One of my go-to websites for writing and editing articles is Jane Friedman’s. I recently found this article and consider it useful for those looking to hire an editor who remain a bit confused about exactly what they need an editor to do for them. Written by by nonfiction developmental editor Chantel Hamilton (@chantel.hamilton), I hope you will find it helpful. Without any further ado, here is the intro to the article along with a link if you’d like to read the remainder of the article:
As an independent developmental/substantive editor, I field a lot of the same questions every day. What is an editor? What do book editors do? How do I find one? How do I hire one?
The questions make sense—like book editing itself, an understanding of the editorial process happens almost exclusively in private author-editor interactions, and the specifics are rarely transferable between writers or projects. What’s an author to do?
For anyone embarking on a search for your first, next, or best editor, may this article be your comprehensive guide.
https://www.janefriedman.com/comprehensive-guide-to-finding-working-with-editors/
FYI – I work as a substantive editor, a copy editor, and a proofreader, all in one. Many editing companies separate these services, and as a result, their price per word may appear cheaper. However, when you consider that you will eventually need all of these services for whatever you have written, you will discover that my prices are actually more economical.
By all means, shop around, but please allow me to provide you with an estimate as well.
The Marginatrix 