How Much Does an Editor Cost? 3 Key Considerations
If you are a writer, you may be wondering: how much does an editor cost?
When you are looking for a professional editor to help with your writing project, it’s important to understand the cost of hiring an editor and the benefits that come from your investment.
The cost of an editor depends on many variables that we will explore in this article, but on average, you can expect to invest between $200 and $6,400 on editing services. The investment for your individual project depends on key considerations including the type of service that best suits the project, the experience level and credentials of the editor, and the length of the manuscript.
Making the investment in hiring an editor for your project can empower you to tell your story and give you the skills that you need to tell it the right way. The level of investment for your unique project will depend on where you are in the process and what you need to take your story to the next level.
When searching for an editor, you should make sure that you have a clear idea of what you are looking for in your editing experience so that you can find the editor that is right for your project.
As the Chief Academic Officer at Story Grid and in my 4 years as an editor, I have worked with clients on editing services spanning from initial project planning to line-by-line polish. I’ve learned how to tell which editing services will have the biggest impact on the project and make the investment worthwhile.
In this guide, we will review the different types of editing services so that you can determine what your project needs. We will also identify the average price ranges for each service.
Do I need an editor for my book?
The simple answer is: yes!
An editor is a key part of the writing and revision process and can be a valuable asset for any writer. A good editor will take the time to get to know you and understand your goals for your project before giving advice that helps move it forward. In addition to offering insights into how to make your writing better, an editor can also provide support throughout the process by helping you build confidence in yourself as a writer.
Working with an editor is critical to uncover your blind spots and gain fresh perspectives on your work. When you create something that matters to you, you get emotionally attached to the work. And you should. Commitment to your work and emotional investment in how it turns out is important to the creative process. However, that connection can blind you to the problems with the work. Even if you can tell that something isn’t right, you might be too close to the project to see how to fix it. That’s where an editor comes in.
Your editor will evaluate your work with an objective eye to diagnose the problems that you might overlook and offer actionable solutions to make your writing better. They can give you helpful advice for improving your work because of their technical expertise and their familiarity with what readers want and expect.
An experienced editor is familiar with a wide range of stories, and likely specializes in a particular genre where they have deep knowledge. This context enables them to help you understand the current state of your project and where it fits in with existing genres and compares to other stories. Your editor’s knowledge will help you to make your story one that readers will love by satisfying the expectations that they have for their favorite genres.
An editor has also seen projects at all stages of the writing process, from the first words that a writer puts on a page to the first draft to the final product. Without familiarity with what drafts look like, it can be hard to evaluate the potential in early drafts of a project. An editor can see the possibility of what a finished project could be even when looking at its earliest stages. They can help you set realistic goals for your project and achieve them.
When you hire an editor, the editor works alongside you on your project to help tell your story, but the editor really works for your reader. A good editor is willing to stand up for your reader’s expectations and defend the needs of your reader’s experience. By advocating for your audience, your editor helps you tell a successful story.
Over the course of your work together, your editor will help you bring out the best in your story and provide feedback on structure, content, and readability. They’ll also identify areas where your work needs further development. No matter how experienced you are, an editor can support you by offering a fresh perspective, providing information about how your work fits in to the broader context, and, most importantly, advocating for your reader.
What is the average rate for an editor?
The type of editing service that your project needs is a key consideration when determining how much an editor will cost. On the lower end, you can expect to invest $200 per developmental editing session, and the higher end would be a $6,400 manuscript evaluation.
It's important to understand the differences between the types of editing services so that you can budget for the service that you need and find an editor who can help you with your project.
So, how much does an editor cost? To answer this question, we will define each type of editing service and identify which writers and projects are best suited to each service. Then, we’ll take a look at the cost associated with each type of editing. That way, you can get an idea of the cost of the editor that is best for you.
Substantive Editing
The first type of editing that any writer needs is substantive editing, and the pricing range for this service is usually between $200 and $500 per session for developmental editing or $1,600 to $6,400 for manuscript evaluation.
