How to Find a Great Freelance Novel Editor
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Most authors have no idea how to begin after they’ve decided to start looking for professional feedback. I’ve seen many posts in online writers’ communities I belong to asking for advice on how to find an editor, making it one of the most common questions I see. As with most things related to publishing, there is a lot of information out there to wade through, but there are several key pieces of advice that I can share when it comes to finding a freelance novel editor.
A few years ago during my local SCBWI conference, I was waiting along with about two hundred other writers for the doors to the banquet hall to open and for the ensuing musical chairs as everyone would try to find the agent, editor, or author they hoped to sit with. I chatted with the lady standing next to me, and we compared notes on breakout sessions we’d particularly liked and started talking about our own work. She shared she’d been working on her manuscript for years and knew it was time to get a fresh set of eyes on her work to give her in-depth feedback. Then she threw up her hands and asked,
“But where on earth do you find an editor?”
I don’t remember quite what I told her—if I was someone else, I might have said something smooth and snappy like “Right in front of you”—but we both laughed when I said I was an editor.
Of course, while this is a true story, this kind of situation almost never happens. Because of this, I’ve put together the following advice to help you make the very important decision of who will work with you on your book.
Step 1: Define what you need in an edit
While it’s so tempting to be off to the races looking for an editor as soon as you type “The End,” you can save yourself a lot of time and expense by evaluating what kind of critique you’re really looking for on your manuscript. First, there are several different types of editing, and each one focuses on a different aspect of a manuscript. Jackie and I have written up a guide to these different types of edits in another blog post. You may find that the terms are not universal, but if you can accurately describe what you need, you’ll be well on your way to finding an editor who can help you.
Second, not all editors use the same approach or process. Do you want someone who will quickly edit your work and return a clean copy to you? Do you want an editor who will explain the changes made and offer an editorial letter written to teach you how to develop your own skills? Do you want to be able to ask questions of your editor? As an example, your two editors here at Ground Crew put author development and encouragement high on our list of priorities, which means that we have designed our process so that the authors we work with are given lots of opportunities to ask questions throughout the length of the project. We focus on giving feedback that can be applied to the manuscript at hand as well as future writing because we are invested in helping our authors feeling confident in taking the next steps of their journey and continuing to create.
Having a firm grasp of what you want will help you evaluate whether an editor is a good fit for you and also help you avoid unnecessary cost and lost time. You’ll have better conversations with your potential editor, and you will also be able to more easily parse if an editor can really help you.
Step 2: Places to search for a freelance novel editor
Thanks to the internet, finding an editor is easier than ever. There are many places for you to start your search:
Ask for recommendations from people you know
Asking fellow authors for recommendations is one of the best ways to find an editor. You can ask them questions about their experiences beyond a testimonial, and you can feel assured that you’re reaching out to an editor who’s already been vetted by someone you know.
Ask around in writing communities you belong to
If you belong to a critique group, social media groups, or other communities focused on writing, you can ask fellow members for recommendations. Facebook groups like I Need a Book Editor and EAE Ad Space can assist authors and editors in connecting, and there are many similar groups dedicated to more specific writers and audiences where you can find editors who specialize in your genre or audience. You can even find editors on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok by using hashtags specific to your genre or the kind of edit you’re looking for.
Look into professional editor networks
Many editors belong to professional organizations that work to help writers connect with potential editors. These organizations often require editors to pay a membership fee to be listed in a searchable editor directory, and many also have job boards that authors can post on. You can look at organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), ACES: The Society for Editing, and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). For UK authors, CIEP is very well known, and the Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) is focused on Australian and New Zealand editors.
Ask the internet
While this isn’t nearly as precise as a search method, simply using a search engine online is another way to find editors. Be sure to use keywords to narrow your search results, such as your genre, audience, and type of edit you’re looking for.
The elephant in the room: freelancer sites
You may have noticed that I have not yet talked about freelancer websites, which might seem to be the most obvious answer to finding an editor. These are sites like Freelancer.com, UpWork, Fiverr, and Reedsy. I want to begin by saying there are many excellent editors who use these platforms and have had great success—many authors and editors make wonderful connections via freelancer sites. However, these platforms are often not inherently friendly to the editors who use them. These platforms claim a commission on what editors are paid, so if you hire an editor in this way, you may find that it is more expensive than hiring them directly as editors have to raise their rates to cover this loss.
In addition, the way these platforms’ hiring processes are often designed have the result of pitting editors against each other in a race to the bottom, lowering costs in order to attract clients. This can create an environment that devalues the services offered and makes it much more difficult for skilled editors to earn living wages without spreading themselves too thin on too many projects. Many editors have profiles on these sites in addition to their own websites. If you can hire an editor directly rather than via a freelancer platform, please do!
