Hire an Editor: Packaged Proofreading, Copy Editing, and Book Editing Gigs
Browse freelance editors and proofreaders who package proofreading, copy editing, line editing, and developmental book editing into fixed tiers. Know the word count, the depth of the edit, and the price before you order.
No bidding, no proposals. Buy self-serve.
Basic
A single, tightly scoped deliverable. Fastest turnaround.
Standard
More scope and more revision rounds. The tier most buyers pick.
Premium
Full scope, source files, and priority delivery.
Illustrative tiers. Every editor sets their own scope, delivery time, and price.
What it costs to hire an editor
US freelance editors price by the depth of the edit. Editorial Freelancers Association 2026 benchmarks put proofreading at 31 to 40 dollars an hour, copy editing at 36 to 45, line editing at 46 to 60, and developmental editing at 55 to 80. By word, proofreading runs about 0.013 to 0.025 and copy editing 0.02 to 0.05. A typical 80,000-word novel costs roughly 800 to 1,600 dollars to proofread and 1,200 to 2,400 to copy edit. Packaged gigs on FreelanceNation start around 25 dollars for a defined word count.
Last updated July 2026
What they do
What an editor can do for you
Browse editor gigs packaged into clear tiers. Pick the scope you need and order self-serve.
How hiring works
Hire an editor in two clicks
Browse gigs
See editor gig pages with packaged tiers, portfolios, and prices up front. No proposals to read.
Compare tiers
Compare Basic, Standard, and Premium across sellers. Scope and delivery time are fixed, so you know exactly what you get.
Book self-serve
Pick the tier you need and check out in two clicks. No bidding, no back-and-forth, no waiting for quotes.
Why hire here
Why hire an editor on FreelanceNation
A self-serve marketplace where every gig is a shareable, packaged page. No bidding wars, no faceless URLs, no surprise quotes.
Prices up front
Every editor gig shows fixed-price tiers. You compare scope and cost before you commit, with no quotes to chase.
Buy self-serve
Pick a tier and check out in two clicks. No proposals, no interviews, no back-and-forth before work starts.
Real proof
Portfolios and past work sit on the gig page itself, so you judge an editor on what they have actually shipped.
Questions buyers ask
Hiring an editor: common questions
The questions people actually search before they hire, answered straight.
How much does it cost to hire an editor?
US freelance editors charge by depth. EFA 2026 benchmarks are 31 to 40 dollars an hour for proofreading, 36 to 45 for copy editing, 46 to 60 for line editing, and 55 to 80 for developmental editing. By word, proofreading is about 0.013 to 0.025 and copy editing 0.02 to 0.05. Buying a fixed price for a known word count is more predictable than paying hourly.
What is the difference between proofreading, copy editing, and line editing?
Proofreading is the final polish: typos, spelling, punctuation, and formatting, with no rewriting. Copy editing fixes grammar, consistency, and clarity sentence by sentence. Line editing reworks how the prose reads: flow, tone, and word choice. Developmental editing sits above all three and addresses structure and content. Paying for a proofread when you need a line edit is a common and disappointing mistake.
How much does it cost to edit a book?
For a typical 80,000-word novel, expect roughly 800 to 1,600 dollars for a proofread, 1,200 to 2,400 for a copy edit, and 1,500 to 4,000 for a developmental edit. Price scales with word count and how heavy the manuscript is. Most self-published authors budget for at least a copy edit and a final proofread, done as two separate passes rather than one.
Do I need an editor or a proofreader?
You need a proofreader when the writing is already clean and you only want a final typo-and-formatting check before publishing. You need an editor when the text still has grammar, clarity, consistency, or structure problems. A good rule: if you would be embarrassed for a reader to see the current draft, you need editing first, and a proofread only as the last step.
How long does editing take?
A proofreader moves faster than an editor. A short business document is often same-day or next-day, while an 80,000-word manuscript takes one to three weeks depending on the depth of the edit and the editor's queue. Developmental editing takes longest because it involves reading, notes, and revision. Turnaround is stated in each tier, so you can order against a real deadline.
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Hire an editor the simple way
Browse packaged gigs, compare fixed-price tiers, and book in two clicks. No bidding, no proposals.