Updated 08/23/2017: this post previously featured median rates of complete freelance transactions. It has since been updated to provide average editorial rates based on service and word count, which we believe is more indicative of freelance rates.
There has genuinely never been a better time to be a freelance publishing professional. Not only has the remote working revolution made it possible to work for Big Five publishers without paying rent in New York, demand from self-publishing authors has opened up whole new avenues of income for editors and designers.
If you’re like most freelancers who have “making ends meet” high up on their priority list, you first need to know how much money you can expect from each job. The good news is that Reedsy has now revealed new data to answer that very question.
Reedsy is the world’s top marketplace for freelance book talent. Over the past few years, we’ve facilitated thousands of collaborations for professional editors and designers — most of whom have strong experience in traditional publishing. Based on the data we’ve collected, we can now give you an insight into how much book editors and designers can expect to make on a freelance gig.
How much do book editors make?
There is no industry-wide rate card for editorial work. There is also no ‘standard book’ as some manuscripts could be short and impeccably written, while others might be the size of Melville’s Moby Dick with a whale of a structural issue. In this section, we’ll be looking at the average rate of freelance services based on word count — and, in particular, how it varies from genre to genre.
Of course, word count and genre are not the only factors that determine a freelancer's quote. In certain genres, where there have been fewer collaborations on the Reedsy marketplace, the margin of error will be significant. However, this should give you a ballpark picture of what your fellow editors are earning on the open market.
Developmental Editing
As it’s understood by most Reedsy professionals, a developmental edit will involve detailed edits and annotations of the author’s manuscript along with a lengthy editorial document. The aim here is to provide both top-level critiques and specific suggestions for improvement.
Here are the average developmental editing rates for a 70,000-word manuscript:
- Romance: $1,302
- Thriller, Crime & Mystery: $1,377
- Sci-fi & Fantasy: $1,372
- YA: $1,428
- Historial Fiction: $2,149
- Literary Fiction: $1,533
- Middle Grade (MG) $1,435
- Memoir: $1,743
- Business, Self-help, and Health: $2,828
Among the professional editors whose average rates hover around these marks are former Big 5 editorial directors and commissioning editors with best-sellers under their belt. I've highlighted two categories with significantly higher 'per word' editing rates: historical fiction, and non-fiction. Working on these genres requires the editor to do a lot of research in order to verify (or clarify) what's going on in the manuscript — hence, the greater cost to the author.
Revealed! How much do #freelancers make on an average developmental edit?
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Editorial Assessment
In place of a full developmental edit, many indie authors prefer to get broad editorial assessment. The type of feedback is similar but the professional will not directly edit the manuscript. This option demands less of an editor’s time and should, accordingly, be more affordable for the client/author.
Here are the average editorial assessment rates for a 70,000-word manuscript since late 2014:
- Romance: $812
- Thriller, Crime & Mystery: $819
- Sci-fi & Fantasy: $847
- YA: $966
- Historial Fiction: $756
- Literary Fiction: $966
- Middle Grade (MG) $1,267
- Memoir: $1,295
- Business, Self-help, and Health: $1,547
In this chart, many transactions with values way above the average are for editorial assessments that evolved into full-blown edits. Authors often seek an assessment as a way of testing the waters, so it’s not unusual for these editorial partnerships to continue beyond the initial manuscript report.
Find out how much #freelance editors charge for an average manuscript assessment.
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Copy Editing
Strictly speaking, copy editing is about the nuts-and-bolts of the manuscript: making sure the grammar and spelling is up to snuff while eradicating consistency issues and factual errors. We found that when working with indie authors, most copy editors will also go above and beyond, providing substantial editing of language where needed
Here are the average copyediting rates for a 70,000-word manuscript since late 2014:
- Romance: $1,302
- Thriller, Crime & Mystery: $1,377
- Sci-fi & Fantasy: $1,372
- YA: $1,225
- Historical Fiction: $966
- Literary Fiction: $1,393
- Middle Grade (MG) $1,155
- Memoir: $1,295
- Business, Self-help, and Health: $1,547
As with developmental edits, freelancers will charge more for non-fiction — to account for extensive fact-checking. That’s something that doesn’t happen as much when working on romance fiction, for example. (Eagle-eyed readers may notice that the rate for Historical Fiction is significantly lower than the other genres. A few heavily-discounted collaborations have significantly skewed those statistics)
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final stage of the editorial process, where all the I’s are dotted and the final T’s get crossed. In recent years, we’ve seen increased demand for proofreaders amongst self-publishing authors, as more of them have started to see the benefits of putting out professional-grade books.
Here are the average proofreading rates for a 70,000-word manuscript since late 2014:
- Romance: $550
- Thriller, Crime & Mystery: $552
- Sci-fi & Fantasy: $595
- YA: $756
- Historical Fiction: $756
- Literary Fiction: $644
- Middle Grade (MG): $N/A
- Memoir: $882
- Business, Self-help, and Health: $896
As with the other editorial services, we see a slight uptick in rates where it comes to non-fiction titles. And as you might have noticed, not enough MG authors have requested proofreading on Reedsy to provide a significant enough sample for an average. As mentioned above, proofreading is perhaps the one editorial service that indie fiction authors are still coming around to.
Now that we’ve covered the most popular services offered by freelance editors, let’s take a look at the professionals who work outside the manuscript: book designers!
Discover the average proofreading rate for an 80k manuscript on @ReedsyHQ
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How much do cover designers make?
Just as no two editing jobs are the same, few freelance book designers have the same process or criteria when they’re sending proposals for jobs. Earlier this year, Reedsy ran an in-depth survey of our cover designers to know what goes into their fee decisions.
The graph below represents the range of book cover design collaborations on Reedsy since December 2014.
Median rate for professional cover design: $586
When a designer charges significantly more than the average, it is usually because of factors like the need for mechanical covers: a good chunk of indie authors only require an ebook cover, which doesn’t need a spine or back cover to be designed.
Where bespoke photography or original illustrations are needed, the price will also go up. Most indie book designs are based around stock images, which require less time and can be produced at a lower cost.
How much do #freelance book cover designers charge per job? @ReedsyHQ reveals... #selfpub
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Then there’s the matter of experience. Freelance designers with multiple global bestsellers to their name can command a higher fee. Award-winning, former creative directors won’t get out of bed for less than a grand. These designers still tend to work on contract with traditional publishers, and as a result, will be more selective with the indie work they take on.
One last thought on freelance opportunities
The rise of self-publishing authors has opened up many opportunities for freelancers to spread their wings, be their own boss, and work on a variety of projects that pique their interest. However, working in the indie publishing world has its own unique challenges.
Most indie authors are relatively new to the field and will be paying for editorial and design work out of their own pocket. It’s only natural that they will find it hard to resist the freelancer with the lowest quote. This is not to say that you should always bid low — it’s important to remember that when communicating with prospective clients, the onus is on you to convince them of the value you can add to their project; a higher price can often be perceived as better quality. Let your authors understand how your skills and experience will improve their book and bring them closer to their career goals.
It’s still a brave new world for book professionals. With the right approach, you can find professional fulfilment on your own terms. We wish you the best of luck!
If you're an editor, designer, marketer, or ghostwriter with traditional publishing experience, drop us an email and request an invitation to join the Reedsy Marketplace.
The post Uncovered: How much do freelance book editors and designers make? appeared first on Reedsy.