What If I Can’t Afford An Editor

There’s no sugarcoating this fact: Editing services are an investment.

When it comes to editors, you get what you pay for. Experienced editors are charging more because they’ve earned the right to. This is a business, after all.

So, where does that leave the indie author on a budget?

Hiring an editor can sometimes be a luxury. Not every author is going to have that ability, and if you’re in that boat, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

There are ways to make editing more affordable.

First, especially if you’re a new author, you’ll want to make sure you fully understand all the different types of editing. If you’re not 100% sure you know the difference between developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading, I highly recommend you download my free guide to Everything You Need To Know About Hiring An Editor. Even if you’re not planning to hire an editor, the definitions in this guide will help you learn the different stages of the editing process.

Once you understand the different stages of editing, it’s time to be honest with yourself. Are there any areas where you know your skills are really lacking? Maybe you’re a whiz with grammar, but you’re less confident in ensuring your pacing matches the structure of your novel. Or perhaps you’re really feeling solid on the story’s structure, but you know your sentences need work.

Determining your biggest weaknesses can help you determine where you might benefit from professional help. You might be able to find an editor who will discount their prices if they’re only focused on one specific area of concern.

But if hiring a professional is ENTIRELY outside of your budget, there's still hope!

There are resources available to authors that can help fill the gap of a professional editor.

Check out communities like Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and the Society of Authors. While they do require a membership to join, once you’re a member you have access to courses and other resources that can help you on your publishing journey. You’ll also have access to other members, which might help you connect to writing groups or people who are willing to swap manuscripts of critiques.

You can also join virtual groups through social media platforms to find other authors who might be in the same predicament. You might be able to bargain your skills against someone else’s. This goes back to determining your strengths and weaknesses. If your strength is grammar, and your weakness is pacing, find someone whose strength is pacing, and weakness is grammar, and work together!

You can also invest in some craft books to help you learn more about your areas of weakness. I have started a list of my favorite craft books in another post, so check those out for inspiration. Even if you can afford a professional editor, I always recommend reading craft books to help you improve your writing!

There are also lots (and I mean LOTS) of courses and content you can find online to help you improve your writing and self-editing skills. Some of these will also be an investment, but that investment will help you immensely as you continue your writing journey. Some of this is available for free, and the only investment is your time. Just make sure you thoroughly vet any content you’re consuming (free and paid) to ensure it’s from a reputable source.

If you’ve reached the editing process, you’ve already got a lot to be proud of! I wish you the best of luck in your publishing journey.