Determining the book editing costs can be awkward and stressful. It is an arbitrarily priced field, so costs vary widely. Some excellent editors provide services on the cheap, while some less-than-excellent editors are surprisingly expensive. However, there are some industry standards for pricing that can more comfortably guide you when seeking (or providing) editing services, making the process clear, straightforward, and stress-free.

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The Cost of Beta Reading, Editing, and Proofreading

The Editorial Freelancers Association is the gold standard for book editing costs. Their website offers in-depth pricing models that are helpful to both editors and writers. It gives us editors a good idea of how much we should be charging, and it gives writers a good idea of how much they should be paying. 

Source: Editorial Freelancers Association

Here at Pursuit Press, our book editing costs are typically right in the middle:

Book Editing Costs: Beta Reading

Beta reading is typically the first step in the editorial process, and the cheapest service editors offer, but there are still levels to consider. Some beta reading services may be light, offering only a verbal review and a quick email assessment. These services might cost only a fraction of a cent per word, or even be free (thank you, friends and family!). Other times, a beta read might include a thorough read-through with a detailed reader report, often several pages long. These services are more costly and commonly range from 1¢ to 2¢ per word. At Pursuit Press, we are right in the middle at 1¢ per word for beta reading.

Book Editing Costs: Editing

At Pursuit Press, we have consolidated editing tiers into two primary services: structural editing and content editing. Structural editing—often called developmental editing, substantive editing, big-picture editing, or editorial assessment—deals with the work’s overarching structure and is among the higher book editing costs. Structural editing can be tricky: the editor needs to know the work up and down, and must work hard to get into the author’s head. But diving into the depths means more hours, more energy, and more money. Because of this, structural editing can be as much as 8¢ per word, but averages around 5¢ per word. At Pursuit Press, we have followed the average and charge a standard 5¢ per word for our structural editing services.

Content editing—often called copyediting, line editing, stylistic editing, or mechanical editing—focuses on the line-by-line content. Instead of modifying or shifting entire chapters and paragraphs, content editing concentrates on modifying or shifting sentences and words. The overall structure should be in place, but sentence-level editing is still needed. In other words, editors will be focusing on the actual content rather than the underlying story or structure. Because this can be a bit lighter and less intensive than structural editing, the cost reflects that. Content editing can range from 2¢ to 6¢ per word, averaging about 4¢. Pursuit Press follows that midline pricing model, coming in at 4¢ per word.

Book Editing Costs: Proofreading

This is the final polish, during which all lingering typos and minor errors should be identified and corrected. Proofreading—often called a final polish, final pass, proofing pass, error check, or quality check—doesn’t require quite as much in-depth exploration, focusing more on sentence-level, word-level, and character-level errors. Think basic grammar, punctuation, and typos. If something larger was missed during the previous editing stages, proofreaders will have a hard time just letting it pass, so proofreading often blends with lighter forms of editing.

However, during the proofreading process, the tone, voice, or meaning of the text shouldn’t be changed, so proofreaders have to exercise some serious restraint (it can be difficult!). Yet this lighter touch typically requires less time and energy, and is, of course, reflected in the cost of services. In the range of book editing costs, proofreading is on the cheaper end, often ranging from 1¢ to 4.5¢ per word, with an average of about 2.75¢ per word. Again, the costs for proofreading services at Pursuit Press are right in the middle, at 3¢ per word. 

The Intensive Process Behind Book Editing Costs

Although the different tiers of services all require differing levels of time and energy, good editing services are always intensive—even beta reading. It might seem like a leisurely reading adventure tucked away in a cozy chair, but everyone is busy—super busy. Finding the time to read, remember, and relay properly can be challenging, especially if the service is being offered for free or at a low cost. Often, I find that writers are surprised at how high book editing costs can be, but an enormous amount of thought, memory, organization, and skill goes into every project.

Preparation

A good editor will likely have a degree in a field related to English, creative writing, journalism, or linguistics. After college, editors often undertake many hours of additional specialized training to hone their skills even further, typically focusing on a single type of editing or service. Good editors will also continue their education throughout their careers by attending conferences, earning additional certifications, and hungrily consuming craft and industry books. This amounts to hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of prep work before the first word of a project is ever edited. Book editing costs account not only for the time and effort the project takes, but also for the time and effort it took the editor to reach that level.

That said, there are fantastic editors out there who don’t have degrees and don’t have the money for fancy continuing education or stuffy conferences, yet deliver in all the right ways. Self-taught editors can be first-rate, sometimes better than any Ivy League graduate, so don’t rule them out. If you don’t see big-name degrees on their “About” page, look a little harder. They might have the exact grit, determination, and skill that you are looking for, just in a slightly less shiny package. 

