Rates and Reasons

I’m in a lot of writing groups in various places on the Internet and regularly talk to authors about the various kinds of editing out there as well as discussing rates. It’s a sticky topic because many editors balk a little at charging what they’re really worth, and authors often hedge on the expense because quality editing is not cheap.

In this blog, I’m going to break down the types of rates, what they mean, and why we chose the rate methods we did here. If nothing else, you should understand the industry better by the end of this.

So, let’s start with our rates here:

  • Copy Editing: $0.015/word
  • Line Editing: $0.035/word
  • Developmental Editing: $0.04/word
  • Book Analysis: $0.01/word
  • Book Coaching: $60.00 per hour, minimum of 1 hr.

At no point in this blog am I going to tell you whether someone else’s rates are fair or not since that’s not my intent here.

Our rates are loosely based on the low end of the rates listed by the EFA (Editorial Freelancers Association), which is one of the major, US-based organizations for (you guessed it) freelancing editors. Their rates tend to be a little on the higher end of the scale since most members of the EFA are professional editors who are at the level where they can afford membership fees and are skilled enough to qualify. As such, these tend to be individuals who are deep into their editing careers and who use their editing work as a major part of their income–if not as their only source of income.

In addition to the per-word rates, you’ll see listed per-hour rates that some editors prefer to use. For some editors, using per-hour rates results in either huge or negligible fees that don’t accurately reflect the scope of the work. For example, if an editor can work at a far faster pace than listed as the average, they would make vastly less if they worked per hour than they do per word. As with all small businesses, purchasing insurance, covering the costs of equipment and subscriptions required to do our job, utility costs, as well as having adequate take-home pay are all considerations in the sticker price.

As with most things, those with more skill are likely to charge higher prices their services since they’re charging for the benefit of their expertise. Much as you’d expect to pay more for an expert in any field than an intern. Which isn’t to say high rates are always indicative of skill, but if someone is charging more there’s a good chance they have the skill to back it up. When in doubt, you can usually request a sample edit to see if they can put their money where their mouth is and if they are a good fit for your needs.

“As with most things, those with higher skill are more likely to charge more for their services since they’re charging for the benefit of their expertise.”

On a lighter edit (copy edit or light line editing), an average-length manuscript can take me between twenty and thirty hours of solid, focused work to edit (depending on word count). This varies because edits go faster or slower at certain points in a manuscript. If I have to make many edits per page–as I do at times–I will obviously move far slower than I would through a cleaner portion of the manuscript. This is also recognizing that, on a good day, I can devour an average paperback in about six hours (around 12k words an hour or almost a page a minute). That is, however, just reading for pleasure, not editing. Or reading with a critical eye.

My husband complains that he buys me books to entertain me during the long train ride to visit my in-laws, and then less than a third of the way into the trip, already I’m looking for new things to do. He’s not wrong. I am a menace.

I give you my average reading speed versus my average editing speed to show you the discrepancy between how long it takes me to read and how long it takes me to edit. Editing also requires a great deal of thought and focus; if I miss things, it can do harm to a client’s salability. I also need to keep notes to include in the editorial letter I send after an edit is complete. Depending on the type of edit, I may also be creating a detailed outline of the book for the purposes of helping an author create a roadmap of what ought to go where.

Obviously, every editor’s process is a little different, and each type of edit requires different levels of detail and management. A developmental edit demands very different things than a line edit, for example. Which is one of the reasons we charge different rates and make the decision to work by word or by hour.

Now the red flag.

If you see someone charging an incredibly low price, there’s a good chance it’s one of three possible things. Now, these things aren’t always inherently bad, but they are things you should be aware of.

  1. An extremely low price may indicate an editor with very little experience. This doesn’t always mean they aren’t wonderful at their job, but it does mean you may not receive the depth and detail of a more experienced editor.
  2. This may be an experienced editor who is retired or who is editing as a hobby for pocket money. This is not a bad thing, and you might just have gotten really lucky.
  3. This may be a person who thinks editing is just running spell check and that they have the qualifications to become an editor because they took a couple semesters of English Lit classes in college. They might just want some pocket change, or they may even actively want to rip off authors.

The red flag here is on number three. While inexperienced editors can do damage to manuscripts, they are usually prepared for what comes with the work and are gathering work toward their portfolio. That’s not a bad thing by any stretch; we all start somewhere. And if you just need a light edit, they may do a lovely job at a great price point for your needs.

The third option on that list spells trouble. These folks are usually the ones who give editors a bad name and bring people to me stressed, several hundred dollars poorer, and asking me to fix the errors these so-called editors introduced into their manuscript. Editing is vastly more than running spell check, reading the book, and changing sentences into the editor’s voice (which is a common issue with this kind of “editor”). They also may or may not have a strong grip of the style guides out there and may introduce new and interesting mistakes with no regard for the author’s voice, style guide, genre, or content.

When selecting an editor, don’t hesitate to ask questions about what they’ve worked on, how long they’ve been in the business, where their expertise lies, and what their focus is. Any legitimate editor will tell you all of these things.

For example, I have been editing since 2011, I have worked on dozens of manuscripts, short stories, and articles between my starting company (Divertir Publishing), private contracts, and my work at Insomnia Publishing. While there are several books that have come through Insomnia’s hands that have since left contract, every book Insomnia has published has crossed my desk at least once. Whether it was for editing, typesetting, cover design, or proofreading, I have worked on every manuscript Insomnia has published. My expertise is in developmental and line edits, though I’m a perfectly competent copy editor. I am able to work in many genres, but my favorites are fantasy, paranormal, and historical fiction (though I do love a good romance).

My expertise in history comes from having a B.A. on the subject as well as being a historical reenactor who focuses on the early Medieval period. Though my BA covered from the Biblical times through present day. I have also studied martial arts for over thirty years, study European fencing techniques, know a fair bit about firearms, and have a whole host of other random knowledge that I draw on to help my clients make their books as realistic as possible within the confines of the world.

Ultimately, when selecting an editor, you should talk to us about what you feel your book needs, listen to our assessment of what we think might be best for your book, and recognize that with our fees comes the weight of long experience as well as whatever expertise they have that is unique to their field. Every one of us comes with skills and knowledge no other editor might have in exactly the same composition, so finding an editor who suits your work, genre, voice, and style is very much possible.

While editing usually is not inexpensive, the value a good editor can bring your novel is significant and worth the price we set for our services. Also, if you are really struggling with your budget, be honest with your editor–many of us may be willing to work with you with payment plans over time or other options. So don’t despair if you run the numbers and come up with something that feels out of reach.