6 Ways to Save Money on Editing

A good editor is worth their weight in gold.

Translation? Good editing is expensive. And for good reason! Editing is a specialized skill and a good one is going to take time to go carefully examine every word in your manuscript.

But editing doesn’t have to break the bank. There are so many ways to save money on editing! So here are 6 ways to save money on editing.

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

(Read until the end for a bonus tip or click here to download Now What? which shows you three different authors with three different editing budgets.)

1) Self-edit first

There’s nothing worse than paying someone to tell you about the most obvious gaping plot hole or to fix a typo you would have caught if you’d done your own self-editing pass first.

No editor expects your work to be perfect. You wouldn’t be hiring an editor if you thought the book didn’t need help. But your editor can go so much deeper into the plot structure and character arcs if you’ve already done the ground work.

For instance, it’s not fun having your editor ask “What is your character’s misbelief in this book? What’s holding her back?” which is something a friend probably could have picked up on.

You want your editor give more nuanced feedback like “I love how X’s actions are all rooted in the wound from her father. Do you think we could tone down Scenes 4, 6, and 9? I’m not sure it makes sense for her to be that reactive in those situations and the contrast in reaction would really make Scene 18 pop.”

This will save you money because you won’t need several rounds of editing to get to those deeper edits, and you’ll feel confident about publishing your book.

If you have no idea where to start with self-edits, check out my self-editing guide here.

2) Use beta readers

Having beta readers (avid readers of your genre) give you their opinions will help you shape your book so it’s in the best shape it can be for your editor.

Beta readers often give you better feedback than a friend or family member because they read your genre and are a gauge for how well you conform to genre expectations etc.

I always advise my clients ask specific questions so they don’t get advice that they can’t use like “Oh, it was good.”

You want someone to say “The pacing worked well for me and I felt immersed in the book the whole time” or “I didn’t understand why Kaitlyn murdered that man based on her character growth to that point.”

These comments tell you exactly what’s working or what needs to be fixed. Click here to get my Ultimate Guide to Beta Readers on how to get this kind of feedback.

Getting beta reader feedback first will let your editor go deeper in the manuscript (much like I mentioned in the first point) and save you money on subsequent rounds of editing.

3) Choose one kind of editing

Hiring an editor for each round can add up! You can save yourself some money by hiring out for one kind of editing.

Traditionally published books go through three kinds of editing:

• developmental editing for story

• line editing for pace and flow

• copyediting for grammar, clarity, and consistency

But you can save money by choosing the kind of editing you most need based on your strengths and weaknesses.

For example, if you have great beta readers and are confident in your story but know your grammar needs to be cleaned up and you’re not the best person to do it, hire a copyeditor.

If you’re a first-time author, I always suggest getting a developmental edit or a manuscript critique (think dev edit lite) because people are much more likely to forgive a few typos if they need to know what’s going to happen to the characters.

4) Ask if your editor offers a single-pass option

Most editors will edit your manuscript twice, but you can save money if you ask them to go through it once instead.

Industry standard dictates that your editor do two passes (a pass means a read through of the manuscript while editing), and most editors base their rates on that standard. However, some editors will offer single-pass pricing.

When an editor only does one pass, it increases the chances that something will be missed since the second pass is usually done to check their work and ensure nothing has slipped through the cracks.

Of course, doing a single pass is better than doing no passes and often is much cheaper than the standard double pass, so it never hurts to ask if an editor offers that service!

5) Work your publishing schedule out at least six months in advance

If you know your publishing schedule in advance and plan for each round of editing, you might be able to get a deal on bundling your edits together.

Some editors give you a deal when you book a developmental edit and a copyedit at the same time.

That’s not to say they’ll do both rounds in one go. Those should be done separately so you don’t have to pay someone to copyedit a scene that you have to cut. But they might give you a deal for signing the contract for both rounds at once!

If you’re unsure of what kind of editing your book may need, check out my free PDF I’ve finished writing my book. Now what?

6) Check your editor’s credentials

Making sure you find the right editor for you at the beginning will save you stress, time, and money in the long run!

Anyone can call themselves an editor since it’s an unregulated industry.

Unfortunately, that means the quality of the editing you get will vary from editor to editor. To make sure you get a good one and don’t spend weeks crying about how much worse they made your book, make sure you ask your editor about their training (and get a sample edit!).

A good editor will be happy to tell you about how they came to be an editor. It usually starts with a knack for story or language, but it shouldn’t end there!

Don’t settle for someone who says they love reading or has an English degree. They should have done a university program that focused on editing and publishing specifically and/or taken courses from a reputable industry organization like Editors Canada or the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) .

You can also check the quote you get against the EFA rates chart to see if they charge more or less than average.

Bonus Tip: Work with the same editor again!

If you loved your editor the first time round, work with them again! They may give returning client discounts from time to time. I certainly do.

On top of the potential discounts, working with someone who knows your style and work means your editor won’t be retreading familiar ground (unless you need it!). They’ll know exactly what you’ve discussed previously and how to bring out more nuance and even better writing from you.

Plus, as you get better and better, the cleaner your drafts are!

Cultivating a long-term working relationship with your editor is good for your bank account and your soul!

In conclusion…

Editing is essential to the publication process, but it can get pricy quick.

Make sure you use as many free/low-cost tools to edit your work as best you can (like the Self-Editing Guide and Beta Reader Guide) before hiring an editor, do your due diligence when looking for editors (shop around and check references), and ask for bundles or single-pass options.

If you do all of these, you’ll save yourself tons of money on editing and come out of the process confident and ready to publish.

Don’t forget to pick up your free copy of Now What? for more information on different kinds of editing and to see how you can mix and match my services to fit your budget.

Click below to get yours now!