Eight Things Authors Should Look For When Hiring an Editor

Jun 10

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Are you the right editor for the job? In this episode of The Modern Editor, I’m flipping the script and taking on the author’s POV. Listen in as I list what I think are the most important things authors should look for when hiring an editor.

This episode is directed toward authors, but editors will benefit from it too. You’ll learn whether or not you’re marketing yourself correctly so that the right authors hire you to work with them.

Hey, edibuddies. We're switching it up slightly today on the podcast. Obviously, this podcast is for editors, and today's episode still is, but there's a little bit of a twist to it. So let's get right into it.
Welcome to The Modern Editor Podcast, where we talk about all things editing and what it's like to run an editorial business in today's world. I'm your host, Tara Whitaker. Let's get to it.
Hey, hey. Today we're gonna talk about what authors should look for when they're wanting to hire an editor. Here's my hope. I've been on social media a little bit more than I should be lately, and have noticed a trend with, uh, let's say authors and editors being unclear about their roles or, uh, each other's roles.
So I want to record this episode to both help authors who are looking for editors and to be equipped with the knowledge that they need to avoid scams and hire good editors, and also as a reminder to editors of what to keep in mind when we're marketing and chatting with potential clients. Okay?
I've got eight main things an author should look for and/or ask for when looking to hire an editor. These aren't the end-all-be-all list. It's not gonna be like every single thing, but it is a good general starting point so that you are, like I said, equipped with the knowledge that you need.
Two little points. I'm used to speaking to editors here on the podcast, and I'm going to try my best to make sure I'm speaking to authors. But if I start talking to both, I'm gonna try and make it not confusing. I'm gonna try very hard to make it clear, but it might happen.
And number two, I'm also going to try very hard to keep an even tone in my voice. And what I mean by that is I get really frustrated when I talk about some of these things because I'm so passionate about what I help do with helping editors, and there just seems to be this influx lately of icky things all around. So if I sound frustrated, it's valid, but I'm gonna try not to be, okay?
All right, these are in no particular order either, but number one, authors, please check for an editor's education. I'm gonna come in hot right off the bat and maybe irritate some editors, but it needs to be said. An English degree is not enough. A journalism or comms degree is not enough. The fact that you like to find typos and are good at finding typos is not enough.
In fact, I have seen sometimes an English degree backfiring and being more of a hindrance because someone learned a grammar rule twenty-five years ago and they are sticking to it, and they don't care that the industry has changed and language has changed, and they're gonna, stay with what they learned.
Ah. Not being flexible is not a good look for an editor. Being able to adjust to new ways of language and how we speak and how we communicate, not a good look. So I hate to say it, but an English degree does not an editor make. Editors need to have specific training in the editing services we offer. We should not be irresponsibly taking on work that we have no business taking on.
Now, yes, we all start somewhere. We are all new at some point. We are all doing something for the first time, but we have to have a freaking clue about what we're doing and be up front about it. Otherwise, we are just disrespecting our clients and, quite frankly, putting a shit stain on the editing industry that we don't need at the moment.
There's enough ick going around. Let's be genuine and educated, okay? So authors, look for education on an editor's website. Look to see what specific knowledge they have about editing. Not an English degree, not a journalism degree. I'm gonna also say this too, I forgot to say it before, also not a prior, a former teacher. I love teachers. Mad respect for teachers. Teachers make great editors. Teachers still need editing education.
If it doesn't exist on the editor's website, ask. Just ask them. If they say anything that isn't, "I took these specific courses or webinars or trainings or books or whatever," run. Just do it.
Number two, does the editor work with your type of content? This is one of the first things you should look for since it's relatively easy to determine. If you're already on the author's—or excuse me, see? I'm mixing it up—if you're already on the editor's website seeing what their education is, see what they work with.
Let's say that you are looking for a copyedit of your debut romance novel. You're not going to contact an editor that only does developmental editing for established nonfiction authors, right? Don't reach out. It's not a fit. You're wasting your time and the editor's. Just, there's plenty of romance editors out there, believe me. And if you're not sure what type of edit you need, that's totally fine to ask too.
Try to match up with an editor as much as possible, though, and before you do that, do some research. The info is out there. It's on the interwebs. It's on social media. Try to look it up first, and if you're still unsure, then you can reach out.
But like that example before, if you have a romance novel, try to reach out to someone who edits romance novels. Like, you at least have that match, right? Don't go finding someone who does academic papers, right? That’s probably not a good fit.
I wanna make a note here, too, about services. Editors can sell their services in packages. So let's say they have a full edit package where they will do developmental editing, line and copyediting, and proofreading. Okay. The caveat is those services need to be done individually. We are not doing all of those at once. If an editor says they're doing all those at once, they are incredibly uneducated on the editing process, which is unfortunate.
You can't proofread something while you're changing up characters and plot and dialogue and all of those things. It makes zero sense. So those packages are fine and not a red flag as long as the services are done separately. Okay? I cannot stress that enough. I am seeing this on Threads particularly, and I can't wrap my head around it. I'm not sure where it's coming from, but you cannot do these things at the same time.
The only services that could be done at the same time are line editing and copyediting 'cause they are very closely related, but you cannot do any of the other ones at the same time. If someone says, "I will developmentally edit your book and proofread it at the same time," again, run in the other direction, like so fast you can't even, like, burn rubber. Okay?
