Choosing an editor can be stressful, but editing your own work is worse. That’s why you should look for an editor who can give you a better return on your investment.
To help you produce high-quality books or papers, I listed the best editing services you can try online. These companies edit academic articles, book manuscripts, and business documents.
Importance of Proper Editing
Editing is a crucial step in writing so you can produce an excellent document. Here are some reasons to convince you to get the best online editing service.
To Make a Good First Impression
Are you a first-time book author, job applicant, or a new student? An excellent piece of writing will make people remember you. It signifies your confidence and competency, making you fit for the job or publication.
To Convey Your Message Properly
Editing and proofreading your work makes sure that the recipient receives your intended message clearly. It also improves the flow of your writing to give them a good reading experience.
To Gain More Audience
Whether you’re a book author, blogger, or researcher, more people will trust your works if they’re well-written. An error-free and readable content increases your SEO rankings if you’re a digital content creator.
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Best Editing Services for Authors
Here’s a list of the best online editing services for authors. I evaluated these premium editing companies according to their prices, quick turnaround time, and service quality.
Reedsy: Best Marketplace
The top marketplace for heavy editing services of books is Reedsy. Many self-published authors rely on this company to prepare their documents for publication. But with excellent editing comes great prices.
The pricing plans of Reedsy might cost an arm and leg for some authors. Reedsy has all the publishing services you need, from cover designing to publicists. You can also look for marketers and web designers on this website to ensure your book succeeds.
Reedsy is ideal for every author who wants to publish their book. But it’s also for every student, research writer, and client who needs writing or advanced editing services.
Scribendi: Most Experienced Editors
Scribendi can edit papers through its experienced editors and their smooth editing process. Whether you need manuscript editing or academic proofreading, the company will attend to your needs quickly.
The editing team is composed of 300 professionals with different specializations.
Hiring Scribendi means you won’t work with only one editor. An entire customer service team will provide their services and communicate with you. You can choose between editing, proofreading, and formatting plans.
Many academic writers swear by Scribendi for its reliability. But the company also receives negative reviews for its high prices.
Adhering to the deadline is essential for Scribendi. They can return papers to the customer with high-quality feedback with a 4-hour to 7-day turnaround time.
Jericho Writers: Best for Children’s Authors
Genre-specific authors sometimes demand editors who specialize in the same field. That’s why Jericho Writers was developed for genre fiction authors. The company has established a name for editing books for children.
They also perform developmental editing for a variety of genres, such as mystery, fantasy, and romance. The editors can fix the logical structure of your story, spot flaws in character profiles, and resolve plot holes.
Other services they offer include opening section review, screenplay and script services, and agent submission pack review. Use their handy pricing calculator for an estimate of their rates.
There’s no need to sort through the professional editors on this website. The company will assign the best professional for you, guaranteeing grateful clients until the end of the transaction.
If you need academic editing services or essay editing services, Jericho Writers is not the best choice. But you can check their basic copy-editing services if you wish.
NY Book Editors: Best Top-Tier Editors
One of the highest-rated editing and proofreading services in the country is NY Book Editors. The company offers advanced editing services to different kinds of clients, especially creative clients.
You know you’re in good hands with an experienced editor because NY Book Editors has handled several New York Times Best Sellers. Its editors promise that you will produce impeccable writing through their different levels of editing.
The editor will decide on the type of edit you need, either basic line editing or a comprehensive one. Then, they will inform you about their risk-free trial edit to ensure they have matched you with a suitable editor.
NY Book Editors is probably the most expensive on this list. But they can return your edited paper in its most perfect state while following standard turnaround time.
Bibliocrunch: Another Great Marketplace
Fifth on the list is Bibliocrunch, another website that offers high-quality editing services. Bibliocrunch offers services for any document type, including academic documents and legal documents. But they also work with business clients who need help with resumes and letters.
Bibliocrunch allows the customer to post their job description so that any freelance editor can apply. Whether you need help with grammar check or sentence structures, there’s an excellent editor with the right editing strategies for you.
One thing that will make you count on Bibliocrunch’s editing quality is that it’s been around since 2011. You can also find writers on this marketplace that offer custom c. But make sure they can show you excellent writing samples first before hiring them.
Scribbr: Most Amazing Editing Service
Scribbr is a famous editing and proofreading service company that offers an extensive list of services. They edit academic papers for spelling and grammar errors while performing a plagiarism check. Scribbr is also known for editing admission essays at affordable prices.
Aside from offering services to students or academic clients, it also meets the editing requirements of teachers, researchers, and businesspeople. Scribbr is a fantastic marketplace for authors who need to refine their language and syntax.
Its house editors are experts in language conventions and different academic disciplines. Scribbr will find the perfect editor for your preferred style and genre.
