Where to Find a Freelance Editor

A question I frequently see on various internet writers’ forums is how to find skilled, trustworthy editors. This question isn’t asked only by independent authors publishing their own books. With the contraction of the publishing—there are only five major publishers left in the U.S., down from more than thirty in the 1980s—finding a “traditional” home for your book is even more competitive. Publishers aren’t taking the time today to find that diamond in the rough; your manuscript must sparkle when they first set eyes on it.

So how do you find a good editor? Well, you can start by running searches on the internet, sorting through the thousands of websites out there advertising editing services. Most are true professionals, but how do you know? Some editing websites promise to edit a manuscript of any length for just $200; most likely, they’re just running it through a grammar program like Grammarly or ProWritingAid, something you can do yourself for much less money.

I answer this question by pointing authors toward Reedsy.com, a sort of marketplace that matches writers with professional editors. Reedsy vets each of the editors on the site based on their professionalism, skills, and experience before allowing them into its marketplace.

Authors can sign up for free, search Reedsy’s massive database for editors who specialize in their genre, review their resumes and qualifications, and see a portfolio of books they have previously edited. After selecting a few editors of interest, the writer can request bids from them through Reedsy. The selected editors then provide bids based on the manuscript’s word count and the type of editing requested (developmental, copy, or proofreading). It is up to the writer to decide whether to select any one of the bids.

Once a writer and editor agree to work together, Reedsy provides a binding contract ensuring each person gets what they agreed to—a well-edited manuscript for the author and full payment of the fee for the editor. For all this, Reedsy receives a percentage of the fee as a commission.

I have met many of my clients through Reedsy, and I have had the honor of working with some incredibly talented writers. I highly recommend it for both writers and editors.