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The Cost of Editing
So you’ve written a book, a darn good book in your opinion, and now you’re debating hiring an editor. The only problem is the price. Everyone is so expensive, and those that aren’t may not be worth the pennies paid to them. So, how do you go about finding an editor and why go with Valhalla?
Per Hour Rates vs. Word Count Rates: Choosing a Rate that Works for You
There are two different types of rates an editor may use to charge clients: per word/page or per hour.
The truth is that neither rate is perfect; both have advantages and drawbacks. For per hour rates, the advantage is that the project is charged by the time it takes. Because it is based on time, a per hour rate takes into account that all books are at different levels of completion, and thus need various amounts of time to edit.
There are two drawbacks to per hour rates. The first is that, if your book needs a lot of work, you may get charged much more money than you were originally willing to spend. The second is that, as a writer, you cannot know the exact amount you’ll be paying before the editor begins.
Here at Valhalla we charge by the word. We give you an estimate based on the amount of words and we try to be flexible. It just depends on how much editing you have done yourself and how much work is left to be done. It may be that you've poured over it quite a bit and you just need a new set of eyes on it and so in that case you may not need to have a lot more done. Other times you may need to have a complete overhaul of the words and that's fine. We can work with you on price if you are on a shoestring budget as most indie writers are and if you tell us you want the whole package of editing, formatting, cover design, and distribution we can work out a discount. We depend on your business and our customers are our main priority and so we like to make you happy with a rate you can live with. We do charge for editing up front, but you can go chapter by chapter or give us the whole manuscript. The choice is up to you. We have had some excellent results from our indie authors so far and we hope to continue with our success of making indie writers happy. You put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into your book so you shouldn't have to fret over pricing as well. We can't guarantee that you're book won't need several edits, but we will do our best to work with you on that when the time comes.
Why Do You Charge Per Word?
Between the two rates, I most customers prefer the word count rate. We believe the word count rate benefits writers more than the hourly rate, and that's why we offer affordable professional editing. Word count rates allow writers to agree or disagree with the price upfront. As writers ourselves we have become frustrated that many editing websites hide their rates. We are up front with our costs.
According to the Editorial Freelancers Association here are the average rates for editing. (These are not Valhalla's rates - ours are much lower).
Average Editing Rates
basic copyediting $30-40 per hour
heavy copyediting$40-50 per hour
content/substantive editing$40-60 per hour
developmental editing$45-55 per hour
website copyediting$40-50 per hour
Many editors charge more than this. Many times professional editors can get away with more expensive rates if they have considerable experience in the field. But remember, at a certain point, the rates are so high that you are simply paying for a name. Our rates are simple: 2 cents per word. This fee is our flat rate, but we may even knock off some money if you say you want to go with our other services. Our estimates usually come in even lower than this rate because authors love our design work, formatting, editing, and distribution expertise.
Why Are Your Rates Cheaper?
It takes our editors about a hundred hours to edit a book 50,000 to 75,000 words long. We also tend to finish edits within two weeks. If you do the math, you’ll realize that per hour we are charging well under the industry average.
There are two reasons why our rates are lower than industry average. First, we are currently trying to build our client base. Our editors been editing for several years, but we just begun our business in 2015. To us, getting our name out there is more important to us than expensive editing.
Why Should I Even Go with a Professional Editor if They Are So Expensive?
Writers who are considering self-publishing should hire a professional editor. Buying a self-publishing deal already comes at a great out-of-pocket expense to the writer. If you have to market your book yourself, you will do yourself a great disservice by selling a book that is filled will mistakes. Publishing houses edit books several times before they market them. If you want your book to be competitive in the literary field, then you’re going to have to hold your book to the same standards a publishing house would.
Conclusion
When choosing an editor, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. First you’ll need figure out which type of rate you prefer. Second you’ll need to know the average industry rates of professional editors. If you interested in our services, it is important that you understand our motives for why we charge below the industry standard, and how we approach editing. Lastly, if you decide to go with us, you can always ask for a sample page of edits. You know best what you’re looking for and we are happy to oblige you with a sample of our editing. We look forward to hearing from you and happy writing!