Substantive editing services target the structure and content of your work, and may involve changing large sections of the draft. Because it can have major effects on the project, it makes sense to get an evaluation at this level before tackling revisions at the sentence level.
A substantive editor will look at the big picture of your global story, taking into account your goals for your project and the kind of experience that your readers expect. They will guide you to make changes to the plan for your story as needed and help you to ensure that each component of your story supports its overall arc.
When you hire a substantive editor, the service that you need depends on where you are in the process of creating your project. If you don't yet have a finished draft, or if you are working on revising a draft, developmental editing is a good fit. If you have a finished draft and want to find out how to take the next steps to improve it, then manuscript evaluation is the right service for you.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing is another term for personalized coaching, and the price can range from $200 to $500 per session.
Your editor will work with you to set goals for your project and develop milestones to work toward those goals.
Depending on what you want to accomplish as a writer, this service can take on many forms. If you have a work-in-progress, your developmental editing experience may be targeted toward finishing or revising your manuscript. If you have an idea but haven't started writing, your editor can guide you in developing a plan for your story and turning it into a finished draft.
Even if you don't have a project that you're working on, you can still benefit from developmental editing. Your editor can help you develop a plan to improve your writing craft through working on example scenes or short stories.
Developmental editing is a flexible service that is tailored to your current skill set and your goals for your writing career.
Manuscript Evaluation
When your editor evaluates your manuscript, which usually costs between $1,600 and $6,400, they will give you an idea of the state of your draft and how much work you have left to achieve the goals that you have set for this project.
Your editor will give you the next steps to improve your manuscript, ordered by the impact that they will have on the quality of your work.
Your work with your editor may evolve into a developmental partnership depending on how much support you want as you write your next draft and incorporate the changes your editor recommends.
Even if you know that you want to have a developmental editing partnership, starting with a manuscript evaluation is a great idea to kick off your work with your editor. It gives your editor the information they need to evaluate your writing craft and target their recommendations to the areas you need to improve.
Copy Editing
After your manuscript has gone through substantive editing and you are happy with the content, you can find a copy editor to work on polishing your writing. Copy editing involves reviewing a piece of work for accuracy, consistency, and flow. On average, copy editing costs between $400 and $2,000.
Copy editors look at each sentence carefully to identify areas needing improvement or revision. The type of edits they make depend on the service that they offer, which may be line editing or proofreading.
Line editing
A line editor works on refining the language of your manuscript in order to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of its intended audience. The price range for this service is between $1,400 and $2,000.
To ensure that the writing flows well, they may suggest changes such as reworking awkward phrases or rearranging paragraphs for better clarity or impact.
Your editor may offer additional line editing services that involve content details. For example, the editor may check for continuity in your descriptions, settings, and timelines. The editor may even check facts that you have included in the story to verify your research.
Generally speaking, a line editor looks for anything that will pull your reader out of the story and fixes it so that your audience can have a good reading experience.
Proofreading
A proofreader does the final polish on your writing, which usually costs between $400 and $1,000. They check for grammatical errors, spelling errors, and typos. They also ensure that your work is formatted consistently throughout. This should be the last step before you submit or publish your work.
Finding an Editor
Within each category of editing services, the price for your project depends on the specific details of the editor’s work.
Different editors may include different deliverables, follow different methodologies, or work on different timelines. Note that some editors may use different terminology than what we have included in this guide, so it is important to get specifics on what they include in the services that they offer.
The price will also vary from editor to editor. There are a wide range of editors who provide each type of editing service. These individual editors will have variability in their pricing based on their experience and credentials.
As you evaluate potential editors, ensure that you are clear on what they will provide and when. Talk to the editor to make sure that you understand what they provide, and so that they can understand your goals for your editor experience. This also gives you a chance to evaluate whether you are a good fit to work together. It sets up a good foundation for your professional relationship, and makes it possible for you to form a long-term partnership that will support your writing career.
