So, you’re in the middle of your publishing journey. And boy oh boy, you’re almost ready to send your manuscript off to either a whole host of agents or to the book gremlins over at Kindle Direct Publishing. It’s so tempting to click that “send” button, but hold on! Aren’t you supposed to get an editor? When does that happen? And how much should you pay for an editor?
Yeah, nobody tells you what to expect, and there’s an absurd variety of prices you can expect. If you go to freelance sites like Fiverr or Upwork, you’ll see an army of editors advertising five-to-fifty-dollar proofreading for entire manuscripts. But if you look up accredited editors or browse the list of fine folks over at Reedsy, you might see people who charge three, four, or even five thousand dollars to edit a manuscript. So, what do you do? And why does everyone have different prices?
The truth of the matter
Well, everyone has different prices because everyone has different standards. Price doesn’t always mean quality, but a fifty-dollar Fiverr editor simply won’t produce the same results as an experienced professional with a degree and a robust clientele. Customer testimonials aren’t enough. Unless your potential editor has a list of high-quality, well-reviewed manuscripts listed on a portfolio, there’s no way to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. So stay away from all those freelance content mills like Upwork and Fiverr; they’re just not safe places to look, and you’ll struggle to find too many actual experts.
Okay, that’s all well and good, but how much should you pay for an editor?
Fortunately for you, The Editorial Freelancers Association has published a range of average rates for professional editors. These are not the upper and lower bounds, of course, they’re just the most common rates among editors. So, for example, if you’re a fiction author looking for copy editing, you can expect to pay between 2–2.9 cents per word. Let’s say you choose a relatively cheap editor by EFA standards, and you submit a 60,000-word manuscript for copy editing. At two cents per word, you can expect to pay twelve-hundred dollars for that service.
For some of you, those five-dollar editors over at Fiverr are starting to look a whole lot more reasonable. But, I hate to say it, if you’re self-publishing, you can’t escape getting at least a copy editor. You just can’t. Reviewers will eat you alive if your book has too many errors. And frankly, for many authors, copy editing isn’t enough. Line editing and developmental editing can be essential to some manuscripts. At some point, you just have to accept that. Editing is not an optional service for publishing.
So, where can I look?
Now, if you’re in the market for an editor, I offer services of my own. But if you’re looking for a wide variety of excellent editors, the safest place to look is The Editorial Freelancers Association. If you post a job listing or apply directly through editor profiles, you can ask for sample edits and schedule consultations to help you make your decision. Another good place too look is Kindlepreneur.com, which has a great guide on finding a quality editor! Ultimately, you’re going to have to make your choice, but so long as you stick to professional resources and communicate well, you’ll be fine. Editing is a collaborative art. Be open. Spend some time talking with your editor, and you’ll succeed.
