Market rate for hiring a freelance editor for a nonfiction essay?

September 7, 2021 3:27 PM

Let's say that someone had a project that involved a nonfiction feature piece of 4000 words for a well-known venue, starting now and aiming to finish by January, with 2 collaborators involved in the writing. If the collaborators were looking to hire a freelance editor to do developmental work + editing for craft for this project, what would be a fair rate to pay, and how would it be paid? (e.g. per hour, or invoice at the end of the project?)
posted by Rich Text to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I can't help you with rates, but I think per word is usual.
posted by Cheerwell Maker at 3:56 PM on September 7, 2021

Former freelancer here. I would probably charge $400-$600 depending on a scan of the first 1,000 words to determine how far I'd need to roll up my sleeves for this writer and a discussion of what "developmental work" means. I would probably charge less per word for something substantially longer -- editing goes faster once you learn your client's writing style and error patterns.
posted by Scarf Joint at 4:59 PM on September 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Median rate chart from the Editorial Freelancers Association.
posted by FencingGal at 6:27 PM on September 7, 2021 [4 favorites]

I'd want to find out how many rounds of editing you expect—when you say "developmental work plus editing for craft," to me that suggests at least two rounds, one to get the ideas in order and one to polish the language. I usually quote a flat rate after finding out more about a project, based on the time I expect it to take (which includes but is not limited to length); I aim for a higher hourly rate than the ones on FencingGal's chart, but I'm also fast. Scarf Joint's estimate of $400-$600 is where I'd land too, but closer to the $600 end for multiple rounds (versus me commenting up your draft, writing a detailed edit letter, and then sending along an invoice and my best wishes).

That said, I regularly edit essays for a publication at $200 a pop—but in that case I choose and sometimes even solicit my projects. So the question of "how much am I going to enjoy this" figures in to the flat rate too!
posted by babelfish at 8:05 PM on September 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

The EFA chart is what I used when I was freelancing as a (mostly academic) nonfiction editor, and it seems to be the standard advice whenever rates come up.
posted by nebulawindphone at 4:14 AM on September 8, 2021