More and more people are jumping on the book writing bandwagon as self-publishing gains popularity. As an author, you should do what you can to set yourself apart from the competition. Getting your book professionally edited is just one of the ways to do that. As a self-published author, you do have the choice to entirely self-edit your book to stretch your budget, but it’s often wise to invest in quality editing. For starters, I’ve discussed the importance of editing in this video interview. This is by no means a mere suggestion to line my pocket, by the way.
So let’s talk about the juicy stuff—price! Next to the usual heavyweights—politics, religion, and yes, the birds and the bees—price is everyone’s all-time favorite hot topic, regardless of industry.
Factors That Determine Editing Cost
Cost of doing business. Since editors are their own bosses, they have to pay for their own overhead including but not limited to continuing education, vacations, sick days, health insurance, and retirement. Not included are unbillable hours—marketing, prospecting, administration, and client correspondence, just to name a few—outside of the actual editing itself.
For us editorial professionals to continue doing what we’re doing, our livelihood has to be sustainable. We work for a living just like everyone else. I’d probably have to charge close to the top end of the current professional range in my niche to enjoy the salary equivalent to that of my working-slash-middle-class parents whose employers provide full benefits package. My parents would probably be none too pleased to know about that. After all, they moved the whole family all the way to the US so my brother and I could have a better education and a better life in general.
Unless we can do away with the corrupt monetary system for good and come up with an excellent alternative (that’s another discussion for another time), charging for services is the best we can do in this lifetime.
Market variables. Many professionals use the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) rate sheet as a reference. It’s simply a rough guideline. It doesn’t dictate the minimum and maximum rates professionals should charge. It’s based on ranges provided by some EFA members who participated in the rate survey in 2019. The rates are not indicative of the expected pay for editorial services.
Writer’s Market lists higher, more realistic rate ranges—hourly, per word, per page, and per project. This rate sheet was based on voluntary surveys circa 2010. The latest Writer’s Market edition (probably) has updated rates. This particular blog post by another editor also shows the most realistic ranges. My rates fall in the midrange.
The rates should ideally take into account the individual professional’s skills, experience, niche expertise, cost of living, and more, but that’s not always the case.
The scope and method of editing. Rates depend on the various levels of editing, which are detailed in Find a Real Editor, a free guidebook that my colleagues and I have coauthored. (Note: Every editor is different, every professional is different, and every situation is different, so not all professionals follow the exact same practices including those outlined in the book, but real professionals strive to do their best.)
A rough manuscript obviously needs more work. New authors, especially those whose native language isn’t English, usually have more challenges with grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, and sentence structure. They’re most likely not familiar with publishing conventions, so they need more handholding. Standard-length manuscripts (40,000–75,000 words for nonfiction) normally calls for developmental editing. It costs more than copyediting because building everything from the ground up in terms of structure and organization takes a lot of time. Almost equally time consuming is line editing, which involves rewrites and other tweaks.
Complex specialties or niche topics require more research, which means higher rates.
Editors prefer Microsoft Word because it’s so much easier to use. That’s exactly why it’s the industry standard. Google Docs and PDF files are cumbersome, so expect higher rates for the inconvenience.
Word count and turnaround time. This goes without saying—more words plus tight deadlines equals higher rates. Editors have to work overtime to make things happen.
Editing is a mentally taxing task. Most people can only manage to edit for a maximum of four hours every day. Allow enough reasonable lead time. Rates are much higher for rush jobs, but the deadlines must be realistic. Just like you, editors have their own lives to live outside the daily grind. Respect their boundaries, and they will respect yours.
Labor-intensive nature of the job. Reading for pleasure isn’t the same as reading for analysis. Editors comb the manuscript for errors, performs research, take the time to list suggestions to improve the manuscript, and make judgment calls on usage and stylistic choices, among many other things. A minimum (or an average) of three editing passes or rounds are usually needed.
Genre. Nonfiction is typically more expensive than fiction. It requires fact checking. If applicable, verifying references and checking tables or charts are part of the project.
Nonfiction copyeditors and proofreaders often juggle multiple style guides, which adds more to the challenge. (I’ll discuss style guides a little bit more later.)
Nonfiction also commands higher rates because it’s a popular, in-demand genre.
