Freelance Editors at Cactus Communications typically make $16 an hour. At Cactus Communications, freelance editors may earn between $6 and $26 per hour.
How much can independent editors expect to make?
The average pay for freelance editors in the US is $60,250, with incomes ranging from $29,230 to $114,530. The top 80% of Freelance Editors earn $114,530, with the middle 60% earning $60,250.
What is the starting pay for independent editors?
The EFA frequently polls its members to determine the answer to the age-old query, “What’s the going rate?” There are many complicated legal concerns surrounding professional groups and fees, therefore EFA is clear that they are not establishing freelance editing rates or dictating how much members should charge. Instead, they merely publish the rates that its members report charging.
The editing prices, though (see the table below), give you a fairly excellent idea of the variety and how certain jobs necessitate various charges. Any freelancer who charges a flat rate for all jobs will run into difficulties. A tight piece from a skilled writer is perfectly suitable for editing work at the rate of $60 per hour. Then there are some tasks for which there isn’t enough money in the world, even for a beginning, to accept the position.
The hourly prices for freelance editing range from $30 to $45 for proofreading to $61 to $70 for consultation.
Although the EFA poll is frequently recognized as the best available industry benchmark, there are other ways to gauge how much editors charge. Consult with other independent contractors before deciding on your freelance fees based on these surveys. Get their opinion on the editing rates they charge for various assignments based on your expertise. Editors who operate as independent contractors and are in high demand are paid well for their services. You can’t always demand high editing rates when you’re first starting out.
Experts have a track record of success and have perfected their craft to the point that billing just based on words, hours, or pages may not even make sense. Successful editors like Blake Atwood and Miranda Marquit discuss topics like:
- Which type of editing is it? Simple editing or in-depth feedback on the work?
- Is the work really technical or specialized?
- Is copy editing involved? editing for development? A book editor?
- Is the work non-fiction, scholarly, commercial, or fiction?
- What is the project’s size and scope?
Although there are many other questions you may ask about a piece of work, starting with these four will get you and the client to consider the piece. Editing is a creative skill, just like writing and designing. Being an effective editor requires a lot of subtlety.
You must have a clear understanding of what is required to ensure that the work is even appropriate for you in the first place.
Let’s talk about how you charge for your job before we get into how those questions effect your fee. In addition to the money, it’s important to know whether you charge by the word, the page, the project, or the hour. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages, as well as a financial risk factor for the project.
How much money can you expect to make as an editor?
Editors of magazines discussing ideas in the office. discussing and seeking out fresh concepts for their publication.
Although under threat, print media is still very much alive and well. Additionally, editors are needed to control the growing amount of content and media that is available online due to the explosion of digital media that occurred during both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, the latter of which accelerated its growth even more.
According to the most recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics, the average salary for an editor has increased to $69,480 as of May 2018. The prospects for editors in the future are as significant. Unfortunately, there is currently a lot of uncertainty surrounding the employment of editors. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (BLS) predicts that employment of editors would decrease by 1% through 2026, which translates to little or no change over such a long period of time. In terms of absolute numbers, employment is predicted to fall by 1,800, which is not much when compared to, say, postal service employees, whose employment is predicted to fall by 13 percent between 2016 and 2026.
There is never a lack of work for editors due to the growth of digital media. Unfortunately, this approach has kept editor salaries low while making it harder to get work at reputable newspapers and publications. But by choosing a state that pays editors the most well, you can maximize the opportunities this profession offers. See the whole breakdown of editors’ earnings below to see where they are lowest and greatest.
How much do successful editors make?
In India, the starting salary for an editor is approximately 1.3 lakhs per year (10.8k per month). To be an Editor, you must have at least one year of experience.
An Entry Level Editor makes an average pay of 3.7 Lakhs annually with less than three years of experience. An experienced Editor with 10-20 years of experience earns an average salary of 7.3 Lakhs a year, compared to a mid-career Editor with 4-9 years of experience who makes 5.3 Lakhs annually.
Do independent editors earn a good living?
These median wages represent the potential pay a person could receive after working in the field for a while. It’s important to keep in mind that entry-level pay in many publishing houses, even the most prominent ones, is notoriously low. Many people are willing to accept a salary that barely exceeds the minimum wage in exchange for a position in a lucrative field. Also keep in mind that many editorial professionals begin their careers as unpaid interns.
However, given that editor salaries are comparable to the typical US worker’s salary, they are clearly nothing to laugh at.
