From one author to another, never skimp on editing. The decision to edit your manuscript can help improve both the clarity of your copy and the flow of your work. The editing process enables you to catch and correct any grammatical, punctuation, or spelling mistakes you may have missed in the first draft.
To get your work polished up and ready for publication, you might seek the assistance of a professional editing agency or a freelance editor. I’d highly recommend it, so here are some of the best manuscript editing services to choose from.
Finding the Ideal Manuscript Editing Services
The internet is your oyster for discovering good manuscript editing services, from larger businesses to a single editor more than qualified for the job. Whether you need developmental editing, picture book editing, or manuscript critiques, these websites have all levels of editing services to choose from.
What Is Manuscript Editing?
The process of modifying the material of a manuscript to enhance its clarity, readability, and flow as a whole is referred to as editing the manuscript. The correction of grammatical errors, spelling errors, and punctuation errors is another primary concern. An experienced editor will frequently make suggestions to the author as they work on the story.
At the very least, your manuscript should have correct spelling and grammar before sending it off to an agent or book publisher. If you’re confident in your story development, consider finding some beta readers online who can give you a second opinion for free or exchange a copy of the book.
Does Every Writer Need an Editor?
That’s a loaded question, but the short answer is yes. Almost always, yes, especially for longer works of fiction. I’ve been an author for over a decade now, but I spent the first couple of years navigating things by myself.
There were no helpful blogs, Youtube videos, or author communities to reach out to. I had to figure it all out on my own. And one of the things I learned was the importance of a good manuscript editor.
Once I found an editor that loved my genre and understood my writing style, I locked her in. I’ve tried out other editors over the years when my go-to wasn’t available, and it’s like starting from scratch. They didn’t understand my genre; they weren’t familiar with my writing style, etc.
So, my biggest tip to aspiring authors searching for an editor is to build a relationship with them when you find one that works for you. Use them for all your work.
How Much Does a Manuscript Editor Cost?
According to research that Reedsy conducted on the market in 2022, the cost of employing an editor for a book that is 60,000 words long is anywhere from $2,400 to $3,400.
Several aspects determine the price, such as the amount of experience of the editor, the kind of service requested, and the length and style of the project. For instance, the rates charged by a copy editor could be $0.021 per word, whereas the rates charged by a proofreader could be lower, at $0.015 per word.
And it depends on the state of the manuscript. Personally, I do as much editing and proofreading as I can before submitting it to my editor to help cut down on the time they spend on it.
Use grammar checking tools like Grammarly to do substantive line editing, fix inconsistencies, and check for flow. An accomplished editor can do that for you, but it’ll increase the overall cost.
Importance of Editing Your Manuscript
After completing a manuscript, the first stage is editing it, regardless of whether you plan to self-publish or deal with significant publishing organizations. After the initial draft, no literary work is ever published. Every bestseller you know went through multiple drafts and edits before it was published.
You’re hoping your readers will devote some of their time to exploring the world you’ve made. It would help if you handed in a well-written story that keeps the reader interested and is free of any structural flaws that can make the story seem implausible.
Every word must convey its intended meaning clearly and be helpful, or the reader will lose interest and put down the book. The difference between a good story and a fantastic novel is, in a nutshell, the editing.
Top Fiction Manuscript Editing Services
These are some of the best expert editors, but check them out to see which is right for your project.
Ebook Launch
Since 2011, Ebook Launch has been working hard to become one of the best book editing teams in the publishing industry. They take pride in providing cheap, professional editing services.
Their all-in-one service is designed to make publishing as straightforward as possible. Line editing is priced at 1.8 cents per word, while proofreading will leave you short of 0.8 of a cent per word. Those are some great rates for qualified editors.
Mary Kole Editorial
Looking for specialist editors? Mary Kole is an editor who specializes in children’s books and who used to be a literary agent. She offers various book editing services but will also read your book and give you narrative feedback.
Her website contains a form requesting some information about the project you’re working on. You can also have a call for manuscript coaching in case you’re stuck with your novel.
The Book Butchers
The Book Butchers offer some of the best manuscript editing services around. You can choose between multiple packages depending on your budget and needs if you want a suitable book editor. With $0.02 per word, you can expect good proofreading, revision of grammar and spelling errors, and copyediting.
For $0.06 per word, they will review the plot, pacing, and structural integrity and offer manuscript critique.
DLA Editors & Proofers
DLA Editors & Proofers is an editing firm that has been in business since 2008 and is situated in Houston, Texas. They provide their services to writers of all genres. The editors at DLA will be more than pleased to provide you with a free sample at your request.
They will gladly revise your first three thousand words for free to ensure that you are delighted with how they work and the output they provide moving ahead. Their testimonials from award-winning authors and newbies alike tell you everything you need to know.
Marcy Dermansky
Marcy Dermansky, a successful novelist, offers her editing services to any budding fiction writers to assist them in producing a manuscript that is free of errors and ready for submission.
She will carefully read through your book and provide you with copyediting services. In addition, she will enclose a comprehensive letter that discusses issues such as voice, pacing, plotline, character development, and the caliber of the conversation.
