The difference between hourly and fixed-fee editing lies in the type of contract you sign with your freelance editor. In this short post I’ll examine hourly vs. fixed-fee editing so you are better prepared to negotiate a fair rate with your freelance editor.
Hourly vs. fixed-fee editing cost calculation
Here’s how the costs for the two types of contract are calculated:
Hourly editing cost = (Number of editing hours * Editor’s hourly rate) + Other fees as agreed in the contract
Fixed-fee editing cost or editor’s flat fee per project = (Word count * Editor’s rate per word) + Other fees as agreed in the contract
Should you pay per hour or per word for editing services?
It depends on the scope of your project, among other things. If the scope of the project is well defined and unlikely to change, paying per word is probably best for you.
On the other hand, paying your freelance editor per hour will likely be more advantageous for you if you expect to use the editor’s services for more than one round of editing of the same document. This is because each additional editing round will take the editor less time to complete than the previous.
Also, if you use professional editing services often, collaborating with the same freelance editor and paying per hour for editing is likely to be cheaper in the long run than paying per word. The editor will become familiar with your writing style and will improve their editing pace with each document they edit for you.
Is it cheaper to hire a freelance editor per hour?
Often, hourly editing can cost you less than fixed-fee editing. That’s because when freelance editors give you a quote for a fixed-fee project, they must estimate many things, such as
- the number of hours the editor expects to spend on the project,
- the project’s complexity,
- any other costs, and
- project risks.
To mitigate the risk of a flat-fee project, experienced freelancers add a buffer to their quote. This means editors overestimate the costs of fixed-fee editing, to ensure they can offer you high-quality services while being able to make a profit.
If editors (usually new editors) underestimate their costs, they cannot turn a profit unless they rush to complete the project, and this means compromising on quality.
In general, an editor’s quote for hourly editing is more accurate than that for flat-fee editing, because hourly editing is based on the actual number of hours the editor works on your project. And, most likely, the editor’s hourly rate already includes a buffer to mitigate project risks.
That being said, whether it is cheaper to hire a freelance editor per hour or pay a flat rate per project will depend on your project, the freelance editor you hire, and the conditions of your contract.
How to avoid extra costs when you hire a freelance editor with an hourly contract
To avoid being overcharged for editing services, choose to work with professional and experienced editors. They are likely to have strong work ethics and highly value their professional reputation. In addition, it can also help to do two things:
- First, reach an agreement with your freelance editor about the maximum number of billable hours for your project so you have no unpleasant surprises when you receive the invoice for editing services.
- Second, ask the editor to redline the document (track changes) so you can use the time stamps as proof of the time the editor spent on your document. Just keep in mind the freelancer will also have to spend time on reading the text, consulting dictionaries and style guides, and possibly on checking facts, as well as on marking up the document.
Do you need to hire a freelance editor but have a limited budget for manuscript editing? There are ways to keep costs low. Send me a message at editor@languageediting.com so we can discuss your options.
Related posts:
- How to minimize the cost of editing
- How much does English language editing cost?
- Editing or proofreading: Which one is essential if you can’t afford both?
Last revised on 26 November 2022