Of course, real life is not as easily compartmentalized as data is. The salary publishing houses are actually ready to offer you is negotiable, just as in most other businesses, especially if you have more experience. The likelihood of earning larger compensation increases with your skill set and level of career advancement, especially if you take on the additional duties of a managing position.
Big city editors get bigger bucks (in general)
The pay for book editors varies from city to city due to differences in living expenses as well as the concentration of publishing houses in various cities. The East Coast has the highest earnings, with Massachusetts topping the list ($89,280) and New York coming in second ($83,070), according to this Forbes article.
The disparities between states can be pronounced, with Louisiana ($42,340) and Montana ($41,030) having the lowest yearly incomes overall. Unsurprisingly, this reflects variations in living expenses and the locations of commercial hubs.
Top publishers don’t necessarily pay top dollar
For those who are unfamiliar with publishing jargon, the Big 5 refers to the major publishers in the US: Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan.
These major publishers draw a lot of would-be editors because of their glitzy backlists, employee benefits, and influence in the business. However, adding bells and whistles doesn’t always translate into higher prices. Mid-level editorial jobs at Hachette currently pay $45,000, while graduate roles typically pay around $30,000—the latter of which is the industry standard, whether you’re at a boutique company or a publishing behemoth like Hachette.
Even if base book editor salaries are similar everywhere, Big 5 publishers frequently pay more for managerial positions due to the size and scope of production. However, independent publishers still tend to operate in smaller, more cohesive teams with a little more flexibility in terms of task delegation, which some editors may find more appealing even though they have fewer books to publish each year.
What should I charge for editing services?
The cost of hiring a professional editor varies greatly and is influenced by factors like the editor’s level of experience, their level of demand, and their location. You get what you pay for with everything in this world, though.
Although you can discover an editor willing to edit your 50,000-word book for just $100, how can you be sure they will do a good job? Simply put, you cannot. However, if you do your homework on the editor you want to hire, look at any references they may have from former clients, and consider their credentials and expertise, you can rest assured that they will work diligently on your book. For example, you should budget at least $800 for editing services for a book with 50,000 words.
The amount of editing you need also has an impact on the cost of the services. The most expensive type of editing is content editing, also known as substantive editing; copy editing is more expensive than proofreading, which is the last step. This is because these processes need a lot of work.
Some editors charge by the word, some by the thousand, and yet others by the hour. It’s crucial that you research the editor’s pricing policy so that, before you begin, you know exactly how much it will cost.
As a general rule, you should budget at least $5 for proofreading, $25 for copyediting, and $30 for content editing for every 1,000 words. Although this is simply a generalization, it is important to be aware of the price range you might expect to pay. If you pay for editing services by the word, the starting charge is roughly $0.02 per word, with prices rising for more thorough editing and quicker turnaround times.
It is crucial to hire expert editing services because doing so ensures that your work is in the finest possible condition. Your essay, article, or book won’t be taken seriously if it’s riddled with grammatical, punctuation, and spelling issues. First impressions do matter, after all.
Due to the aforementioned, it is worthwhile to spend money to make sure your paper is as flawless as possible. You spent time writing the document, so you want to make sure it gets to its target audience as effectively as possible. It’s crucial to conduct research on editors before selecting the ideal one for your project.
You should prepare to pay more if you need a lengthy document edited quickly. The cost will be less if time is not a problem. This is due to the fact that an editor who is required to complete your job swiftly won’t be allowed to take breaks or take on any other work. When evaluating the cost of editing services, keep all of these things in mind.
In conclusion, there is a huge range in the cost of professional editing services. The primary determinant of cost is the length of the document you need edited. Another aspect is the state of your paper and the type of modification needed. For any manuscript, editing and proofreading are necessary steps.
Editor World provides expert document editing services at competitive rates. We act as your own, on-call editing crew. As of May 2022, the fee to edit a 300-word document is $7.80 for a 5-day turnaround; for a 2-hour turnaround, the cost rises to $17.40. Using our Instant Price Calculator, find out more about how much professional document editing services cost.
How much time is required to edit 1000 words?
[I am not available for editing or copyediting workshops; if you need copyeditors, check below.]
Copyediting is the process of fixing an author’s manuscript by identifying grammar and spelling faults, establishing a standard for style and documentation, and enhancing clarity and flow without adding new errors or altering the author’s intent. In contrast to practically everything else in modern life, no machine can complete this complex set of tasks. There is currently no software available that can do the many decisions an editor makes each minute (although spell check has been a godsend).
