How to Find and Hire the Perfect Spiritual Book Editor - Part I
- Michael Ireland
- Oct 1
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 11
Understanding Costs and the
Complete Spiritual Book Editor Selection Process
Looking for an editor can feel overwhelming, especially when you start seeing price quotes. But here’s the thing: editing is both a craft and an art, and when you hire a professional editor, you’re investing in years of expertise. Most experienced editors have specialized backgrounds—literature, linguistics, psychology, science, history, spirituality, etc.—plus the hard-won skills that come from editing hundreds of manuscripts.
There’s a reason for the old saying “writers write, editors edit.” Even seasoned authors rely on editors to make their words shine. It’s a partnership, and like most professional services, quality doesn’t come cheap.
What You’ll Pay
Let’s talk numbers, because this is probably what you’re most curious (and nervous) about. Editors charge in different ways—by the page, by the word, or by the hour. There’s no industry standard, but here’s what you can expect for professional-level editing. All the prices are ballpark because every editor charges differently.
Per-page pricing:
Minimum $15.00 - $20.00 per double-spaced page for comprehensive editing through all phases, though $20.00 - $30.00 is more realistic for experienced editors.
Per-word pricing:
Developmental editing: 2.5 - 6 cents per word
Line editing: 2.2 - 5 cents per word
Copy editing: 1.6 - 4 cents per word
Proofreading: 1 - 3 cents per word
By the Hour pricing:
It’s anybody’s guess. $35.00 to $100 per hour. What do lawyers charge? Plumbers? Electricians? Nurses? All are trained specialists, just like editors. Like other professionals, editors’ rates vary.
Bottom-line (double-spaced) page costs:
Developmental/line editing: $10 - $30 per double-spaced page
Copy editing: $7 - $15 per double-spaced page
Proofreading: $3 - $5 per double-spaced page
Watch for Part II of this blog, where I'll list more information on Pricing.
Why Editor Rates Vary (And What That Means for You)
Here’s some great news: editorial pricing works in your favor as a writer! You might find an incredibly experienced editor whose rates are surprisingly reasonable—maybe they have other income streams, are semi-retired, or simply love working with emerging authors. On the flip side, a newer editor might charge more because they’re building their business and have different financial needs. Everyone prices their work according to their unique situation, which means there’s no rigid industry standard working against you.
This flexibility is actually awesome because it means you can find skilled, professional editing at various price points. You’re investing in expertise and talent—these editors have honed their craft, understand the publishing world, and bring real value to your manuscript. The key is finding the right match for both your project and your budget, and with so many talented editors out there with different pricing structures, those perfect matches definitely exist.
Think of it as a marketplace full of opportunities rather than obstacles. Your ideal editor-author partnership is out there waiting to happen!
Crunching the Numbers: Your Editing Budget
If the $ numbers above made you gulp, keep reading—there are ways to work within your budget. Want to know how to calculate your costs? Note that there are four to five phases of editing for every manuscript, and as noted, every editor will quote differently. Some will quote for one or two phases, some for all four/five...so be sure to calculate every phase separately and total them all to determine your full editorial costs.
First, ask your word processing app to give you a word count for your manuscript.
For a per-word cost, multiply the word count times the price an editor proposes to charge you per word. Then divide by 100. That’s your $.00 cost for editing your manuscript.
For a per-page cost, take that word count and divide by 250. That’s how an editor would arrive at the double-spaced page count for your manuscript. Now do the math – the total number of pages times the proposed price per page.
For a per-hour cost, ask the editor how much time they plan to spend on each page for each editorial phase, and then do the math. If they don’t or can’t tell you, plan on a ballpark cost of 1 - 1.25 hours per double-spaced page for all phases of editing. Yup. It’s a lot, but you’ll be amazed when you see how your edited words sing.
Making Sense of Editorial Quotes: Your Guide to Smart Conversations
The hardest part of editing is pricing. Editing takes as long as it takes. But we editors need to give authors a price, so the best we can do is estimate.
When you receive editing quotes that vary significantly, you’ve stumbled upon a golden opportunity to better understand what you’re getting and potentially negotiate a win-win arrangement. Price differences often reveal important details about scope and service levels that help you make smarter decisions.
If one editor’s quote is notably lower, it’s perfectly professional to ask what’s included in their package. They might be offering a different type of editing than you expected, focusing on specific phases, or working with a streamlined process that benefits both of you. This conversation often clarifies exactly what you need and helps you compare apples to apples.
