Decide on your rates and whether you will charge per hour, per project or per page. Let your clients know ahead of time how you will calculate your fees. If you are establishing yourself as a freelance editor, a guideline amount to begin charging might be $20 an hour, or $2 per page.
Distinguish different rates based on different types of editing. Depending on what your client wants, you might be proofreading, copy editing or content editing, and your rates should go up in that order. The Writer's Market guidelines specify that the average rate is about $3/page for proofreading; $4/page for copy editing; and $7.50/page for content editing.
Create an invoice using either invoice software or a word processing program. Paypal users can use the Paypal invoicing service to automatically create invoices. Microsoft Word also has invoice templates available on the Microsoft Web site.
Itemize fees for different types of editing onto separate lines and include a total for all services. Include a large header with your name and contact information, and include at the bottom instructions for payment either by check, bank transfer or Paypal.