How to Pick The Right Editor To Meet Your Needs And Budget
Updated: Sep 2
Did you know that if you spend time carefully choosing your editor and the type of editing you need, you could trim down your editing costs?
Editors range from developmental and structural to those who specialise in proofreading, and each type of editing has its own price range. For instance, developmental editing, due to the specialisation and hours involved, is pricier than copy editing.
But there are ways to trim down your editing costs.
Authors I've chatted with over the years have admitted that the trick to saving on high editing costs is to self-edit as much as possible before handing your manuscript to an editor.
But first, before deciding on what type of editing you need and which one you should budget for, you need to understand the difference between the different types of editing: developmental editor, content editor, structural editor, line editor, copy editor, and proofreader.
To make it easier for you to decide which type of editor you need, I've put together a carousel outlining the different types and stages of editing. You can pick your editor based on your needs and the editing stage you are currently at in your book-writing journey.
Browse through the sample gallery below or download and save the full 14-page PDF for future reference.
Choosing your Editor - Sample
Still not sure? Perhaps a manuscript evaluation and review will help.
A manuscript evaluation with a full report showing you the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript is another way to reduce your editing costs, as it costs significantly less than a full edit and takes up less time.
To find out more about how a manuscript evaluation can help you, book a free 15-minute clarity call.
"The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book. 'Finish your first draft and then we'll talk,' he said. It took me a long time to realize how good the advice was. Even if you write it wrong, write and finish your first draft. Only then, when you have a flawed whole, do you know what you have to fix." - Dominick Dunne
I read the blog about picking your editor, and I thought it was neat how it talks about choosing tools that fit your own writing style and goals, not just what is popular. It reminded me of a time when I struggled to organise my notes and had to use assignment help for CIPD students to get back on track while working on a long project. It made me see that finding the right support can make writing easier and clearer.
A clear and practical resource to download and keep at hand to help you choose your editor.