Here’s something many authors don’t realize: freelance editors expect price discussions and often welcome the chance to find creative solutions that work for both parties. They understand that every project and budget is different. Don’t hesitate to have honest conversations about pricing—you might discover flexible payment plans, package deals, or alternative approaches that fit your needs perfectly.
Think of these pricing conversations as relationship-building opportunities. Editors who are willing to discuss options and explain their processes transparently are often the same professionals who’ll provide excellent communication throughout your project. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised how often they’ll work with you to find a solution that gets your book the professional attention it deserves.
Understanding the Editing Process
Not all editing is the same, and this is where many first-time authors get confused (and sometimes waste money). Here are the main phases, in order:
Editorial Assessment/Review/Report:
Your editor reads your entire author first-draft manuscript and gives you a comprehensive report on what needs work. Think of it as a detailed roadmap that shows you exactly where your manuscript stands and where it needs to go. This isn’t just a generic critique—it’s a strategic document tailored specifically to your book.
Your assessment will identify your manuscript’s strengths (yes, you have them!) and pinpoint areas that need attention, whether that’s plot inconsistencies, character development, pacing issues, or structural problems. The editor will prioritize these issues, helping you understand what to tackle first for maximum impact. They might suggest which scenes to expand, which chapters to reorganize, or which themes to strengthen throughout your work.
What makes this so valuable is that you get the big-picture perspective without the line-by-line work—it’s like getting architectural plans before renovation begins. You’ll know whether your manuscript needs major structural work, minor adjustments, or is ready to move forward to the next editing phase. Many authors find this report invaluable for making informed decisions about their revision process and editing budget.
You should expect to receive either, a few pages covering the editor’s findings, or the editor may want to meet you on Zoom to discuss their assessment.
Please note: In an editorial review, the editor will not make changes, they will simply “assess” your manuscript and make recommendations. If you want changes made, skip this and go straight to a developmental edit.
This is the only phase you can skip if you prefer to jump straight into developmental editing, but most authors find the strategic overview incredibly helpful for planning their path forward. It’s an investment in clarity that can save you significant time and money down the road.
Developmental Editing (Also called a Structural Edit):
The big-picture stuff—structure, pacing, character development (if fiction or memoir), argument flow, and overall narrative arc. Does your book actually work? A developmental editor digs into the foundation of your manuscript, examining whether your story or argument is compelling, logically organized, and engaging from start to finish.
They’ll identify plot holes, inconsistent character motivations, or gaps in your reasoning. They might suggest reorganizing chapters, strengthening weak sections, or cutting material that doesn’t serve your core message. For fiction writers, they’ll look at whether your characters feel authentic and grow throughout the story. For non-fiction authors, they’ll assess whether your arguments build effectively and your evidence supports your conclusions.
Think of developmental editing as getting architectural advice before you worry about paint colors. This editor helps ensure your book’s foundation is solid, your blueprint makes sense, and readers will want to keep turning pages. It’s the most comprehensive type of editing and often involves the most significant revisions—but it’s also where the magic happens in transforming a good manuscript into a great one.
Line Editing (also called Content, Creative, Style, or Essential Editing):
Sentence-by-sentence work on clarity, flow, and style. This is where your voice gets polished and your writing truly comes alive. A line editor focuses on how you say what you say, making sure every sentence flows smoothly into the next and that your unique voice shines through consistently.
They’ll tighten wordy passages, vary your sentence structure to create better rhythm, and eliminate awkward phrasing that makes readers stumble. They might suggest stronger word choices, help you strike the right tone for your audience, or smooth out transitions between paragraphs and sections. Unlike developmental editing, which looks at the big picture, line editing zooms in on the craft of your writing itself.
This is where good writing becomes great writing. Your line editor preserves what makes your voice distinctly yours while elevating the elegance and readability of every page. They’re not changing what you’re saying—they’re helping you say it in the most compelling, clear, and engaging way possible. It’s like having a skilled writing coach work through your manuscript with you, sentence by sentence.
Copy Editing (also called Technical or Text Editing):
The technical cleanup—grammar, punctuation, consistency, fact-checking, spelling, and all the nitty-gritty details that make your manuscript professionally polished. A copy editor is your manuscript’s quality control specialist, catching everything from misplaced commas to inconsistent character names, timeline errors, and formatting issues.
They’ll ensure your verb tenses stay consistent, your dialogue punctuation follows standard rules, and your facts check out. They catch those sneaky typos that spell-check misses (like “dessert” when you meant “desert”), verify that Chapter 3’s blue-eyed character doesn’t mysteriously have brown eyes in Chapter 12, and make sure your bibliography or citations follow the correct format.
