-edited at least once, including references, footnotes, and/or works cited or endnotes pages if research or quotation is involved
- a copy of or link to the course instructor's guidelines for the paper
- a list of any specific concerns you have about the assignment
- provide comments on the overall relevance and effectiveness of the writing in terms of the instructor's requirements
- list suggestions for improvement of the writing in general
- note any specific language, grammar, spelling, and usage errors that tend to be a recurring problem in this paper, if applicable
- address the student's listed concerns directly, with examples, suggested resources, and recommendations provided as applicable
This package applies to personal essays, opinion or persuasive papers, and research reports only. Poetry, short stories, scripts, or other forms of creative writing are not eligible.
Although undergrads of any level are welcome to engage Sunny Words for this package, it is designed primarily with a student completing a freshman-level writing course in mind.
Package cost: US$8 per 100 words
Undergrad Paper Mini-Editing Package
This package combines surface-level proofreading and writing center-style individual composition assistance.
What you provide:
- your complete draft that has been self-edited at least once, including a references page if research or quotation is involved
- a copy of or link to the course instructor's guidelines for the paper
- provide comments on the overall relevance and effectiveness of the writing in terms of the instructor's requirements
- list suggestions for improvement of the writing in general, if applicable
- provide editing comments relevant to content, completeness, accuracy, organization, and focus
- proofread and provide corrections for specific punctuation, spelling, grammar, dialect conformity, usage, and typographical errors
This package applies to personal essays, opinion or persuasive papers, and research reports only. Poetry, short stories, scripts, or other forms of creative writing are not eligible.
Please note that this is a "mini-editing" package. Sunny Words will provide full proofreading but not full editing for undergrad writing. Editing input is limited to improvement suggestions, other questions and viewpoints to consider, approaches and methods for presenting information, and source recommendations intended to guide the student toward creating a thorough, clear piece of writing. Students are strongly advised to consider and/or implement editing comments and suggestions, then sit down and perform another round of editing before submitting the final draft of the paper to the course instructor.
Package cost: US$12 per 100 words
Graduate Thesis Editing Package
This is a full-service thesis editing package, including foreword, narrative, charts, appendices, etc.
What you provide:
- your complete draft that has been self-edited at least once, including a complete references/sources list
- any separate figures tables, charts, appendices, or indices that are intended to be included in the final thesis
- fully edit thesis for completeness, clarity, sentence structure, organization, diction, and accuracy of language
- note any sections that are slim in content, and recommend what type of content would be helpful (examples, definitions, anecdotal evidence, statistics, charts, etc.)
- check in-text statistics and figures against included tables, charts, etc. for consistency
- proofread entire work and provide corrections for punctuation, spelling, grammar, dialect conformity, usage, and typographical errors
- proofread references for consistent formatting according to your field's preferred style guidelines (MLA, APA, etc.)
- edit entire work for consistency of format including typography, pagination, margins, etc.
Although Sunny Words will note apparent surface inconsistencies in numerical data within the document (e.g., accurate cross-referencing between tables and in-text explanations), this package should not be assumed to include a check of statistical calculations.
Package cost: US$350
Résumé/Curriculum Vitae or Cover Letter Makeover Package
This thorough, full-service package is perfect for the student or recent (within the past year) graduate who needs a thorough, honest, and impartial review of application materials.
What you provide:
- your complete draft(s) that has been updated and self-edited at least once, plus any leftover segments or notes from older drafts you might like to incorporate
- a copy of or link to the job or internship description for which you are applying
- edit document to include standard résumé or letter components
- edit all text for completeness, conciseness, and relevance to target position
- reword, if possible and necessary, to include keywords or phrases likely to be sought by résumé scanning software
- reorganize to best highlight your skills and emphasize your strengths
- reformat as necessary to improve readability and reduce bulk and "busy-ness"
- edit entire work for consistency of format including typography, spacing, pagination, margins, etc.
- proofread and provide corrections for punctuation, spelling, grammar, dialect conformity, usage, and typographical errors
Package cost: US$75 per document, OR US$l25 for the résumé/cover pair if ordered at the same time
Résumé/Curriculum Vitae or Cover Letter Proofreading Package
This package is for the student or recent (within the past year) graduate who has complete confidence in the application material's form and content but wishes to have a final proof performed by a sharp, fresh eye.
What you provide:
- your complete document(s)
- edit entire work for consistency of format including typography, spacing, pagination, margins, etc.
- proofread and provide corrections for punctuation, spelling, grammar, dialect conformity, usage, and typographical errors
Package cost: US$30 per document, OR US$50 for the résumé/letter pair if ordered at the same time