Cost and fit
How to choose a developmental editor for your manuscript
Choose a developmental editor by testing how they reason about your manuscript, not by comparing biography or price alone. Ask what they read, which craft dimensions they track, how they support a judgment with passages, what the deliverable contains, what is excluded, and how disagreement works. Read a sample editorial letter or commission a sample when available. Genre familiarity matters when conventions shape reader expectations, but it does not replace a clear method. Choose the person or product whose diagnosis reveals a real manuscript decision while leaving authorship with you.
By the Wordsmith team · Last updated
Make method the first fit test
A credible editor can explain the unit of work, the dimensions they assess, and how observations become priorities. Their method should be specific enough that you can imagine how a judgment will be supported.
Genre familiarity helps with reader expectations, but credentials alone do not show whether the editor can diagnose this manuscript.
Normalize scope before price
Put every offer into the same columns: complete or sampled read, letter, in-text notes, chapter evidence, call, follow-up, revision pass, turnaround, and exclusions.
Then compare the price of equivalent work. A cheaper offer is not cheaper if it omits the decision you need answered.
Test the working relationship
A sample should show whether the editor distinguishes diagnosis from optional fixes, preserves deliberate voice, and welcomes reasoned disagreement.
Choose the relationship you can use. A technically strong report is wasted if its tone or format prevents you from making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Must the editor have published in my genre?
No. Relevant reading and editorial evidence matter more than a matching author biography, though specialist conventions can make genre experience important.
Is a free sample enough to choose?
It tests fit, not the complete engagement. Also inspect deliverables, exclusions, timing, privacy, and follow-up.
Sources and product facts
- Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart · Market scope and service-category context
- Wordsmith pricing · Visible Wordsmith price and scope
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Put your manuscript in front of Fred
Fred reads the whole manuscript and marks up a sample before you pay.