All right, number three: Look for testimonials or referrals or word of mouth. This is an incredible way of finding trusted editors. I teach editors that this is the best way. I would like to share this with author—it is one of the best ways. However, it is not the only way, and here's what I mean by that.
Let's say that you have an author friend who used an editor and had an incredible experience with them, like raving about how amazing they are. Awesome. That author, let's say, loves really casual feedback, like lots of emojis and exclamation points. They like to see what they're doing right, you know, they like to see praise sprinkled in, and they like to get frequent updates from the editor. All those things are fine. Nothing wrong with any of those.
But now let's say you as an author, you prefer more formal language. You don't need good things pointed out, and maybe you're like, "Here's my piece of content. I don't wanna hear back from you until it's finished." Great. Those are simply preferences.
Two different authors, different set of preferences. Neither are bad or wrong, they're just different. But the editor that worked with the first author that was an amazing fit is probably gonna be a terrible fit for you, right? If they're using informal language and asking questions a lot and, you know, praising you and you don't like that, that's a bad fit. Doesn't mean the editor's bad, doesn't mean you're bad, it just means it's not a good fit.
That is why number four is so important, which is to get a sample edit. This is the absolute best way to figure out if you jibe with the editor's style and approach and can see what they're doing. All of those things I just mentioned you should be able to see in the sample edit.
Maybe not the communication part because that's, you know, it's pretty straightforward, but you're going to see what they have changed, you're gonna see the tone of their suggestions. Are they enhancing your story? Are they changing things just for funsies? They shouldn't be, PS. And they should be able to explain why they're making a change.
Now, this gets into preferences again, but an editormdoesn't necessarily need to be explaining every single change or edit or suggestion they make. That can get really tedious and take a really long time for both the editor to go through and the author to go through, because you have to look at all those things to accept or reject them, right? Just because we put something in a book or a piece of content doesn't mean you have to accept it. But if it's a bigger change or a widespread change, they should absolutely have backup as to why they're doing that. They can point to a resource if they’re using an industry style guide, like The Chicago Manual of Style if it's books, or something like AP or APA or whatever the case may be depending on your specific content.
But they should be able to back up a rule. Or I use the Writing with Color blog post a lot about not using food descriptions to describe skin color. I have that saved because I reference it so much. That's something that— Or excuse me, Writing with Color. I'm pretty sure I just said Writing in Color. Writing with Color. So make sure that they have a resource that they can use to back up their change.
Now, a sample edit. What is that? A sample edit for a book should be about 1,000 words, give or take. The editor will usually request or pull from the middle of your book, because the first chapter is the most worked on, of course. It's going to be the shining example of your book, right? That's not indicative of the rest of the book, right?
Now, here's a little bit of a switch that has been something recently that I've changed my mind on a little bit. So I always suggest that editors get the full manuscript before giving a quote, because we need to see the whole thing to make sure that we have all of the knowledge we need to give you a fair and accurate quote from the beginning.
And then once we would get the full manuscript, we would pick a random chapter to do the sample edit. However, because of the rise of “editors” who are feeding authors' books into generative AI without their permission, which infuriates the crap out of me, I think it's okay now as an author to send a sample edit section, whatever you and the editor have agreed on. Then if you decide to move forward with that editor, then share the full manuscript so then the editor can be fully aware of the scope of the project before setting a rate and before creating the contract and all of that.
I'm so sorry, authors that are listening, if you've had your book fed into AI without your permission. I know many have. That is not what I stand for, which is, oh, actually an unintended good segue into number five, which is values alignment. I just brought up generative AI, so it's a good time to mention that if you are a values-driven author, you need to know if your editor is in alignment with you.
And that's gonna be different for everyone, right? What values are important to you, what you wanna look for, but knowing those ahead of time is great because that gives you something to go on to start researching. Do they use generative AI in their writing or their editing process or even to post on social media or write their blog posts? If they do, are you okay with that?
You know, check out their online persona. See how they interact with people on social media if they're on there. See how their tone is on their website. Are they, you know, more informal, fun, more formal? Are they snarky? Are they rude? Are they generous? Do they bad-mouth other people in the industry? Do they complain about their editor, their author, their graphic designer, their da, da, da?
Online sleuthing is your BFF here. You can get a pretty good idea of someone just by doing some quick searching if they have an online presence. If not, it gets a little more tricky, and that's where the referrals and word of mouth come in, but you still want to do your own vetting because every editor is different, every author is different, and you've gotta find that good match.
All right, number six: Does the editor use a contract? If an editor doesn't use a contract, says they don't, literally or figuratively you need to run with the quickness. That is such a red flag. Editors, if you listen to this podcast, you know by now, but we use contracts. It protects both parties. It is 2026, we're not doing handshakes. We unfortunately cannot do that at this point.
And an editor's refusal to use one or an author's refusal to use one is unacceptable. It's just not gonna work out. You want to protect yourself and each other, use a contract, please. Editors, I have an editing contract available. It's on my website if you head there. It is specifically made for freelance editors, written by me and my brother, who is an attorney. Like, it is legit. If you don't wanna buy that, find another reputable source, but use a contract, please.