Now what? How to narrow down the results
You will most likely find that it’s almost too easy to find an editor, so the real difficulty is actually choosing one. Once you’ve found several promising leads, here are some important factors to consider before reaching out to an editor:
Experience
How long has this editor been working in the field? Do they have specialized training, writing degrees, or other experience that shows they know what they’re talking about? Do they belong to any professional organizations? Naturally, every editor has to begin somewhere, and you may come across editors just getting started who will do a great job, but be sure that you know this up front and decide how experienced you would like your editor to be.
Understanding of your genre
Has this editor worked on manuscripts like yours before? Do they read the genre?
Skills or knowledge relevant to what you need
Does this editor offer the kind of edit that you’re looking for? Not all editors offer all editorial services—in fact, many specialize, so be sure that you’re looking at editors who have the right skills. If specialty knowledge is important for your manuscript, you should factor that into your search. If you are just getting started, you might ask if the editor has experience working with new authors. If your first language is not English and that is the language you’re hoping to publish in, you might also ask if your editor has experience working with non-native English writers.
A good track record
Does this editor have testimonials or reviews from former clients? You may be able to find some published books that an editor has worked on in their portfolio, which can be a useful method of determining an editor’s experience. Do keep in mind, however, that many editors work with authors at all stages of independent, self, and traditional publishing, so the number of published books they’ve worked on is often not the same as the total number of books they’ve edited. Similarly, while a good editor supports an author on their book journey, the ultimate form of the book and its success in the market are not within their control. The number of reviews or sales that books receive is much more dependent on the quality of the author’s marketing and networking (and their publishing house, if they are working with one) rather than the quality of the editorial work performed on their manuscript. You’ll often find the content of the reviews much more helpful than the number of reviews when it comes to whether or not the story is reaching its audience.
Pricing
How much does this editor charge? Do they ask for a deposit? Do they offer payment plans? It almost goes without saying that you should keep your budget in mind when looking for an editor. Of note here is that you will find pricing for editing varies widely from editor to editor for the same services. Editors like us use the EFA’s rates chart as a rough guide, and while it only reports averages from its members, it is a good starting place for you when you’re evaluating costs. Do keep in mind that editing involves a specialized skillset that often takes years of experience and consistent professional development to truly learn, so you should expect to pay a professional rate for high-quality work. Many freelance editors run their own businesses, so their prices also reflect the cost of doing business (such paying healthcare premiums, self-employment tax, client management systems, and so on). New editors often charge less in order to gain experience, but be sure to take the time to evaluate a good fit even when the price is tempting. Editing is no exception to the rule that you get what you pay for.
Narrowing your choices down even further
Once you’ve narrowed down some of your results, there are some further criteria you can use to determine a good fit with an editor. At this stage, you’re ready to reach out to prospective editors.
A good fit
Because writing is so personal, it’s important to find an editor who not only has skills and experience but who also understands your work and your goals. Keep in mind that you’re not necessarily looking for someone who adores your writing or even has the same taste—an editor isn’t a beta reader—but someone who understands what you’re trying to do with your story and someone you will work well with. We all have different personalities, so you should also keep this factor in mind when looking at editors. Some of this can be reflected in the process itself, such as the level of communication you prefer and how you like to be communicated with. Other elements are more je ne sais quoi and can only be determined through communication with an editor such as more discussion via email or talking on the phone or via Zoom.
A sample edit
Some editors offer sample edits to potential clients. These are typically short segments of text from your work to show their ability and approach. Sometimes samples are free while other editors ask for a small fee that is applied to the total cost of editing if the writer chooses to work with them. Please note that some editors do not offer sample edits at all. Sample edits are more of an editor’s personal choice of how they approach their business and not an industry standard, so this should not be treated as a red flag for a potential editor.
A contract
When you’re discussing working with an editor, I always encourage writers to consider the contract. Email has been established as a form of binding contract, so if an editor you’re talking with doesn’t use a formal contract, this isn’t necessarily a sign of trouble ahead. However, it is important that you know exactly what services the editor will provide for you in clear language, along with an agreed-upon timeline, cost, and payment arrangements. Contracts can also include terms about refunds, moving project deadlines, adjustments to manuscript length, confidentiality agreements, and other details relevant to the project.
Final thoughts on how to find an editor
I hope that this is a useful guide for you as you start your search for an editor. Most important of all, ask questions! Hiring an editor is an investment in yourself as a writer and in your work. Make sure you take the time to find someone who can help you take the next step in your journey.
P.S. As of September 2024, we’ve expanded this discussion in another blog post about how to find an editor you can trust. You can read it here.
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Thanks to Oxana V via Unsplash for the photo!