Unfortunately, many authors are unaware of the expense and duration of copyediting, which is regrettable. What authors should anticipate while working with an independent copyeditor is explained in this section.
First off, very few academic copyeditors will work for less than $35 an hour. Experienced, competent editors will bill at least $50 per hour. and will typically bill $75 to $85 per hour.
Second, copyeditors must work between 2 and 5 pages per hour to complete a thorough copyedit of an academic manuscript. The standard word count for a page with a one-inch margin, double spacing, and twelve-point type is 250 words. Clean manuscripts may go as quickly as 8 pages per hour, while manuscripts with numerous errors will slow a copyeditor to one page or even half a page per hour. Because they become accustomed to the types of errors you commit, copyeditors typically go through a book more rapidly than an essay. Additionally, it takes two or three hours only to set up to edit a manuscript; this time is amortized over the life of a book, but not an article. Copyeditors typically work at a rate of 4 pages (or 1,000 words) each hour.
The conclusion is that getting your 30-page article copyedited might cost you up to $2,000 in total. Generally speaking, you should budget at least $500. If an editor charges $35 per hour and takes an hour per page to edit a full-length book with 500 pages that requires extensive editing, the cost may reach $17,500. But the average author will probably end up shelling out between $4,000 and $5,000.
The price of copyediting often shocks authors. Authors may object to paying $500 for an article or $5,000 for a book even though they may recognize that skilled academic copyeditors are highly educated (often with doctorates), have established a wide range of knowledge, and deserve a respectable compensation for their professional talents.
But let me make one thing clear. It’s true that even for individuals who regularly purchase $5 lattes (you know who you are! ), hundreds of dollars is no small sum for hungry students or untenured staff. If you consider it as an investment, though, it is not a big deal. An paper that has been well edited will probably perform better when it is submitted to a top journal with a high rejection rate. Good copyediting can immediately result in you earning more money each year because publication in reputable publications leads to employment, tenure, and promotions. Sometimes the very folks who would not hesitate to spend $500 on a suit to wear to three job interviews are the ones who would consider $500 to be an excessive investment in their long-term career.
How can you tell if you would gain from copyediting, then? Everyone, in my opinion, can gain something. We all have blind spots, and fixing our persistent mistakes can teach us a lot. Consider hiring a copyeditor if you’ve never had a professional copyedit and you’re sending a priceless article out for review only as a learning opportunity. Before sending material to a publisher, employ a copyeditor if you are not a native English speaker or if teachers or coworkers have suggested that it might be beneficial for your work to undergo copyediting. Your good ideas might not get a fair critique if your article has faults like poor grammar and difficult formulations.
If you’ve made the decision to invest in this, you undoubtedly want to get the most bang for your buck. I suggest you take the following actions to achieve this. Examine the document you want copyedited first. Check to see if it is clean. Check your footnotes’ spelling if you’ve never done so. Fix your references if they are not uniform. You don’t want to spend money on repairs that you might simply make yourself. After you have made the necessary corrections, determine the precise number of pages in your text (do not guess; divide the total electronic word count by 250 words). To determine the estimated total cost of copyediting, multiply this number by 4 (pages per hour). You won’t be startled in this manner. Third, see if anyone you know has experience working with a decent copyeditor by asking around. Alternately, visit the Editorial Freelancers Association website directly. Choose an academic copyeditor there who is knowledgeable about your field’s conventions. (I have never been a copyeditor for EFA; they haven’t paid me or given me anything to suggest them.) I give them my recommendation because they are run by editors for editors. Additionally, I endorse Mafoko Manuscript Services, which is handled by my friend and talented editor Dr. Mary S. Lederer and her colleague Dr. Leloba S. Molema. Their charges are almost half those of the US because they are based in Botswana.
Give the copyeditor specific information regarding the type of revision you desire after choosing a collaborator. Technical editing, style editing, correlation editing, and substantive editing are the four different types of editing. These are each mentioned below. The most time-consuming and valuable editing is substantive editing. I advise requesting a technical edit and a substantive edit from a copyeditor if you have trouble with English grammar. You can request only a substantial correction if you are quite confident about your grammar and spelling. If your work must be submitted in the publisher’s format, you can also request a style edit. However, most people can format a document according to a certain style if they take the time to carefully read the submission requirements.
Last but not least, if you are having a book-length work copyedited, ask the copyeditor to edit one chapter and email it to you so you may examine the changes before moving on. You might even be able to fix any standard errors the copyeditor detected before delivering the rest of the document to them.
Please visit Editorial Freelancers Association if you need to find a freelance copyeditor.