Average Rates
| Service | Price for an 80K-Word Manuscript |
|---|---|
| Developmental Editing | $200 - $500 per session. Total cost varies based on completion time and the needs of the writer. |
| Manuscript Evaluation | $1600 - $6400 |
| Line Editing | $1400 - $2000 |
| Proofreading | $400 - $1000 |
How much does an editor cost overall? On average, experienced writers invest between $3,400 and $9,400 in editing. Their projects can be ready for publication after a manuscript evaluation, line editing, and proofreading.
Beginning writers should expect a higher investment, between $7,000 and $15,000 because they usually require the guidance of a developmental editor before they can finalize a novel.
Is it worth paying for an editor?
As you determine when and whether to hire an editor, it is natural to start with the question: how much does an editor cost?
But to make the decision, you also need to know what benefits you can expect from professional editing services.
Hiring an editor is a significant investment of both time and money, but it’s worth it if you want to produce quality writing that will engage your audience, impress your friends and family, and make you proud.
When is it worth it?
The earlier in the process you can make the investment and pay for an editor, the better.
When you get your editor’s perspective and guidance, you can minimize the rewriting and revisions you need before your project is ready.
If you are just starting out, whether you have an idea or not, developmental editing will help you improve your writing craft. Once you have a finished draft, a manuscript evaluation will give you an idea of the state of your manuscript and what you have to do next.
When you are hiring an editor for the first time, you should be looking at developmental editing or a manuscript evaluation. Even if you think that your manuscript is at the final draft stage, it is best to get a manuscript evaluation to get an outside perspective.
Once you and your editor agree that your work is ready to be polished, you can look into copy editing services to get your project ready for readers.
Getting editorial guidance at each step will make the subsequent steps better and ensure that you don’t have to go backward in the process.
The benefits of hiring an editor early on go beyond a single project. The skills that you learn from working with an editor will improve everything that you write for the rest of your career.
You can get the most out of the editing experience by submitting deliverables to your editor that are the best work you can do. If you submit work with known issues, you are paying your editor to tell you what you already know.
To maximize the value that you get from working with an editor, consider studying story structure and writing craft to make sure that you are sending your editor stories that work. This will also facilitate conversations between you and your editor by building up your shared language.
Here are some resources that we recommend for learning more about storytelling and writing:
The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (based on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey framework)
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
Story and Dialogue by Robert McKee
The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
Potential outcomes
A good editor will help you refine and improve your writing craft.
With their expertise and insight, they can provide feedback that will make your manuscripts shine. Ultimately, having an editor review your work can greatly increase its chances of being successful.
When you pay for an editor to work with you on your project before you submit your work for publication, you ensure that you are submitting your best possible work. After working with an editor, our clients have been accepted for publication for the first time in their careers. They have also reported getting better feedback from agents and contest judges than ever before.
The improvements in your writing will have an impact on your friends and family. When you write a story that matters to you, you want the people that you care about to love it, too. If you’ve ever felt like your family reads your work out of obligation, and then they say the required nice things about it, working with an editor can help. We’ve had clients share their work with their spouses, and, for the first time, they say “wow.”
Your work with an editor will also change your own relationship to your writing. Your editor will work with you to set goals that matter to you and guide you, step by step, through a process to achieve them.
With the right editor, you will become the writer that you want to be. After a session to review next steps, one of our clients said that he was excited to get started on the next draft because the session had helped him remember what he loved about his story. Reclaiming that joy is the key to loving your writing career and living a creative life you can be proud of—and that’s priceless.
The outcomes that you get from your editing experience depend on your willingness to approach your editor’s feedback with an open mind and do the work to make your story better.
An editor can make a big difference in your development as a writer and the success of your projects. If you’re ready to invest in yourself and your writing, schedule a call with us to talk about your project.
