When it comes to editing, especially in fiction, every story needs a slightly different approach. This can get downright confusing if you’re doing multiple rounds of editing or working with multiple editors. That’s not as unusual as you might think. You may have an editor make a first pass and then hire a proofreader later on to recheck the text (and save some money).

Anyone who works with a publishing house will likely see their text go through a few different editors, although many authors prefer to have their own editor in addition to the people provided by the publisher. Even if you have a single editor throughout, you may engage someone else as a typesetter or formatter; a style sheet helps them too.

When you go to hire an editor, it’s important to remember that there are different levels of editing. You don’t want to accidentally hire a proofreader and expect them to be a book coach! That kind of mismatch in expectations will just lead to frustration on both sides.
 
Below, I break down the various levels of editing and the typical cost per hour in 2024, as calculated by the Editorial Freelancers Association. Keep in mind that the range mainly accounts for the type of writing. Editing for academic, business, medical, and legal texts will usually be more expensive because it requires specific technical knowledge.