When You Shouldn’t Hire and Pay For a Professional Editor

don't hire editor
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Today’s guest post is by Sarah Moore (@newleafwriter), a professional copywriter and the owner of New Leaf Writing.


At certain times in a writer’s life, professional editing is a very good idea: when you’re trying to make an excellent impression with a query letter; before you hit “publish” on an independent book; when you’re breaking up with someone via email and want to get it right.

… Just kidding. You don’t need to edit your breakup emails that carefully. (Also, what are you doing ending things via email? Text is definitely easier.)

But while it’s lovely to be an established—or even aspiring—writer who can afford editing, that doesn’t mean you should turn to it every time you need to make a piece sparkle. Such an approach amounts to wasted money, as well as wasted opportunity to practice a valuable skill. Yet you might be surprised how many people do it, and how many others advise it.

Many good reasons exist to hire a professional editor, but there are also valid arguments to hold off until later, if not forever. Even if the editing seems like a good idea, here are some times to skip the expense and go it solo.

When the Situation Does Not Call for It

It can be harder than you think to identify situations that don’t call for professional editing—and will most likely lead to wasted money. Some of the most common include:

  • When you finish the first draft of a book and really need to revise it yourself
  • When you want to clean up a novel or nonfiction book for beta readers
  • Any time you guest post on someone else’s blog
  • When it’s just for school or work (yes, people do pay others to edit for this)
  • When you have just finished anything and have not yet reviewed it yourself several times
  • When you’re only using an editor to sound fancy, impress an agent or give your work an extra push—usually, this doesn’t help much unless the work can stand on its own

Moreover, “professional” editors don’t always make your work better. Perhaps you hire a friend who edits for free (a sure sign of a novice), someone from a budget work-for-hire site or an unvetted freelancer. These folks, while usually well-meaning, often bring your work down conceptually, and may even do so even technically. In situations like these, rely on yourself and save the money.

When Your Work Isn’t Close to Final

A few months ago, I got a pitch accepted on a big blog. A big-big-big blog, in my very specific niche. I was thrilled and nervous all at the same time, determined to make the best possible impression. So I paid an editor to look over the 3,000-word post and polish it to a high sheen. She did an amazing job, I was happy with the results and the price was very reasonable. The more so when compared to how much the post would pay and the enormous exposure it would have brought me.

Only problem: The full piece didn’t get accepted, which shocked me. I thought I’d had it in the bag, but I didn’t. Sure, I can shop it around now, but I’m a freelancer who works on tight margins. I can’t afford to pay for less-than-sure bets, a fact I was blinded to at the time. I lost money.

Plus, if the piece does get accepted by another publication, that editor is likely to want changes. In my excitement I hadn’t stopped to think about the fact that even if the original editor had wanted the full piece, she would have made adjustments too.

So any time you’re submitting a piece that is likely to change quite a bit, don’t pay for services. The exception to this is a book manuscript. If it gets picked up, it will assuredly be edited, probably beyond current recognition. Nevertheless, making a good impression is critical in this situation and may warrant the expense.

When You Haven’t Yet Given Your Work Room to Breathe

Right when you finish drafting a novel or pounding out a 2,000-word piece is not the time to send it off to an editor. You’re tired; you’re too attached to the prose; your objectivity is shot.

In other words, the work probably isn’t as good as you think it is. If you pay an editor now, you’re wasting money—it’s probably not even halfway there yet. Don’t commit the Writing 101 blunder of submitting something the moment you bang it out; wait.

Neither should you make the mistake, however, of waiting a certain amount of time before you dive back in. A fresh eye is not guaranteed after the recommended 2-week resting period, nor do you have to wait that long to get one. In fact, I prefer to do several rounds of edits only a few days apart. For me, waiting too long severely diminishes my interest in a piece. Delay, and an article I was really, really excited to submit can become about as interesting as brushing my kid’s hair. That lost passion costs us writers even more than professional editing does, so when you feel ready and eager, dive back in.

When You Can Do It Yourself

Again, this might sound obvious … we’re all, like, awesome writers, right? We know when we need a pro to step in, or else we wouldn’t use one. Right? Right?!

Thing is, many writers, especially newbies, feel uncertain about their own skills and want the reassurance of a “real” editor. Usually that’s unnecessary. For instance, you have the ability to check for the following:

  • Repeated words (and phrases): No matter how cool a new piece of vocabulary is, don’t use it more than once. Anything unusual sticks out, and triply so when you use it twice.
  • Words you “mostly” understand: If you aren’t 100-percent sure you know what a word means, either look it up or give it a pass. Probably the latter.
  • Words that tax your reader: Even if it’s appropriate, it could still be exhausting. The concept of antidisestablishmentarianism can be expressed in eight short words or less; do that.
  • Insider words you haven’t explained: If you’re going to use lingo, make sure your audience knows what you mean … even a highly educated, niche audience can quickly get lost with too much shop talk.

