Why is editing so expensive?

This is a really difficult topic. Conversations about money often are!

Let me start by saying that I appreciate the cost of editing can feel daunting for authors, especially alongside the other costs of self-publishing. Of course, I would always recommend that you have your work professionally edited before publication, but I also completely understand that it may simply be unaffordable for some.

There’s already lots of good advice out there if you find yourself in that situation, but that’s not what this blog is about. Instead I want to address the specific question of why editing costs what it does, because it’s an issue that lots of authors (quite rightly) wish was more transparent, and also one that makes lots of editors uncomfortable.

All that said, let’s get into it.

Full time self-employment

For most professionals (myself included), editing is a full-time job. That’s awesome for both me and you, because it means I can pour all of my time and energy and imagination into your manuscript, without the distraction of another job. But it also means that my editing needs to pay my bills. As a self-employed freelancer, I also need to account for my own taxes, pension, holiday pay, sickness pay, and other business expenses (software, subscriptions, equipment, training). And freelance work isn’t a guaranteed 40 hours of work a week. I also need to account for any hours where a project is cancelled or delayed and I can’t fill the gap, meaning I earn nothing. All of that quickly adds up.

Detailed work

Editing is time-consuming, much more so than many people realise. The average reading speed for an adult is around 300 words per minute. So you might (if you assume editing is basically reading and making notes) think that we can speed through a 100,000-word novel in a matter of a few hours. But that’s not at all the case. Editing is a completely different skill set, and the different types of editing all require varying degrees of concentration.

Take copyediting. The UK’s Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) says, “an experienced professional may copyedit around 1,000 to 3,000 words per hour on a typically straightforward text. If the text needs heavy editing or rewriting, the rate may be much slower.” Based on these estimates, that 100,000-word novel might take an average of 50 hours to copyedit.

Hourly rates

In the UK, the minimum wage is currently £12.21 per hour (as of April 2025). At that rate, your copyeditor would have to charge at least £610.50 to make minimum wage while copyediting that 100,000-word novel. And don’t forget that employees on minimum wage also get their sick pay, holidays, business expenses, and guaranteed hours regardless of how busy things are. Your freelance editor has to pay for all of those things themselves (and deduct their own taxes). They might therefore might have to charge at least 50% more, or £915.75 for that 100,000-word novel, just to make the same take-home pay as someone on minimum wage.

Editing is also skilled work. Many of us have spent years getting the training and qualifications to provide expert advice to our clients. Many of us are members of professional organisations, some of which require evidence of our skills and training, and the approval of a panel of our peers (like my Advanced Professional membership of the CIEP). And most other qualified providers of services – accountants, lawyers, electricians, engineers – don’t ask for minimum wage.

The CIEP has its own suggested minimum rates for different types of editing, and the Editorial Freelancers Association has a breakdown of the median rates of its members. These are a useful guideline, but many editors (including me) routinely make below these rates because we want to be as affordable as we can. And many editors (also including me!) really struggle to ask for the hourly rate they actually need, because they know how difficult it might be for a self-publishing author on a budget.

Making it work for both editors and authors

In conclusion, our quotes often have to strike a difficult balance: ensuring we earn enough to allow us to continue editing for a living but not charging so much that the clients we’d love to work with can’t afford us. If there are other ways to make the costs easier on authors – for example, by arranging payment plans over a number of months rather than expecting one lump sum – I’m happy to do what I can!

I’d love to hear your ideas too.

For more advice on all things writing and editing, check out my resources page.

Or visit my services page to see all the ways I can help with your manuscript.