Copy editors also handle style consistency—ensuring you use “toward” or “towards” throughout your manuscript (not both), that your numbers are formatted consistently, and that your capitalization follows standard conventions. They’re the detail-oriented professionals who make sure nothing distracts readers from your brilliant content. Think of them as your manuscript’s final safety net before it reaches readers, ensuring everything is clean, correct, and professional.
Proofreading:
Final error-catching—and this occurs after your book is laid out by your designer. This is the last step before printing, and it’s absolutely crucial because it’s your final opportunity to catch any lingering issues before your book goes public.
At this stage, your proofreader is looking at your book exactly as readers will see it—with final formatting, fonts, page breaks, and design elements in place. They’re hunting for typos that somehow survived previous editing rounds, checking that page numbers are correct, ensuring chapter headings appear where they should, and catching any formatting glitches that occurred during the layout process.
Proofreaders also watch for “layout gremlins”—those sneaky problems that can appear when text gets formatted, like awkward line breaks, orphaned words and widowed lines, or spacing issues around images and graphics. They’ll verify that your table of contents matches your actual chapter titles and page numbers, and that any headers or footers are consistent throughout.
This isn’t the time for major content changes or stylistic revisions—that ship has sailed. Think of proofreading as your book’s final quality inspection before it rolls off the production line. It’s a focused, detail-oriented process that ensures your professionally edited and beautifully designed book maintains that polished standard right through to the very last page. Skipping this step is like buying a gorgeous new car without checking that all the buttons work—why risk it when you’re so close to perfection?
The Secret to Getting Editing Right (And Saving Money Too)
Here’s empowering news that will save you time, money, and frustration: professional editors work in a specific sequence for excellent reasons, and understanding this process puts you in control of getting the best results for your investment.
Think of editing like building a house—you wouldn’t install beautiful hardwood floors before fixing the foundation, right? The same logic applies to your manuscript. Developmental editing establishes your solid foundation, line editing creates the beautiful interior flow, and copy editing adds those final, polished touches that make everything shine.
When you work with a legitimate editor, they’ll assess exactly what your manuscript needs and guide you through the most effective order. This isn’t about upselling—it’s about getting you the best possible outcome. An editor who wants to copy edit your author first draft (and for a suspiciously low price) is like a contractor who promises to skip straight to the pretty stuff. It might seem appealing initially, but you’ll end up spending more money later to fix what should have been done properly from the start.
Professional editors want to see you succeed, which is why they’ll give you honest guidance about what your manuscript actually needs. Trust their expertise—they’re your partners in creating the best possible version of your book.
Ready to continue your editor search journey?
In Part II, we’ll cover the essential practical details you need to make smart hiring decisions: where to find qualified editors, how to get sample edits and quotes, red flags to avoid, working with self-publishing houses, making editing affordable on any budget, and finding your perfect editor match. Plus, we’ll explore realistic editorial workloads and why professional editing is the smartest investment you can make in your writing career. See you there!
Coming Soon: Part II
In the next installment, we'll cover the practical details of finding and hiring your ideal editor: where to search, how to get sample edits and quotes, red flags to avoid, working with self-publishing houses, making editing affordable on any budget, and finding your perfect editor match. Subscribe below to be notified when Part II goes live!
Need Help?
Navigating the editorial landscape can feel like solving a puzzle without all the pieces. Between developmental work, line editing, copy editing, proofreading, and editorial assessments, how do you determine what your manuscript actually requires? And once you understand your needs, how do you locate a skilled editor who aligns with your project goals and budget constraints?
My Coaching Session eliminates the confusion surrounding editorial services. You’ll discover detailed insights into each editing phase—from the foundational work that strengthens your manuscript’s structure and flow to the final technical polish that ensures professional presentation. I’ll guide you through the logical sequence of editorial steps, help you understand realistic timelines and outcomes, and teach you proven methods for finding and vetting potential editors.
This session serves both newcomers overwhelmed by publishing jargon and experienced authors seeking to optimize their editorial partnerships. You’ll gain the expertise needed to make strategic choices about your manuscript’s development, plus practical tools for assessing editor qualifications, conducting productive consultations, and establishing collaborative relationships that enhance your work.
Ready to master the editorial process and discover your ideal publishing partner?
Check out the session agenda here:
And, if you’d like to know more about our editorial team, click here:
Namaste,
Michael
This blog is subject to our Notices to Reader section. For more information and helpful tips on editors and publishers, check out my other writings. Questions? Reach out at michaelireland@shaw.ca
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