You’re more than capable of scanning your work for verbal tics as well. For instance, I am terribly, horribly, predictably prone to overusing adverbs, especially of the –ly persuasion. If you see this suffix in a word, it’s safe to take another look at that word. Do you really need it? Most verbs don’t need to be modified. If someone is running, you can assume they’re doing it quickly. Crying? Probably miserably. Readers can fill in these blanks, so you can save your word count for what really matters.

Same goes for editing suggestions such as “use more precise adjectives.” You can do this easily on your own: “Elfin” may be more descriptive than “little.” “Captivating” might be better than “pretty.”

And instead of paying someone, spend time deliberately improving the editing craft. Learn all the little tricks that increase the readability and punch of your writing, such as removing “really” and a number of other unnecessary phrases.

But … Know When to Pay for a Good Editor

All that said, a professional editor is, eventually, necessary for books headed to publication. This means you should hire an editor for a manuscript prior to self-publishing, and you may want a professional to help smarten up a query letter. When it’s do-or-die time, call in the big guns and don’t cheap out. Your work will be so much better for it—yet another reason to save your bucks for when they matter.

In the meantime, don’t fear the editing beast. The more you increase your revision skills, the more confident you will become and the happier your bank account will be. Godspeed.

Oh, and feel free to send me your breakup emails so I can edit them for you. Let me just find the popcorn … okay, go.

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Amy M. Reade

Great post. Do you have any tips on the best places to find professional editors? I’ve seen ads for so many my mind is reeling.

Jane Friedman

Here’s some advice on that front: https://janefriedman.com/find-freelance-book-editor/

I also list editors on my resources page: https://janefriedman.com/resources

Amy M. Reade

Thank you!

Sarah Moore

Yes, it’s definitely difficult to find good ones! I use someone I met online years ago, so I never had to search for her. If I were trying to find an editor, though, I wouldn’t go through an ad. Instead, I would head to LinkedIn. A lot of people don’t know that LinkedIn is one of the biggest search engines in the entire world. You can put in so many different qualifiers, like where they live, what they do, any experience they have (i.e. science writing), and more. You can winnow down the results and then reach out to them using InMail, even if you aren’t yet “LinkedIn” with them. Definitely the way to go in my humble opinion.

Amy M. Reade

Excellent idea. Thank you.

Sarah Moore

You’re super welcome! Also keep in mind that people don’t have to advertise freelance services in order to be very open to providing them, so if you find the perfect person, ask! Hope this helps. 🙂

Tim Desmond

Thanks for a piece that is crucial in this business. I hadn’t thought of hiring an editor for blog posts and guest posts. However, I know that I’ve submitted manuscripts that were in need of better and more editing. While I thought that they were as clean as possible …uh uh. Even if the manuscripts were flawless with typos, punctuation, usage and such, I’ve had editors want plot changes and rewriting. I usually go along as I feel everybody is more or “better read” than I am.

Sarah Moore

Usually a good idea to get feedback, even if the piece is clean. Not sure if they’re better-read than you, but they certainly have fresher eyes!

Nathalie M.L. Römer

I actually do pay attention to what my editor says about my writing. I’ve noticed something interesting about my writing because of the notes, and she noticed it editing my second book (yes, I’m one of the authors living in the Catch 22 limbo of I need editing to get a good book out there, but I need a good book out there to afford editing.

Because of this Catch 22 situation AND because my editor does give very informative notes that I read and re-read while writing any NEW book I work on I’ve become more critical in the first place of what I write and how. I don’t write to then edit immediately. I do the latter at the end of all my writing before sending the manuscript to the editor. And usually it’s down by 3% to 5% of what I wrote as I’m getting good at spotting my tics (should do after seven books done). My editor actually thinks that my writing is getting better. And this allows me to identify the things that work so I re-read existing work still subjectto the Catch 22 situation, but now I read them with the “Ah so this is how such and such should be written.”

I do HAVE a question about re-writing an existing work. I know Joanna Penn did it with her books (and gave them new titles). But am I right to assume if I alter a large chunk of the writing so it is “polished” it does fall under the criteria of re-releasing as a second edition?