All right, number seven: the editor's rates. Now, this is something that has changed in my going on fifteen years of being an editor. When I first started, nobody listed their rates on their website. Nobody. It was such a like, you know, we hoard that information, we're not sharing that, we're not helping others. It was icky. Like, it really was, and I didn't like it. And I have been happy to see that that has evolved and changed, and now most editors will put their rates on their website.
If not a specific rate, it'll be something like “rates starting at,” or “rates in alignment with the EFA rate chart,” which I'll talk about in a second. There should be something on there. That is a very easy way to see if that editor is in your budget.
Now, editing can be expensive, especially when your book is 200,000 words. It's going to take a lot of time. Here's a little tip. When you say you're looking for an "affordable editor," that isn't the most helpful verbiage. Affordable is completely subjective. What is affordable to you might not be affordable to someone else. We're all in the creative space here. We all deserve to be compensated fairly, and a low rate does not indicate an editor's passion level for helping authors.
It could be inexperience, it could be not needing a full-time income, it could be a complete lack of knowledge and/or gross intentions of undercutting other editors, or a mixture of all of the above. A low rate does not equal how much you care about an author. Period. Like, I hope that… There's my frustration that's coming out. That is one of my, clearly one of my pet peeves, because we all deserve to be compensated fairly. Authors deserve to be compensated for their books. Editors deserve to be compensated for their editing. And yes, editing takes time. It is a super brain-intensive job. And for those of us who are not looking to toss that into a robot, we deserve to be compensated for our time for that.
If you see an editor's rate is too high, move on. Either move on, or if you really, really wanna work with that editor, save up if you can, if that's something that's an option. If not, there is going to be another editor out there for you. Do not go and ask the editor for a discount simply because their rate is too high for you.
We don't do that in any other profession. Like,it blows my mind that this is seen as sometimes acceptable behavior in the creative space, because I would never contact an author and be like, "You know what? $25 for the hardcover is a little too expensive. Can you please give me a discount?" I would never do that. So why do we do that with other creative professions like editors, and I've seen it with copywriters and graphic designers? Like, nope. The rates are the rates.
Now, if they have a sale or something, that's something totally different. Or if they have a scholarship program or something like that, great. But we're not just contacting people to ask for a discount just because we can't afford it at the time.
If I were to do that right now, I would have to contact every single person that I interact with or use a service for because, phew, the economy is rough, but I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna find somebody within my budget. And that is the same case for authors, okay?
Now, if you see an editor charging $100 for any kind of edit, no, no, no, no. Unless you have a ten-word book, that is not going to work for editing of any kind for any kind of full-length book. Sorry, not gonna be the case. The price obviously depends on the type of editing, the length of the book, the amount of work needed, you know, so many different variables. It is not uncommon to be in the low four-figure range.
It's not. Not every edit will be that high. Some might be higher, some might be lower. And like I mentioned before, there is the Editorial Freelancers Association's website has a rates chart. Now, what that is, is a chart of the median editor rates for a relatively small subset of editors in the world. It would be very hard to get, you know, that big of a survey, but it is the median. That means that there are, in this group of editors, 50% of editors charge lower than those rates and 50% charge higher. It's not an average. It is a median. So you're going to find a large range, but if it's super, super low or super, super high, those can be red flags. They can be. Not always. But I'm just gonna say this: If it's $100 or less, run. There's nothing acceptable about that at all.
Okay, moving on to the last one, number eight: the editor's deadlines and availability. Now, going off of that editor charging $100 an edit, I hope there aren't any of them, but woof. Let's say they say, "I can get your book back in a couple of days." No, they can't. Sorry. At least not a book you're gonna be proud of. Editing is labor-intensive, brain-intensive. It takes time. We love what we do, but we cannot rush it, especially if we're not outsourcing to a robot. Expect weeks, not days, unless there's an expedited issue or, you know, let's be real. I have cranked out a book way faster than I have wanted to because of deadlines and, you know, things happening. It's gonna happen, but it's gonna take time. Many, many editors can edit about four to five hours a day. That's it. We're not editing eight to ten hours.
Some editors edit every day. Some only edit a few days 'cause, you know, we have other things to do, too, like marketing and bookkeeping and all the other things that go into running a business. It takes time. A developmental edit can take fifty hours, let's just say. So do the math there as to how long it'll take just to do the developmental edit, plus writing the letter and like, there's a lot of things. Weeks, not days.
All right. I hope that's a good start for the authors listening to know what to look for in an editor. Editors, now you have a good reminder of what authors are looking for. Of course, there are nuances, outliers, things that are different in certain genres or areas of the world or communities.
We're not taking this as gospel. We're taking it as more of a quickstart guide to try and alleviate some of this crap out there about how to find an editor, and editors, how to run a legit business, because the goal of all of this is mutual respect, having a true partnership with the editor and the author, and making a book the best it can possibly be, all while being ethical and an asset to the publishing industry.
We have enough crap and people causing harm in the world. Let's not be one of them. And if these guidelines are followed, you're going to get that.
So until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and know that we all have each other's backs.
Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. If you enjoy The Modern Editor Podcast, I would be so grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts or wherever you consume podcasts. And don't forget, you can head to TaraWhitaker.com to connect with me and stay in touch. We'll chat again soon.

