How Much Does Copy Editing Cost? (Typical Copy Editing Rates for Books)
“What is copy editing?” and “How much does copy editing cost?”
In coaching nonfiction authors, in talking with potential editing clients, and in conversations on Clubhouse and elsewhere, these questions often come up.
Many people don’t know what copy editing entails and what the editor will do to their manuscript.
Many editors aren’t transparent about their rates.
I’ll attempt to clear all this up in this article, part 2 of a 2-part series entitled “What is copy editing?”
Part 1 of the 2-part series was “What Is Copy Editing,” and in that post I defined copy editing and the duties of a copy editor.
This article breaks down the typical cost for copy editing a book with average rates for copy editing services.
Here’s a link to my copy editing services.
How do copy editors charge?
Trying to determine the going rate for copy editing isn’t easy.
Copy editors charge by the hour, by the word, by the page (assuming 250 words per page or the standard double-spaced 12-pt font with 1-inch margins), or by the total word count. Good news: It’s fairly easy to convert one rate to the other!
How much do copy editors charge?
Rates vary depending on the nature of the work, the time frame of the assignment, the degree of special expertise required, the editor’s experience, and other factors.
Expect to pay more for nonfiction than for fiction. Nonfiction editors may charge more for business, science, academic, and medical books. Attribute this to supply and demand and the more specialized skills required.
According to the Reedsy platform’s “How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish” resource, the average cost of copy editing is $0.025 per word. It’s worth noting that Reedsy matches authors with the best-of-the-best in the freelance editing biz.
(Here is nonfiction book editor Daniel Tortora’s listing on Reedsy.)
The Editorial Freelancers’ Association (EFA) website offers another data point for editorial rates for all types of editing services.
In 2019, the EFA surveyed its members about projects they invoiced and/or collected payments from during the 2019 calendar year, and here’s what it said about copy editing rates. (A page is defined as 250 words, the industry standard for a manuscript page.)
Here’s what Editorial Freelancers Association members charge for copy editing:
Average copy editing rates for fiction books are $36–$40/hr, $.02–$.029/wd, with an average pace of 7–10 pages/hr.
Average copy editing rates for nonfiction books are $41–45/hr, $.03–$.039/wd, with an average pace of 4–6 pages/hr.
Average copy editing rates for business/sales books are $46–$50/hr, $.04–$.049/wd, with an average pace of 4–6 pages/hr.
Average copy editing rates for medical/STEM books are $46–$50/hr, $.04–$.049/wd, with an average pace of 4–6 pages/hr.
In the book Writer’s Market 100th Edition: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published, readily available on Amazon and in most public library systems,
the “How Much Should I Charge Section” gives editorial rates based on a survey of 17 professional organizations. In Writers Market, like the EFA website, you can see editorial rates for many types of editing services.
According to Writers Market 2020, average rates are as follows:
Average copy editing rates for a trade book—your typical traditionally-published book—are $46/hr, $4.22/page.
Most trade books are light on the footnotes and citations, so the work goes a bit faster, which probably explains the lower per-word rate here.
These figures are a few years old, so $50/hr and $4.50/page seems more like it.
Using an editing company vs. hiring a freelancer
Rates vary from one freelancer or small company to the next.
As for the big companies, BookBaby offers copy editing: At $7 per page. Line editing is $10 per page. But you’re not able to discuss anything directly with the editor, nor can you choose your editor. So you have no idea if you’re getting someone experienced in the type of book you’re writing. Scribendi.com operates a similar way.
If you want to be able to ask follow-up questions and if you want to be able to select an editor with experience editing your type of book, hire a copy editor from a small company or a sole proprietor.
Get a firm estimate, in writing, and have it spelled out precisely what the copy editor will do to your manuscript and what you’ll get in return and when you’ll get it. You should get a style sheet, and you may also want a brief report or a follow-up phone call.
How to save money on copy editing
“Woah!” you might say. But consider the alternative. Do you have that level of editing experience? Do you want to look second-rate and jeopardize your book’s sales and your future opportunities? With a good copy editor and some experience you’ll gain knowledge and experience, meaning that in the future you will require less of your copy editor and it will thus cost you less.
Still, if you find yourself on a shoestring budget, or if you want to save money, learn to self-edit. Get yourself a copy of The Copyeditor’s Handbook and The Chicago Manual of Style. Get the most recent edition! Fair warning: It will take months to get semi-competent at this.
You can also try an AI editing program (ProWritingAid would be my recommendation), but know that it can only do so much.
Dreyer’s English is also a great book for the budget-minded author.
And finally, if you’re concerned with the price of copy editing, write a shorter, more concise book in the first place.