In respect to “readers can fill in the blanks” that also seems to occur because I write a lot more with the “show the story” in my mindset is this following example. In my seventh book I have a small scene where a woman gets assaulted (this is relevant to the story as you discover the true nature of the antagonist during the scene), and rather than going through each nuance of what goes there and how the assault happens I show the impact of it by the reactios from her and her boyfriend. The emotional rollercoaster for her of what happened is carried through in the story until the end of the book, with the evident distancing between her and her boyfriend and witnessed by people around them who become the people who show it’s happening. I think every reader will be able to figure out what the impact of the assault is on her, and what sort of emotions they both may be feeling.

The reason I was able to write this scene in this way is down to how my editor explained how she edited a scene involving emotions for the main character of my first book. This is where reading notes given by an editor in itself becomes an additional writing tool for an author and I would suggest that authors should insist on such notes, especially if they are still very new to crafting a story. Listen to the editor, listen well. Their advice isn’t criticism of your writing. It’s something that allows you to become better at writing. The best editor doesn’t change your story, but they will change how think about your writing, allowing you be more critical from the get go but never where it will impede your writing. A professional and friendship relationship with an editor is also key. Professionalism will make you a better writer. Friendship between the two of you allows the editor to understand you as a person, and therefore recognise your voice in your writing and make it stronger and better.

Sorry for a long post but I just wanted to get this off my chest as I’ve already come so much further in my writing career and skills since I got my editor in mid-2016. It was the best decision ever, and now my writing will get better because of it. If you choose an editor, choose one that’s recommended professionally as well as by fellow authors. It makes such a difference. I found my editor in the member directory of Alliance of Independent Authors. I think that gave me the security to know that I didn’t just hire an editor, but the whole professional skillset of the organisation. And that’s probably worth thousands of dollars for each and every word my editor edited, more so when my books start selling more frequently…

Jane Friedman

Regarding the question about re-writing an existing work: usually it doesn’t constitute a new edition, but this comes down to a judgment call by the author (or publisher) and how much of substance has changed. I usually advise against calling something a new edition when you would not want or expect a reader to buy it again, or you’re not launching a new marketing campaign around the new edition. (It may not be a good message to send that you’re releasing a second edition because the first wasn’t polished—sometimes it’s better to quietly update instead.)

Elizabeth West

Awesome post; thank you. My book has gone through many self-edits, but I’m getting critique rejections that say the same thing, so I hired someone to take a look at it. I hope fresh eyes will help me improve it so the next time an agent replies to me, it will be with a Yes instead of an Almost but not quite. 🙂

Sarah Moore

Good idea! Myself, I have hired a professional editor before when my manuscript wasn’t ready content-wise, and it didn’t do much for me except blow a few thousand dollars. From now on I’ll probably make sure my content is surefire before going out for editing. Sounds like you’re there and ready, though, so good call!

Elizabeth West

A few THOUSAND!?! Good grief. I know in some cases you get what you pay for, but I’m not being charged anywhere near that.

I think it will be worth it–I’m too close to the book to see the problem clearly, and it seems to be one thing consistently. It may require a deeper rewrite, but I really want it to work because I have two sequels planned out already. *crosses fingers, toes, eyes, internal organs*

Sarah Moore

Yes, it was the full package. And it made me ten times the writer I was before, but didn’t address the actual issues in the manuscript itself. Wah wah waaaaah.

Careful with those internal organs, btw. Only some of them are meant to be crossed …

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[…] is vital to writing well, so it’s important to do it right. Sarah Moore tells us when NOT to hire an editor, Jeff Lyons has questions to ask before hiring an editor, Joel Friedlander gives us all we need to […]

Bryan Fagan

Sarah, Thank you. Excellent article.

I hired an editor back in January. I wrote the book two years ago. I had a good friend edit my book for free. She trimmed it down to the point where we thought it was ready and I sent it out. No dice. I could have wall papered my man’s den with the rejection letters.

Come January, frustrated, it’s a damn good book I tell you!!!…..another friend, a professional editor, offered me her services. It was the best decision I ever made. I swear my characters high-fived me.

Sometimes you have to know when the right time is and when it isn’t. If your bank account gives you the green light and your gut says go, do it.

Sarah Moore

Totally agree! Especially for book manuscripts, as long as they’re ALMOST there, an editor is usually money well spent.

Mary Turzillo

Editors are unsung saints. A lot of them burn out rapidly. Personally, I find a writing workshop, composed of published writers only, can make the process easier. We exchange critiques and editing. Typos go away when ten eyes are looking at a manuscript.

