How to find a cheap book editor

So you’ve written a book - congratulations! It’s all exciting for a while, until you start looking at getting an editor to help you perfect your draft. Editors aren’t cheap, but they also provide an important and valuable service, especially if you’re planning to self-publish. Without a good editor, you stand the risk of disappointing readers and losing out on the opportunity for repeat buyers.

The good news is that affordable book editors are out there, you just have to know how to find them, and without compromising on quality either. While it’s pretty easy to find an editor you can afford, that’s not always a guarantee it’s someone you want to trust with your book, or that they’ll give you what you’ve paid for. If you’re a writer on a tight budget, here’s a guide to finding an affordable editor you can trust.

Stay away from super cheap prices

While we are looking for a cheap editor, we do want to stay suspicious of anyone who is too cheap. Someone who is charging $20 for what is days, if not weeks, worth of work is probably not doing that work at all, or they’re not putting a lot of effort into it. Sometimes it’s true that you get what you pay for, so what we want is to find a middle ground: someone who won’t break the bank, but who will provide a quality service.

Check for an AI policy

A lot of the most affordable book editors you can find online aren’t actually going to edit your book. They’re going to make an AI do it for them, which is how they can afford to charge so little. Not only do you probably not want to pay someone to do something you could just as easily have done yourself, but using generative AI for any aspect of your book comes with a myriad of ethical and environmental concerns. That also means most readers tend to stay far away from books AI was used to write or edit, and could mean the end of your career before it’s even begun. And let’s not forget about the fact that generative AI steals the writing that is fed to it, which would include yours. Plus, it’s just not going to be good. Creative work requires human input.

If an editor is suspiciously cheap, always ask what their stance is on AI or if they have a clause against it in their contract. If they have a website or are present on social media, you can also check there to see if they’ve posted about AI, whether positively or negatively. 

Look at their credentials

Just because you want an affordable book editor doesn’t mean you want a service that doesn’t meet the mark, right? If an editor is very well-established and has a long history and list of clients, they’ll naturally charge more. However, even a cheaper book editor should still have some experience and credentials. Always check how much experience someone has, whether that is as a professional freelancer or any jobs they’ve had previously or certifications they have earned.

Read testimonials

Any editor worth paying for will have a couple of testimonials from previous clients, and finding and reading these is a great way to get a sense for the quality of work the editor provides. Ideally, testimonials shouldn’t be too short, and they should go into more detail than simply saying an editor was great. What did previous clients like about working with them, and does it sound like what you’re looking for in your editor too? While testimonials are never a guarantee that a service will be good, it’s definitely a good sign and gives an indication that your editor has some experience.

Focus on newer editors

The top tip I have for any writer who’s looking for a cheap book editor is to try to find someone who is new. Many editors who are building a portfolio and list of clients offer very affordable rates at the start of their careers. You might be asked to provide a testimonial in exchange for the reduced fee, but that’s usually worth all the money you’ll save. Choosing a new editor also doesn’t always mean they don’t know what they’re doing; in fact, you’ll find that a lot of them have editorial experience and maybe some certifications or training they completed before they started taking on clients.

Professional editing at affordable prices

If an affordable editor is what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. Right now, I’m offering a heavily reduced flat rate for exactly the reasons outlined above. I’m new to freelancing, so I provide cheap developmental editing, line editing, and copy editing, all at $650 per book, regardless of length. This offer is only going to be available for a limited time, so if you’re interested in working with me, read on to find out more!