Passes

I often say I will have read a client’s work at least three times before the process is finished. For shorter works—picture books, academic papers, letters—I have often read them 10–15 times before returning them. That’s a lot of reading—and time. Any good editor will tackle a project in passes or phases. Checklists defining what each pass entails are essential to keeping our scattered minds on track. At Pursuit Press, we typically complete three main passes: the first read-through (often with Grammarly or ProWritingAid), a second, deeper editing pass, and a third and final polish and proof. These passes almost always turn into four…or five…or six, but again, we perfectionists must exercise restraint, or we would be meticulously poring over the same piece until our time on this earth was up.

Revisions

Revisions, of course, come next. Once we return the work to the author, we inevitably receive revision requests. At Pursuit Press, we include all (reasonable!) revisions in the initial cost, so the ongoing relationship doesn’t add extra expense for the client. Sometimes, authors rewrite a passage after the initial edit and request a proof of the new version. Other times, they may not love a change and ask (nicely!) for a quick second look to find a better alternative. This back-and-forth is a normal, healthy part of the process—and we plan for it.

Because of this, the client-editor relationship doesn’t end with the initial edit; it can continue for months or even years. Publishing takes time and often involves many small revisions spread out over that period. We make it a point to be there for our clients beyond the initial edit, and we include each (reasonable!) interaction in the original book editing costs.

Making a Living

Just like writers, or literally anyone, editors need to make a living. We need to pay our bills and support our families. No matter how you spin it, editing takes time, energy, resources, and skill. The editing process is incredibly intensive and fully occupies our minds when we are in the midst of it. Some editors who are just starting out don’t need to make as much. They might want to make more, but they don’t necessarily need to. Their family won’t go hungry, and they won’t lose their home. Other, more seasoned editors who have been in the industry longer often have more at stake and will likely not be able to charge as little as they did when they first started out.

Additionally, these folks are also more likely to be caregivers and caretakers, jobs that come with their own expenses. So, greener editors might charge less but have less experience, which is never inherently a bad thing, just slightly riskier. Seasoned editors might charge more but have more experience and present less overall risk. Both types are very useful and needed when it comes to book editing costs.

Costs of Being an Editor

There are also many expenses associated with book editing costs that others might not consider. Pursuit Press must maintain many subscriptions for just editing, including Grammarly, ProWritingAid, PerfectIt, Microsoft, Adobe Suite, and Aeon Timeline. For design, we must maintain subscriptions to Canva, more Adobe stuff, Vellum, and stock imagery and graphic sites. For admin, think Google Workspace, Notion, Bluehost, WordPress, Divi, Mailchimp, and Book Funnel…. In other words, it costs money to make money. These subscriptions benefit clients greatly. Researching, purchasing, and maintaining these subscriptions is its own job and takes the stress of that process off the client. We have already found and purchased the best editing tools, so clients don’t have to. 

AI and Editing

No hate to AI, but it has absolutely cut into available editing work. It’s great that AI has been able to take over some of the menial editing tasks that can be done by a computer anyway (think Word spell check, just jacked) at a cost that many can afford. We always support making editing more accessible to those with a tighter budget. However, human editing remains essential in many industries and is necessary to retain the necessary humanity in creative writing. Also, academic institutions are typically very clear about their no-AI policies (except for basic Grammarly or ProWritingAid). Because of this, academic proofreading is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Additionally, we know there will be a market for writing, editing, and design as art forms that AI will likely never replace. Still, please throw a bone to your corner editor. They provide a human touch that AI cannot replicate (at least for now!). Check out this Substack article in which the writer interviews AI about the importance of human editors. It’s fascinating, and very relevant to this conversation.

Book Editing Costs: Hiring a Professional Editor is Worth it

Of course, coming from an editor, I will always say hell yes, hiring a professional is worth it. But realistically, I know many folks just don’t have the money for some fancy editor—and that’s ok. At Pursuit Press, we try our best to provide top-tier services at very reasonable prices. We want to extend our services to as many people as possible, but we also need to ensure our editors earn a living. It is a delicate balance and one that can be difficult to get right. If you are in need of services but just can’t afford book editing costs, reach out to us. We are very friendly and accommodating, and can work with every budget. And don’t forget, we also offer payment plans through Affirm to help space out payments. That alone can make services more accessible. 

Reader-Ready Writing Starts Here

Here at Pursuit Press, we make editing, design, and self-publishing feel clear and doable. We work alongside writers to provide thoughtful feedback, clean edits, and practical guidance—so you always know your next step and end with a reader-ready final draft. While we specialize in fiction, select nonfiction, and academic work, we’re happy to support a wide range of manuscripts and documents. Ready to explore services? Visit our Services page for more information, or check out our Service Request Form if you are ready to take the plunge.

Reader-ready writing starts here.