Hiring An Editor for Your Novel: When, How, and How Much? (Ep. 8)
Feb 18, 2025
The journey of hiring a developmental editor can be daunting for novelists. Insights into finding and vetting editors, including innovative methods like using AI tools, are shared. Pricing ranges from $3,000 to $8,000, reflecting the landscape's shift as top editors now work independently. The conversation highlights the need for polished submissions in today’s competitive publishing market. Balancing writing timelines with personal changes adds another layer of complexity to the editor selection process. Tips for managing feedback and improving manuscripts are also discussed.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Query Results
Nathan queried 14 agents and received five full requests, two pending, and three rejections.
This suggests the premise is strong, but the manuscript needs improvement.
insights INSIGHT
Need for an Editor
Nathan decided to hire a developmental editor after querying agents.
He believes an editor can elevate his manuscript from "pretty good" to "very good."
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Finding Editors
Start your editor search with Jane Friedman's blog.
She offers helpful articles and recommendations, particularly for fiction.
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Nathan shares his experience hiring a developmental editor for his novel, a process that's often opaque to aspiring authors. He details how he found and evaluated potential editors, from scouring book acknowledgments to leveraging AI tools, and breaks down the surprising costs and timelines involved in working with top-tier editors from major publishing houses.
The conversation explores how the publishing landscape has evolved, with many experienced editors from the "Big Five" publishers now working independently and commanding fees between $3,000-$8,000 for a full manuscript review. Nathan and Nat discuss the changing dynamics of traditional publishing, where debut novels need to be more polished than ever before submission, and how hiring a developmental editor might be becoming an essential step in the journey to publication.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:13] Hiring a developmental editor for novel [00:49] Current writing projects updates [05:34] Nathan's agent querying results [09:19] Finding developmental editors [15:47] Methods you can use to search for editors [19:21] The Reedsy platform for book professionals [21:23] Using book acknowledgments to find editors [22:00] How to reach out to potential editors [26:24] Narrowing down editor choices [26:53] Pricing for developmental editing services [28:22] Timeline expectations and booking challenges [31:29] Surprising aspects of the hiring process [35:28] How Nathan's perspective on querying has changed [37:18] What to do while waiting for editor availability [40:55] Final thoughts on cold emailing current publishers
Between Drafts