Distinct specialty. Editing and language skills in general are difficult skills that take many years to acquire and refine. Working with any human language requires a mature, thorough approach. It’s only fair to charge appropriately for those skills.
Child musical prodigies are a dime a dozen. When you type musical prodigy, Google and YouTube spit out a gazillion of search results! But how many literary or language prodigies have you seen or heard about? Any five-year-old journalists, essayists, poets, novelists, memoirists, editors, translators, or polyglots in the house? Literary prodigies are few and far between. They’re typically in their mid- or late teens at the earliest. They usually reach their peak in their early 30s, at least from what I’ve observed so far.
Editing is not the same as writing. They require different skill sets. Writers or English teachers may have a good language foundation to prepare them for editing, but they must have additional ongoing training. As a writer turned editor, I found it quite an adjustment to switch gears.
What Do You Do If You Can’t Quite Afford Editing?
Resist the temptation to contact cheap freelancers or check out outsourcing platforms. It often doesn’t end well. Find a Real Editor also discusses this at length.
If you’re on a budget, here are several options:
Ask for a payment plan. This is a win-win solution. You can pay in installments, and the editor receives them at standard rates.
Reduce scope. Instead of a full edit, ask for a manuscript evaluation or a partial edit. I have my version at the line editing and copyediting levels. I normally choose a certain number of words from your manuscript. I then list some corrections, suggestions, and other tips that you can apply to the rest of your manuscript yourself.
In place of full fact checking, I offer to flag references or citations and other types of information (names, locations, URLs, etc.) and have the author ensure that they’re correct and up to date.
Also be willing to have a longer turnaround time if you’re flexible with your deadline.
Barter. If you have skills or services (photography, copywriting, graphic design, web design or development, digital marketing or SEO, business coaching, etc.) that your editor may need, offer them as an exchange.
Do it yourself (self-study). Pick up some books (The Chicago Manual of Style, The Copyeditor’s Handbook, Garner’s Modern English Usage, and The Best Punctuation Book, Period) and visit websites such as Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips to read up on grammar, punctuation, capitalization, style, and usage.
This site has great DIY tips on saving money. It caters to fiction, but many of the tips there also apply to nonfiction.
Cowrite a book with like-minded people. This blog post (under point number three) touches on this approach. Collaboration gets the job done faster. Two (or more) heads are better than one, and two (or more) wallets are even better. Split the expenses with your coauthors.
Write a short book. The blog post referenced above also mentions this. It’s also a great way to learn the ropes of writing and publishing faster with minimal risk.
Get more funding. Crowdfund or save up until you can afford editing. Maybe you could start a side hustle for extra cash. That would put you squarely in my shoes.
Just find a cheaper editor anyway. All right. If you insist, go ahead. It’s all good. There are newbie editors who want to gain experience in the industry. We all have to start somewhere. Newbies will have something to add to their portfolio or résumé, and you’ll get a great deal.
However, when you scope out copyeditors and proofreaders, make sure they know what a style guide is at the very least. If they don’t, drop them like a hot potato. (Find a Real Editor goes into more detail on this subject.) A style guide is a set of publishing standards that ensures consistency in your manuscript. Consistency is what separates the pros from the wannabes, especially in the self-publishing world. You don’t want to compromise the quality of your book or other written material. It’s not worth chasing cheap freelancers who don’t know their stuff.
If you must go the economical route, do it for smaller projects. Don’t take chances on bigger ones.
So You Still Think It’s Too Bleepin’ Much?
Yes, editing can be expensive, but expensive is relative. Some people have a daily Starbucks habit costing at least $200 per month. Others chain-smoke away their paychecks every day. Die-hard enthusiasts of a particular ballet flat brand proudly discuss the pretty ungodly number of flats they’ve bought at $175–345 a pair. My mom, bless her heart, has a five-figure stash of designer purses and wallets. For the record, the collection is growing, and nope, she’s not some white-collar executive. Far from it. Ditto my dad with his taste for sports cars and high-end audiovisual equipment.
Yet others spend so much on their pets. After all, they’re family. Animals give us unconditional love and companionship, so we’re willing to do anything for them. I also provide pet and house sitting services. I’m not cheap, and many other pet professionals charge as much as I do. In fact, a week’s worth of overnight pet sitting or house sitting costs almost as much as proofreading a full-length book, yet no client bats an eye when it’s time to pay up. Clients don’t make any money back from pet sitting services, but what they’re getting is peace of mind, knowing that their fur babies and homes are in good hands.
