Start a chat with me so I can gauge your requirements. Give me a sample paragraph, I'll proofread it immediately, and only if you're satisfied with the quality, we can discuss milestones.
I am ready to work for you right now. I can proofread a 3000-word piece of academic writing in 30 mins, so I can work at a rate of 100 words per minute.
If it's a huge project with a large amount of words, in my opinion you shouldn't be paying for $1 per word, because if your article/essay is really that big, going by that rate can cost possibly up to $100 per minute, or $6000 per hour. Instead, I'll charge you a fixed price (a fair price, of course) based on your budget.