So you’ve written a book, a darn good book in your opinion, and now you’re debating hiring an editor. The only problem is the price. Everyone is so expensive, and those that aren’t may not be worth the pennies paid to them. So, how do you go about finding an editor and why go with Valhalla?
Per Hour Rates vs. Word Count Rates: Choosing a Rate that Works for You
There are two different types of rates an editor may use to charge clients: per word/page or per hour.
The truth is that neither rate is perfect; both have advantages and drawbacks. For per hour rates, the advantage is that the project is charged by the time it takes. Because it is based on time, a per hour rate takes into account that all books are at different levels of completion, and thus need various amounts of time to edit.
There are two drawbacks to per hour rates. The first is that, if your book needs a lot of work, you may get charged much more money than you were originally willing to spend. The second is that, as a writer, you cannot know the exact amount you’ll be paying before the editor begins.
Here at Valhalla we charge by the word. We give you an estimate based on the amount of words and we try to be flexible. It just depends on how much editing you have done yourself and how much work is left to be done. It may be that you've poured over it quite a bit and you just need a new set of eyes on it and so in that case you may not need to have a lot more done. Other times you may need to have a complete overhaul of the words and that's fine. We can work with you on price if you are on a shoestring budget as most indie writers are and if you tell us you want the whole package of editing, formatting, cover design, and distribution we can work out a discount. We depend on your business and our customers are our main priority and so we like to make you happy with a rate you can live with. We do charge for editing up front, but you can go chapter by chapter or give us the whole manuscript. The choice is up to you. We have had some excellent results from our indie authors so far and we hope to continue with our success of making indie writers happy. You put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into your book so you shouldn't have to fret over pricing as well. We can't guarantee that you're book won't need several edits, but we will do our best to work with you on that when the time comes.
Why Do You Charge Per Word?
Between the two rates, I most customers prefer the word count rate. We believe the word count rate benefits writers more than the hourly rate, and that's why we offer affordable professional editing. Word count rates allow writers to agree or disagree with the price upfront. As writers ourselves we have become frustrated that many editing websites hide their rates. We are up front with our costs.
According to the Editorial Freelancers Association here are the average rates for editing. (These are not Valhalla's rates - ours are much lower).
Average Editing Rates
basic copyediting $30-40 per hour
heavy copyediting$40-50 per hour
content/substantive editing$40-60 per hour
developmental editing$45-55 per hour
website copyediting$40-50 per hour
Many editors charge more than this. Many times professional editors can get away with more expensive rates if they have considerable experience in the field. But remember, at a certain point, the rates are so high that you are simply paying for a name. Our rates are simple: 2 cents per word. This fee is our flat rate, but we may even knock off some money if you say you want to go with our other services. Our estimates usually come in even lower than this rate because authors love our design work, formatting, editing, and distribution expertise.
Why Are Your Rates Cheaper?
It takes our editors about a hundred hours to edit a book 50,000 to 75,000 words long. We also tend to finish edits within two weeks. If you do the math, you’ll realize that per hour we are charging well under the industry average.
There are two reasons why our rates are lower than industry average. First, we are currently trying to build our client base. Our editors been editing for several years, but we just begun our business in 2015. To us, getting our name out there is more important to us than expensive editing.
Why Should I Even Go with a Professional Editor if They Are So Expensive?
Writers who are considering self-publishing should hire a professional editor. Buying a self-publishing deal already comes at a great out-of-pocket expense to the writer. If you have to market your book yourself, you will do yourself a great disservice by selling a book that is filled will mistakes. Publishing houses edit books several times before they market them. If you want your book to be competitive in the literary field, then you’re going to have to hold your book to the same standards a publishing house would.
Conclusion
When choosing an editor, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. First you’ll need figure out which type of rate you prefer. Second you’ll need to know the average industry rates of professional editors. If you interested in our services, it is important that you understand our motives for why we charge below the industry standard, and how we approach editing. Lastly, if you decide to go with us, you can always ask for a sample page of edits. You know best what you’re looking for and we are happy to oblige you with a sample of our editing. We look forward to hearing from you and happy writing!