Your book or project is your baby. It deserves TLC. Love your project like you love your own pet or kid. I’m sure you wouldn’t feed your kid junk food. You wouldn’t give your masterpiece a less-than-stellar treatment either.
Think of editing as an investment. You should see a return, provided you’ve done a good job in marketing your book. There are many benefits to writing a book. You’ll have another stream of income, discover career opportunities, tap into your creative potential, fully express yourself, and leave a legacy for generations to come. No matter how you slice it, you’ll make an impact. You can’t put a price tag on that.
A Word (or Two) on Sample Edits
Getting a sample edit is a good way to gauge the cost of the project, determine the level(s) of editing, and to vet potential editors. Sample edits give you an idea of how editors work and their personality types. There are those who offer free sample edits, typically up to 1,000 words, while others (including yours truly) charge a fee and apply it toward the total cost of the project. Some editors even go so far as to tell authors to run the other way if an editor refuses to offer free sample edits. That’s a pile of horse dung. Providing free sample edits is not standard practice. It’s simply an option, albeit a popular one, especially in the fiction community. Professionals can choose to run their business as they see fit.
Do dentists offer free sample root canals? Do doctors offer free sample physical exams? Do hairstylists offer free sample haircuts? I don’t think so. So why shouldn’t you expect the same when it comes to editors? Editors are no less professional than medical and beauty experts. They all provide customized services.
I do not perform free sample edits. No way, no how. Let me make this clear to you: Everything is energy. Every interaction is an energy exchange. It doesn’t have to be in the form of money. It can be time, advice, support, or whatever else you can think of.
Let’s say you want to get some editing done. You’ve found me on some online directory. You don’t know me from Adam—or Eve, for that matter. But you start demanding that I give you a free sample edit. Let’s just agree to part ways before we even get to know each other better. Asking for freebies right off the bat is equivalent to Netflix and chill or talking about walking down the aisle together on the first date. You want to establish and build a good working relationship with your editor. You’re looking for an Eharmony match, not a Tinder hookup. You’re probably too old for the latter anyway.
What can you give me in return? Think about it for a minute. Martial arts and private music instructors, for example, occasionally offer prospective students a free lesson or evaluation. It’s also a way to see if the teachers and students would be a good match. In exchange for free instruction, prospects take the time to walk or drive for a meet-and-greet (and spend some gas money while at that) at the instructor’s location. It’s a fair exchange. Unless you can come up with similar arrangements in exchange for free editing services or pick-my-brain sessions, let’s just stick with paid sample edits. Yes, I’ll be more than happy to provide them by request.
Oh, and don’t even think about getting a ton of sample edits a.k.a. Frankenedits so you can have your entire manuscript edited for free. That’s not going to fly. We editors can sniff it out fast. You might think you’d save a bundle, but a bunch of edits from a bunch of random pros with different editing styles are bound to produce inconsistencies and conflicting feedback.
P.S. I trust that you, as a potential client, don’t have the tendencies that I’ve just described above, so don’t take it to heart because it certainly doesn’t apply to you. 😉
What I Can Do for You for Free
As far as freebies go, you can grab a free copy of Find a Real Editor mentioned earlier. I’m also glad to share general information and educational pieces on my blog and social media posts. You’re more than welcome to suggest ideas or topics that may help you, your fellow writers, and word nerds. Simply reach out to me here on my website or my social media accounts.
What’s the Takeaway?
Just like with anything in life, get the best you can afford. We editors and proofreaders don’t want to just take your money and run. There are other schemes or lines of work that pay hell of a lot more than editing. It’s just not worth the time or energy to rip people off either way. Besides, it’s just plain immoral.
Remember, we’re on your side. Consider us your makeup artists, hairstylists, and wardrobe specialists, so to speak. We want to you to look your best under the spotlight. We want you to be a rock star writer. A good, compatible editor can help you stand out from the rest, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Here’s hoping you find this guide useful as you plan for editing services.
Photo credits: Ylanite Koppens at Pexels and Pixabay
Recent Comments