Dragon Fly Freelance
Dragon Fly Freelance could be an alternative for fiction writers searching for a professional editing service with significant knowledge and dependable response times.
Their editing service for books corrects issues with syntax, spelling, punctuation, phrase structure, formatting, and the general flow of the story. The prices provided by Dragon Fly Freelance are among the most affordable in the industry.
Scribendi
The editors at Scribendi are aware that having a manuscript that has been polished will provide its authors with a more fantastic opportunity to differentiate themselves in the competitive literary market of today. An editor will be your best resource for sprucing up your manuscript, regardless of whether this is your first time writing a book or whether you have written several books in the past.
BookBaby Editing Services
Even while BookBaby is best recognized as a self-publishing company, the company offers a wealth of helpful materials to aspiring writers worldwide. I know a few authors who have used their high-quality editing services and were very happy.
They have an entire department devoted to editing books, and it would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to collaborate with competent editors who can assist you in polishing your manuscript to make it shine.
Marcia Trahan
Editing memoirs and works of fiction are Marcia Trahan’s areas of expertise as a professional editor. Since 2004, she has worked as a professional book editor and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing and Literature.
Her reviews will give you a comprehensive description of the strengths and flaws of your book, as well as an honest breakdown of how to make improvements.
Victoria Griffin
This USA-based fiction author is based in East Tennessee, Victoria. She founded a company called Blue Pen which offers book editing and design by a team of editors. She also provides book editing services personally, working with a select roster of clients that write adult fiction.
First Editing
The editing company known as First Editing is well-equipped to assist first-time authors and writers who have already found success in the publishing industry. Their editors have a high level of expertise. They can assist you in ironing out any remaining kinks in your manuscript until it is entirely error-free. You may acquire an accurate price estimate from them by contacting them directly and asking about it.
The Artful Editor
Naomi Kim Eagleson established The Artful Editor in 2010, with its headquarters in Los Angeles, California. She impressively has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.
Their word-by-word editing rates range from $0.0015 to $0.0045 per edited item. In addition to that, they can offer editing support for query letters and design assistance for book covers.
Ronlyn Domingue
Since she began her career about 15 years ago, Ronlyn Domingue has established herself as an excellent editor. She is the author of many award-winning original novels and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.
Her copyediting prices start at $40 per hour, and the turnaround time for a manuscript of 50,000 words is approximately 40 hours. Her hourly prices for proofreading begin at $30, and she charges in full-hour increments.
A Novel Edit
Beth Hill, a successful editor, and author of contemporary romance, is the person who conceived of and launched A Novel Edit. She is an experienced editor who will assist you in refining your manuscript.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resources. She provides editing samples to guarantee that the work you produce and the writing style you employ are consistent with one another.
Jennifer Caloyeras
Novelist and editor Jennifer Caloyeras hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, a Master of Arts degree in English Literature, as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing. Depending on her schedule, she can evaluate short and long fiction pieces.
Her edits would include line changes and notes written in the margins that would give you input on how to improve your story.
Leigh Hogan
Copyeditor Leigh Hogan provides complimentary edit samples covering the first ten percent of your book. In addition to editing manuscripts at a charge of $7 per one thousand words, she provides free beta reading packages to authors interested in determining their readers’ potential responses.
S. Lakin
S. Lakin is a writer and editor, and she has authored several books that offer advice on writing and the publishing industry.
She is available for one-on-one sessions, the shortest of which lasts thirty minutes and costs $75, while the longest lasts an hour and $150. She also provides authors looking for guidance with their writing with manuscript reviews, coaching, and proofreading.
Fresh Ink Book Editing
This New York-based editor was established in 2010 by Maya Rock, and they have an extensive and successful portfolio.
Maya’s prices are determined by the number of words in an assignment. As a result, she strongly suggests you receive an estimate from her before moving forward by getting in touch either through email or by phone.
KM Editorial
Katie McCoach is the proprietor of KM Editorial and serves as its chief editor. KM Editorial has its headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
She’s got a ton of experience working as a developmental writer, and her area of expertise is young adult fiction, which she writes in several styles. According to her website, she has varying charges for works less than 30,000 words long.
Zero Alchemy
Another great company that provides professional manuscript editing services is Zero Alchemy. I recommend this because I’ve used their services many times and have never been disappointed. This is a great choice if you want a transparent editor that chops right to the points in narrative development, sentence structure, line edits, and more.
They offer fiction editing packages but even do synopsis consultations, query letter development, blurb writing services, and coaching. For genre-specific editing, Zero Alchemy is one of the best.
Because they adhere to the standards set by the industry, the typical turnaround time is no more than six weeks.
Suppose they cannot return your edited manuscript to you within the allotted time frame of six weeks. If that’s the case, you’ll be entitled to a 20% refund in addition to receiving your edited work whenever it is finished being edited.
Wrap Up
If you want your book to have a polished, professional look before you publish it, it is a good idea to have another set of eyes check over it. This will allow you to identify any weak spots in the narrative. A carefully proofread and edited manuscript has a much better chance of being published than one that is not well-polished or riddled with errors.