If you’ve never hired a freelance editor before, you may not know what to expect if you choose to work with one. You may be concerned about what editing entails, how the editor works, how you’ll pay for editing services, and more.
Getting your questions answered before you hire a freelance English editor will give you peace of mind that your manuscript is in the right hands. Although no two independent editors are alike, there are some things any freelance editor should tell you from the get-go.
What their editing service comprises
There’s no single definition of editing among language professionals (as I’ve explained in this post). Before you hire a freelance English editor, find out if their service matches your needs. Developmental editing is not the same as copyediting or language editing, for example.
The editor should give you a detailed description of their editing service so you know what’s included in the price and what may come at an extra fee. For instance, in the description of my editing services, I specify that formatting references costs extra.
How the freelance editor works
Most freelance English editors work on screen, on electronic copies of documents. But some editors work on paper, using copyediting symbols.
Your editor should explain how they work, including how they intend to communicate their proposed changes and suggestions to you. They should tell you what software they use and how they insert their comments (for instance, by using the “track changes” tool).
Do not assume all freelance editors work the same way, so ask to make sure the way they work is what you expect.
How many editing passes they’ll do
The number of editing passes a manuscript needs depends on the level of accuracy required, your budget, the deadline, the editor’s experience, and more. For example, I discovered that in general doing two editing passes of a document allows me to achieve good accuracy while keeping cost low.
Experienced freelance editors know the law of diminishing returns applies to editing projects, and it means that beyond an optimal point, each new editing pass will result in increasingly less value for the client.
So, before your freelance editor starts working, agree on the number of editing rounds they’ll do, as well as on the cost of each extra pass in case you need more revisions later.
How the freelance editor will communicate with you
Some freelance English editors prefer email communication, others like to put their detailed feedback in a report (which may or may not be free of charge), and others do follow-up consultations via telephone.
If you choose to communicate via email or instant messages during your project, find out the editor’s business hours. This way you’ll know when to expect a prompt reply to your messages.
The information the freelance editor will need from you
Whether you’ll sign a formal contract or an email agreement will suffice will depend both on your needs and the freelance editor’s preferences. Regardless, they’ll likely ask for your contact information and maybe other details such as your business identification number if you own a company.
Clarify these details from the beginning so you don’t have any surprises later on. That’s especially important if your freelance editor lives in another country, with different tax laws than what you’re used to.
The cost of the editing service and the payment details
The cost of editing is many authors’ top concern. The freelance editor should tell you how much you’ll be charged, what’s included, and how much additional services (such as formatting) will cost.
They should also inform you if there will be taxes, commissions, or an invoice processing fee on top of the editing fee. For example, I am VAT exempt, so my invoices do not have other taxes, and I do not charge project fees or other types of commissions.
As well as knowing from the beginning how much you’ll be charged, you’ll have to agree on payment due dates and methods. Again, if your freelance English editor lives abroad, make sure your favorite payment method works in their country. For instance, PayPal does not work in all countries.
Finally, ask your freelance English editor if they’ll give you a valid tax receipt or invoice if you need to claim the money back from your employer or deduct it as a business expense. Some freelance editors are self-employed, but others offer editing services without being registered as a business and cannot issue a receipt that is valid for tax purposes.
When you’ll receive the edited manuscript
Knowing when the freelance editor will complete the work is as important as knowing how much their language editing services will cost. While not all independent English editors can start working right away, they should complete the work by the date you both agree upon.
If you have a strict deadline, mention that to your freelance editor. Also, ask them if they can guarantee timely delivery of the edited document if you must have it by a certain date.
It’s in the freelance editor’s best interest to respect deadlines. But if the freelancer is overbooked, they risk falling behind schedule.
If you’ve never worked with a certain freelancer before, have a plan in case they fail to submit their work on time. For example, contact another freelance editor and ask them if they are available in case your current editor does not respect your deadline.
What you can do if you’re not happy with the result
If you’ve decided to work with a certain freelance editor, you may have selected them from a long list of language professionals. Maybe a colleague has recommended this editor’s services. Or you have other reasons to believe the editor will do a great job. But there’s always the chance you will be unsatisfied with the freelance editor’s services.
Assuming you won’t be happy with the freelancer’s work, what will they do? Will they provide free revisions or give you a refund? Ask about this scenario so you know what to expect in any situation.
For example, to ensure my editing service matches the needs of a new client, I offer them a free editing sample, or suggest doing a test first if it’s a long manuscript, such as a book or a PhD thesis.
The details of the freelance editor’s experience
When you’re vetting freelance editors, experience should be one of your main selection criteria. Ask the editor how many years of editing experience they have, what their specialties are (fiction or nonfiction), if they edit British or American English, and so on. Read the testimonials on their website or LinkedIn profile, or ask if you can speak to some of their clients.
In sum, get enough information about their career as a freelance English editor so you have peace of mind that working with them is the right choice.
If they subcontract
Knowing who will edit your document is paramount, especially if you have a confidential document. So, if you care who will have access to your manuscript, ask the freelancer upfront if they subcontract their work and if this information is in their terms of service (it should be).
Some freelance editors don’t subcontract their important projects but only the work they deem trivial. Other editors never subcontract. For instance, I guarantee to each client that I’ll be the only person who will have access to and work on their manuscript if they hire me to edit or proofread a document.
Finally, if you’re still concerned about confidentiality, asking the freelance English editor to sign a non-disclosure agreement can help ensure your documents will remain confidential.
Ready to hire a freelance editor?
Knowing what editing entails, how much you’ll have to pay for it, who will edit your document, and how and when you’ll receive the edited version are some of the main things your freelance editor should tell you.
If you have any doubts, your editor should clarify them. Professional editors won’t have any problem giving you all the information you need to decide if they’re a good choice for you.
Do you need to hire a freelance editor? Send me a message at editor@languageediting.com.
If you prefer to work with another editor but don’t know where to find one, please consider checking my LinkedIn List of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders.
Related posts:
- What freelance editors can learn from project managers
- What I tell people who hire a freelance editor half-heartedly
- Why give detailed instructions to your freelance language editor
Last revised on 20 June 2023
