How to find a book editor you can trust

First, know what you are hiring for

A great copyeditor may be a poor developmental editor, and the reverse. Before you contact anyone, decide which edit you need: developmental, line, copyediting or proofreading (see the types of editing, or let the editor finder suggest one). Then write a short brief you can send to every candidate:

That example is ours, but every element matters: the word count, the subject, what has already been done, the style guide, what you want back and when. Editors can quote accurately from it, and the ones who reply carefully are showing you how they work.

Where to look

1. Referrals from authors like you

   Ask people who have published a book in your field who edited it and whether they would hire that editor again. This is the most reliable source, because you hear how the editor behaved when things got hard.

2. Acknowledgments pages

   Pull five books from your shelf that are close to the book you are writing. Authors usually thank their editors by name. Many freelance editors can be found and contacted directly.

3. The Editorial Freelancers Association

   The EFA's Hire a Freelancer page offers a member directory you can search by editorial skill, subject expertise, genre, type of manuscript and style guide experience, and a job list that circulates your posting to members. The EFA says both are free to use, and that it does not post low-paying jobs or jobs paid by royalty.

4. Freelance marketplaces

   Sites that list freelancers of every kind. Quality varies widely and prices can be low. Vet as carefully as anywhere else, and more carefully on developmental work.

5. Publishing companies with in-house or contracted editors

   If you want editing as part of design and publishing, a publishing services company will assign an editor. Ask how editors are chosen and whether you can see a sample edit before you commit.

Selection matters because editorial skill is uneven. The Scribe Method's chapter on asking for feedback says Scribe tests editors before hiring them and rejects about 98% of applicants, including experienced ones. You do not need to run a test that strict, but you do need some test, which is what the sample edit is for.

How to vet: sample, references, fit

The sample edit. Send each shortlisted editor the same five to ten pages, ideally from a chapter you know is weak. Some editors do a short sample for free, others charge a modest fee; both are normal. When the samples come back, read them side by side and ask:

• Did they fix what you asked for, and only that? A copyedit sample full of rewrites is a warning.
• Does the edited text still sound like you?
• Do their comments explain why, so you learn something?
• Did they find problems you had not noticed?
• Are the comments respectful? You will read hundreds of them.

References. Ask for two past clients whose books were similar to yours, and ask those clients three things: did the editor meet the dates, did the book come out sounding like the author, and would they hire them again.

Fit. Genre fit is real. An editor who mostly works on novels may push a business book toward scenes and suspense it does not need, and one who mostly works on academic writing may make it formal. Look for editors who have worked on nonfiction for readers like yours. Subject expertise is a bonus, not a requirement: an editor who knows nothing about your field is often a good stand-in for a reader who knows little.

Questions to ask

1. What type of edit are you quoting for, and what will you not touch?
2. How do you charge: per word, per hour or flat fee? What is the total for my word count?
3. What will I receive: tracked changes, an edit letter, a style sheet, a call?
4. How many passes are included? Will you check my responses to your queries?
5. What dates can you commit to, and what do you need from me to keep them?
6. Which nonfiction books like mine have you edited? May I contact two of those authors?
7. Which style guide do you follow by default?
8. How do you handle a disagreement about a change?
9. Do you use any AI tools on client manuscripts, and if so, which and how? Where is my file stored?
10. What happens if the manuscript turns out to need a heavier edit than we agreed?

Red flags

• No sample, no references, no examples of past work. At least one of the three should be on offer.
• A price without reading anything. A responsible quote needs at least a sample of your pages and a word count.
• A promise that the edit will make your book a bestseller, or will get you an agent. Editing makes a book better. It does not guarantee outcomes.
• A rate far below the market for developmental or line work. Compare quotes with the EFA's median rates in what a book editor costs.
• Payment in full before any work. Deposits are normal; 100% upfront for a large job is not something you have to accept.
• A claim on your rights or royalties. A freelance editor is paid a fee. They should not own any part of your book.
• A sample that rewrites your voice into someone else's.

What the contract should cover

A short letter of agreement is enough for most freelance jobs, as long as it covers these points. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Once you have hired someone, the next step is making the most of the edit. See working with your editor.