Sarah Moore

And isn’t typos going away the whole meaning of life? (That, and 42.) In almost all cases, if I actually think it through, I find I make the right choice about editing. It’s just when I knee-jerk “really want it to be better!” that I usually spend my money poorly.

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[…] Sarah Moore: When You Shouldn’t Hire and Pay For a Professional Editor […]

Bruce Johnson

OMG. What a bashing-type of article with the expected comments from writers, who tend to blame others (e.g., editors) for their woes. Most of the article’s comments are helpful, but really? I showed this article to a friend, and she said that her impression (after reading it) was that editors are expendable and optional. Yes–there was the obligatory last paragraph of a few sentences that mentioned when one should use editors. This appears to be a blinders-on mentality with the target squarely listed as editors. How about a fair-and-balanced paragraph that addresses the current state of writing quality that is out there today? Then, how about getting off your horse and admitting that writing industry is in shambles from horrible work that freely floats out there (self publishing, etc.) Writers are so smug (this article enforces it) and think they don’t need editing, when in fact, they could be so much more successful with someone routinely cleaning up and editing the product. This article was a disservice to writes and editors.

Sarah Moore

Thanks for your input, Bruce … it’s always good to hear another take. Actually, I think editors are tremendously valuable, and much of this site has excellent advice on when to use one. Writers do operate on tight margins, though. If a writer uses a good editor for everything that could be better (i.e. every project, basically), then we would quickly run out of funds, especially since so much we write is on spec or unpaid. The point is not to skip professional editing, because we most certainly agree on its value. The point is to be judicious, so as not to burn through money that doesn’t yield results – which realistically, writing projects often don’t right away – and therefore generate the false impression that editors “do nothing.” This is the measured approach I’m advocating here. Cheers!

Maria D\'Marco

The title piqued my curiosity, thinking there might be some new ideas that would be helpful in further supporting the authors I edit, but then I was stunned at the put-your-socks-on-before-your-shoes approach. As you painted a picture of editors ready to shark writers and do harm, especially when the manuscript is in the raw draft stage, I became alarmed.

As developmental specialist, I can only shake my head at your advice…and hope that serious writers don’t take it to heart. My concern is that writers, especially new writers with their first book, will be done irreparable harm, because your message is all about how hiring an editor is a waste of money!

There are a number of solid steps any writer can take to push their manuscript to the limits of their own editing abilities. None are difficult or require special training, but they can save the writer in editing costs, as they assure the editor that basic flaws have been checked and amended. Beyond the limited capabilities of Word in checking for errors or ‘ly’ adverbs (the most common overwriting issue), there are also editing software programs that can check further into language problems. There are also educated beta-readers online, who specialize in certain genres, so you have an opportunity for less-subjective feedback.

The point where you need a professional editor is when you have exhausted all subjective review resources. These include your own self-edits, your writing group, most beta-readers, your critique partner, your family and friends, your old English teacher, and anyone else who reads the manuscript. These review resources support you with the best of intentions, but will review your material based on their preferences and judgement parameters (“I always hate it when a book does…[fill in blank]) in reading material. If you wrote a sci-fi thriller and the ‘reviewer’ likes cozy mysteries, you’re going to get biased feedback.

A professional editor has had specific training in fiction editing, in story development, in plotting, in genre types, in creating concise language, etc. A professional editor will tell you upfront that your material is too raw to do more than assess it from a very broad scope. A professional editor doesn’t teach writing in an edit, but is very often forced to assume a teaching role when explaining the changes they’ve recommended.

Your blog post could have done good service by speaking simply to the core truth of hiring an editor, not making it sound like editors will do harm and take your money.
Respectfully, consider the following:
>do not hire an editor if you’ve only done one draft
>do not hire an editor if you’ve not vetted the material through every subjective review resource available
>do not hire an editor if your expectation is that the editor will do all the work to “fix” your manuscript
>do not hire an editor if you’re not ready to absorb serious, educated advice on improving your material

A good writer knows – always – that their writing can be improved, and they look forward to paying for the education a professional editor can provide.

I wish you best success in all you future writing journeys, and hope that you will be able to accept that hiring a professional editor is a good thing — it just takes some thought and common sense. If the faucet is dripping once an hour, do you hire a plumber? No, you grab a wrench and tighten the pipe joint — or get your handy significant other or family member (Daaaaad!) to do so. Same with writing…you hire the professional when you’ve done all you can within your resources to stop the leak. And what’s great is that you can develop a relationship with an editor — one that gives you nuts and bolts information you can use later, as well as tips to take your self-review even further next time! :o)

Sarah Moore

Great points, Maria. I actually think your comment is very similar to the post itself, so glad to see we agree!