#1: An Editor’s Education

Authors, please check an editor’s education before you hire them because an English degree is not enough. Neither is a journalism or a comms degree. Someone who “likes to find typos” is not good enough.

Editors need specific training in the editing services that we offer. Authors: Check their website for their education and credentials; if it isn’t listed, ask them about it directly.

#2: Does the Editor Work with Your Type of Content?

This one is relatively easy to determine, so it’s something you should look for right off the bat. If you’re looking for a copyeditor for your debut romance novel, you’re not going to want to work with someone who only does developmental editing for established nonfiction writers.

Before you hire an editor, do your research so you can find one that matches your style as much as possible.

#3: Look For Testimonials, Referrals, and Word-of-Mouth Recommendations

One of the best ways to find trustworthy, high-quality editors is through reviews and referrals from others. However, it’s not the only way, and it’s not always the best option. For example, an author friend may refer you to an editor they worked with who worked great for them but wouldn’t work well for you.

Moral of the story: Referrals are awesome and helpful, but you still need to do your research and feel out an editor for yourself.

#4: Ask for a Sample Edit

This is actually the best way to figure out if you jibe with an editor’s style and approach or not. You’ll get a chance to see how they work before committing to a contract.

With a sample edit, an editor will take 1,000 words, give or take, from the middle of your book (or whichever part you’ve agreed on).

#5: Values Alignment

If you’re a values-driven author, you need to work with an editor whose values line up with yours. Understanding your values and what you’re looking for ahead of time will make finding an editor way easier.

An extremely topical example of a value is whether or not an editor uses generative AI in their writing or editing process. If they do, are you okay with that?

Do you like the persona they put out online? You can get a pretty good idea of someone just by searching, so online sleuthing is your best friend here.

#6: Do They Use a Contract?

If an editor tells you they don’t use a contract, run as fast as you can to find one who does. Refusing to use a contract is a huge red flag, and you need to protect yourself and your intellectual property.

Editors: You can access my contract template here.

#7: Rates

In the early days of my editing career, no one listed their editing rates on their website. Thankfully, editors have become more transparent, and most of them have no problem displaying their rates.

If they don’t list their specific rate, they’ll usually list a starting rate so that authors can get a feel for their price bracket.

Keep in mind that affordability is extremely subjective, so saying you’re looking for an “affordable editor” isn’t that helpful. A low rate does not indicate an editor’s passion to help an author. Editors deserve to be compensated fairly for their time and expertise.

If an editor is too expensive for you, move on or save up until you can afford their rates. Accept the rates for what they are and don’t ask for a discount. You can check out the Editorial Freelancers Association Rates Estimator to get an idea of median editing rates.

#8: Deadlines and Availability

If an editor says, “I can get this back to you in a couple of days,” that’s a red flag. Editing books takes time, and you don’t want an editor who takes shortcuts to deliver a tighter timeline. You should expect an editor to have your books for a few weeks at minimum (unless there’s an expedited situation).