A Beginner’s Guide to Working with an Editor: Part 2 (Cost)
In this article:
How much does editing cost
Editing is a professional service, and professional services come with a cost—just like those offered by lawyers, accountants, and business consultants. Editors’ rates can vary significantly, but they usually factor in the following four things:
- the time it will take for an editor to complete your project
- the complexity of the work
- the editor’s experience and expertise
- the editor’s cost of doing business (professional memberships, software subscriptions, office expenses, training, marketing, accounting services, etc.)
This last point is important. Not every dollar you pay an editor converts directly to salary. If you were to pay an editor $20/h, they would likely end up making less than minimum wage once their business expenses had been covered. You wouldn’t expect any other professional to do that. You probably wouldn’t accept to do that yourself. So be mindful of your expectations as you start looking for an editor. Good and cheap don’t usually go together.
Several organizations, including Editors Canada and the US-based Editorial Freelance Association, offer insight into editing rates and how they are calculated. This information offers a good starting point to determine if you can afford the editing services you think you need, but be aware that average rates don’t necessarily account for the many variables that influence a project’s final cost, including the editor’s experience, the state and complexity of the manuscript, and the client’s timelines.
How editors charge
Different editors present their fees in different ways. Some editors charge by the hour. Their estimate might provide an anticipated price range (between $xxx and $xxx), with the final invoice reflecting the actual time spent on your project (including time spent on client communications and administrative tasks).
Other editors offer a flat-rate project cost, which will typically reflect the complexity of the project and the amount of time the editor expects to spend on it. Still others charge by the word, with per word fees changing based on the type of editing services requested. Regardless of how the costs are presented, it all comes down to compensating the editor for their time and expertise.
What you can do to control editing costs
If you know you need an editor but don’t think you can afford one, what can you do? At some point you have to decide what it’s worth to you and either find a way to pay for it or get by without, but there are some things that you can do to help contain the total cost:
- Take the time to get your manuscript into the best state possible before you request a quote. Clean up any errors or inconsistencies that you can handle yourself so that your editor can focus on the areas you really need help with.
- Be clear about what you want your editor to do. Open-ended or poorly defined projects take longer and are harder to manage—and therefore cost more.
- Be selective in what you ask your editor to do. For example, if you have a ton of references, you could ask the editor to provide a model that you can use to update the references yourself. If you’re not sure what your options are, ask your editor to propose some different price points for different levels of service.
- Be flexible in your timelines. Editors will charge more if they have to put aside other commitments to meet your deadline.
- Be a good client. Like many small business owners, editors may feel the need to charge more to justify taking on clients that are very demanding or difficult to work with.
How to request a quote
When you reach out to an editor to request a quote, you will need to provide some information about your project. This information will help the editor decide whether they are able and willing to take on the project, and if so, how long it will take them to complete it.
Preparing your quote request
You can speed up the process (and show that you’re easy to work with) by having the following information ready to go:
- type of document (middle grade novel, white paper, website copy, academic paper, etc.)
- subject matter
- a thoughtful description of your audience (who are you writing for)
- word count (note that word count is more useful than page count, as the number of words on a page can vary depending on font size, spacing, etc.; when editors talk pages, they assume 250 words per page)
- special features to be edited, such as tables, images, footnotes, or references
- a description of what you want the editor do (i.e. what type of editing), including any specific things you want the editor to focus on or ignore
- a copy of the draft manuscript or a selection from it, depending on how long it is
- your style preferences, if you have any (preferred style guide and dictionary, along with any personal preferences that might diverge from standard rules or spelling)
- your desired timelines—for completing this stage of editing and/or for publication
- your budget
Submitting a manuscript sample
If you are going to send an excerpt from your manuscript rather than the whole thing, choose a section from the middle. Writers tend to spend more time reworking the opening chapters or paragraphs, so these more polished sections might not give an accurate representation of the state of the manuscript as a whole. A section from the middle, that you haven’t spent so much time on, will allow the editor to provide a more accurate estimate of cost and time.
As part of the quoting process, many editors will edit a section of the draft you provide to gauge how much work the project will require. While this sample edit is primarily for the editor’s own use, the editor may agree to share it with you, either for free or for a fee, to give you a sense of their approach. If you would like to see a sample edit, be sure to communicate this with the editor when you request a quote.
It can be tempting to keep playing with the manuscript while you wait for quotes to come in, but try not to. You likely won’t gain anything from it. And it can be frustrating for an editor to find that the section they already worked on for the sample edit has changed when they receive the full manuscript.
Understanding the quotes
When the quotes come in, make sure you take the time to understand them before leaping to a decision. Editing projects are prone to scope creep if clear boundaries aren’t established from the beginning, so experienced editors tend to be quite specific about what their quote includes (or doesn’t include).
Here are a few things to look for:
- type of editing: Make sure that you understand what stage(s) of editing are being proposed and what exactly that encompasses. For example, if the quote is for a structural edit, don’t expect your editor to correct grammar and typos. If the quote is for a stylistic or copy edit, your editor is expecting to work with your existing text. If you feel the need to add in new paragraphs or sections as the edit proceeds, you should be prepared for additional fees.
- rounds of editing: A round of editing refers to one cycle of the editor reviewing your manuscript and returning it to you with their feedback. Many editing contracts will allow for at least two rounds of editing so that the editor can provide additional feedback on any substantive changes that you make in response to their initial comments or recommendations. Limiting the number of rounds is one way to keep editing costs down, but it means that you have less opportunity to work through successive iterations of the draft text with the editor.
- timelines: Most quotes will specify a turnaround time in which the edited manuscript (or at least the first round of edits) would be returned to you. However, turnaround times and any specific dates that the editor commits to will be dependent on your providing the manuscript and any subsequent feedback within the expected time frame. If you are delayed in submitting your draft manuscript, the editor may need to adjust the project timelines or charge a rush fee. Allowing for reasonable turnaround times for both the editor and yourself throughout the editing process can reduce cost and frustration.
- face time: Make sure you understand how much personal interaction the quote allows for and whether that meets your needs. While editing is relationship-based, the majority of a typical editing quote is for the actual editing work. Some editors will allow for a limited number of email exchanges, phone calls, or video calls in their quote, with additional charges if you exceed those limits. Others might offer a 30-minute video call as an optional add-on if you have questions after reviewing the edited document. If you feel the need for more interaction (e.g., if you prefer to talk through your feedback after each round rather than providing written comments), let the editor know this upfront so that they can allow for it in both their quote and their project schedule. If you need a sounding board to work through plot or character development, you may be better off working with a book or writing coach to start.
In the end, there are many variables that factor into an editing quote, including word count, timelines, the complexity of the manuscript, the type of services required, and the anticipated amount of non-editing work associated with a project (for client communications, invoicing, etc.). Understanding these variables and how your actions might affect them can help you better shape your requests and reduce the likelihood of unpleasant surprises with respect to the final cost or deliverables.
Ready to request a quote? Got questions before you do? Reach out with your questions or project details, and we’ll get the ball rolling!