The starting price is $0.013, and the average turnaround time is 24 hours to 1 week.
Enago: Best for Academic Writing Style
Enago is one of the best companies you can hire for editing of letters, academic documents, and research papers. Thousands of students have turned to this company over the last 15 years because of its reliable services.
Enago can help you with your dissertation or scholarship application letters if you’re a graduate student. Researchers can also find a suitable academic editor on this website who will check their document for review of structure and writing conventions.
Enago has received a high average client review score because they are already well-versed with writing standards. They can make your writing high-impact while offering a 1-day turnaround time for short pieces.
Enago’s prices are ideal for a community of students on a budget. Its minimal price is $70 for copy-editing services with a 6-day turnaround time.
Get Proofed
Get Proofed has received a high average customer rating over the past few years because of its fast, effective, and affordable services. Its editing panel can perform anywhere from light editing to comprehensive, structural edits on your work.
The three primary services that Get Proofed offers include proofreading, editing, and formatting. It has created thousands of brilliant writers who publish and submit well-written manuscripts, theses, and business materials.
The editors of Get Proofed do not offer in-depth and personalized feedback. However, they value time management over anything. Expect your paper to be finished with their 24-hour turnaround time guarantee.
You can upload a 500-word sample document on their website to check if their services are perfect for you. Then, you can pay right away if their service is satisfactory. The cheapest price they offer is around $35 for a 1000-word document.
What to Look for in an Editor
Before hiring an editor for your book manuscript, academic paper, or business materials, ask the following questions.
Are They Experienced?
The first question you should ask every editor is how many years they’ve worked as an editor. It also helps to ask for samples of their work.
What Type of Edits Do They Offer?
Editing services occur at different levels. Ask the editor whether they edit writing mistakes per line or if they can give suggestions on your story or argument. Some editors may also help you with the format and layout of your paper.
Do They Specialize in a Genre or Form of Writing?
Look for an editor with enough experience in the genre you’re writing. A self-help editor may not give the best writing suggestions if you’re writing a research paper. You also want to ask them if they specialize in fiction or nonfiction.
Some editors do well with formal business letters and documents but not with creative pieces.
What Are Their Rates?
The cost of editing depends on several factors:
- The form and genre of your writing.
- Word count.
- Deadline.
- The editor’s skill level.
Some editors set their rates per word, while others set them per hour. Choose an editor who charges per word so you can estimate the cost before hiring them.
Can They Do a Sample Edit?
Have the editor perform a paid sample edit of a portion of your work. If their work is compatible with what you need, you can hire them to do the entire paper.
What Type of Editor Do You Need?
The four types of editors include developmental, copy, substantive, and proofreaders.
Developmental Editor
Developmental editors are in charge of the overall structure of your work. If you’re a book writer, they may recommend fixes on the sequence of events, character development, and plot holes.
These editors also help writers with their tone of voice, organization, and arguments.
Copy Editor
The copy editor or copy editor corrects any spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes on every word of your paper. These editors have mastered the fundamental writing conventions, including common typos among writers.
Some copy editors provide minor rephrasing, while others can rewrite short sentences.
Substantive Editor
Substantive, content, or line editors are similar to copy editors. But their additional task is to fix any issues with your writing style and clarity. These experts may conduct sentence rewrites to make your writing clearer and more concise.
Some substantive editors can also change an entire paragraph, section, or chapter to make it more logical.
Proofreader
A proofreader is the final line of defense that makes the final touches on your writing. They correct any spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes the copy editor missed. Once the proofreader has finished editing your work, it’s ready for publication.
Can an Editing Program Replace a Human Editor?
Editing programs like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and Ginger cannot fully replace the knowledge and skills of human editors. While artificial intelligence can spot misspellings, repetition, and grammar mistakes, it won’t catch more complex writing issues.
Language is complex and constantly changing, and artificial intelligence won’t be able to keep up. These advanced grammar checkers won’t be able to find plot holes in your story or poor word choice.
The only thing editing programs can do is help the editor with basic tasks. Look for an editor who uses premium tools like Grammarly and ProWritingAid. These software programs can spot inappropriate tone, repetitive phrases, inconsistencies, and poor pacing.
Make sure the human editor does not solely rely on these tools. No matter how advanced they are, AI editing tools still have a margin of error. Therefore, human editors should still manually review your paper and use their judgment in some aspects.
Choose Your Editor Wisely
Choosing a company that will edit your paper doesn’t have to be guesswork. I have listed the eight best online editing services you can hire for your book, academic writing, or business document.
Pick an editor who has adequate experience with your genre and form of writing. Make sure they can show you their work samples and give reasonable rates.