Do You Need an Editor as a Self-Published Author?

Self-published authors are a bold and highly motivated breed of writers. They start with a unique idea, nourish it to become a viable manuscript, and commit countless hours of research to ensure that the resulting product is marketable and reaches as many readers as possible. Unlike traditionally published authors, they have their hands in every aspect of the publishing process, from outlining their plots to formatting and even designing their covers.

While self-published authors may intend to handle these publishing requirements on their own, it's important to remember just how competitive publishing your own book can be. According to Publishers Weekly, there were over 2 million self-published titles in 2023 steadily growing by 7% from the previous year. The harsh reality for many self-published authors is that if they want their book to stand out on the market, they'll need to be realistic about their skills as a writer, marketer, and yes, as an editor.

The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Editor

In many ways, making sure your book is thoroughly edited is the most important step in the self-publishing process. Publishing an unpolished manuscript that hasn’t been edited is immediately apparent to your readers and if the story is hard to follow and is clouded by enough errors, they may decide to put the book down or worse, leave a negative review online.

When a book is published through a traditional process, the manuscript goes through at least three stages of editing before being formatted and bound. Many authors can be frustrated by the ending result because, for a publishing house, the primary goal is to have a marketable product and their vision may misalign with the author’s goal for the story or message.

This is where hiring a freelance editor is beneficial. The relationship between an author and their freelance editor is collaborative. They work for you and not a publishing house which means you get the final say. A freelance editor makes suggestions rather than unapproved cuts. They may push back if the error is significant enough, but at the end of the day, you get to make the final decision.

What Type of Editor Do I Need?

Not all editors are the same. The editor you’ll need to hire will depend on what stage of the writing process you’re at and your specific goals for the manuscript. Here are a few of the main types of editors you may encounter:

Developmental Editor

As the name suggests, a developmental editor primarily focuses on the development of your manuscript. They will read through your work and make suggestions on things such as plot structure, character development, and inconsistencies. They likely won’t be looking for grammar or spelling errors (though they may fix a few if they see them); the main focus is whether or not your story makes sense from a reader’s perspective and if there’s room for improvement.

In many ways, a developmental editor shares a similar role to a beta reader, but with one important distinction – a developmental editor is a trained professional who has likely spent years or decades developing their skills. Additionally, a beta reader typically doesn’t make suggestions within the manuscript and their feedback may just be a few sentences or paragraphs. However, a developmental editor will read through your book multiple times, deliver a comprehensive editorial letter, and work with you during your revisions until the job is complete.

Copyeditor/ Line editor

Once the developmental edit is complete, the next step is to work with a copyeditor or line editor. The differences between these two professionals are subtle but worth mentioning. Copyeditors and line editors both address general readability, tone, pace, and authenticity. However, a copyeditor will generally focus more on sentence structure, spelling, and grammar, whereas a line editor will prioritize how the text “sounds” and work with the author to reword awkward sentences or add more context if needed. Because copyediting and line editing are so similar, many editors include both services as one comprehensive package.

Proofreader

While a copyedit will generally target spelling and grammar issues, there are some scenarios that call for hiring a freelance proofreader to give the manuscript an extra look. Proofreading is an affordable and quick service that is applied at the very end once the structure, tone, pace, character development, and all other literary aspects are addressed. A proofreader will only look for grammatical or spelling issues, typically right before formatting and bookbinding. In many cases, a copyeditor or even developmental editor will include proofreading in their rates, but will wait until the very end before they proof.

Still not sure what kind of editor you need? Contact UnTapped for a free consultation!

How Much Will A Freelance Editor Cost?

Becoming a self-published author is a great option for writers and storytellers who want more control over their work and the ability to get published as quickly as possible without red tape. But the downside is that they’re also responsible for footing the bill when hiring professionals like graphic designers, literary agents, and editors. Self-published authors (especially those working on their first book) have a limited budget and investing in their book needs to be a mindful and strategic decision. Unfortunately, for many first-time authors, this translates to hiring the cheapest freelancers from places like Fiver or Upwork.

But in the self-publishing world, working with a cheap editor means that you’ll likely be working with an unvetted, untrained, and inexperienced editor. In many cases, this is worse than not hiring an editor at all because you’ll not only be out hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but you’ll also risk having errors introduced into the manuscript that weren’t there before. There is also plenty of theft and fraud amongst dishonest editors and if you’re not careful, your manuscript might end up being stolen and published by a vanity press or another fraudulent group.

On the other hand, if you’re investing in a quality editor, you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting what you paid for. Check for reviews online, look for their listing in reputable editorial associations, and ask for a consultation and sample edit before making a final decision. Make sure their rates and role in your project are clearly defined. A professional editor will typically offer a range for a particular editorial service followed by a final quote once they’ve looked over the manuscript.

In most cases, editorial ranges are by the word. Here are some sample ranges offered by UnTapped:

Developmental Editing: 0.015 - 0.04¢  per word

Copyediting/Line editing: 0.01 - 0.03¢  per word

Proofreading: 0.01¢ per word (or free with the purchase of another service)

Full-Service Editing: .04 - .10¢  per word

How to Hire a Freelance Editor as a Self-Published Author

Finding the right editor is much more than hiring someone who has the right skills for the job. The relationship between an author and editor is ongoing and collaborative. You’ll want to seek out editors who not only understand your goals but who appreciate and are excited by your work.

Once you’ve found a potential match, the next step is to contact them directly for a consultation. Make sure to ask plenty of questions such as:

How many years have you been editing?

What types of authors do you work with?

How quickly do you think you can finish the work?

Do you work through Google Docs or Word?

Can you provide me with a sample edit?

If by at the end of the consultation you still feel like they are a good match, the editor will usually request that you send them the current draft of your manuscript to look over and assess the level of work needed. Once they are finished with the initial assessment, you’ll usually be provided with some brief feedback, a final rate quote, and the opportunity for a sample edit and to ask any additional questions.

Are you an author or writer interested in the self-publishing or editorial process? We’d love to help! Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more!