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Publishing & freelance editing

Book Editor

Traditional publishing pays badly; freelance editing pays the bills.

Typical pay

$45k-$85k

How you get in

English or humanities degree, or a freelance track record

Outlook

Flat in traditional publishing; growing in independent author services

Editors acquire, develop and refine manuscripts. Traditional publishing salaries are famously low and concentrated in expensive cities, while freelance developmental and copy editing for independent authors has become a genuinely viable business.

A day in the life

  1. 9:00aRead submissions and query letters
  2. 10:30aDevelopmental edit — structure, pacing, character
  3. 1:00pLunch
  4. 2:00pEditorial letter for an author, several pages long
  5. 4:00pMeeting with marketing about positioning
  6. 6:00pManuscript reading at home, which is most of the job

How to get in

Publishing house track

Duration

4-8 years

Cost

$40,000-$180,000

Credential

Bachelor's plus internships

  1. Complete a humanities degree and do publishing internships
  2. Start as an editorial assistant, which pays very little
  3. Move to assistant editor, then editor as you build a list
  4. Expect several years before the salary becomes livable

Freelance editing business

Duration

1-3 years

Cost

$500-$5,000

Credential

None — client results and testimonials

  1. Learn the distinct levels — developmental, line, copy and proofreading
  2. Take a professional editing course to formalize the craft
  3. Build testimonials with early clients at modest rates
  4. Specialize in a genre and raise rates as your reputation builds

Adjacent editorial roles

Duration

2-5 years

Cost

$40,000-$180,000

Credential

Degree plus editorial experience

  1. Work in content, corporate communications or academic publishing
  2. Better pay and hours than trade book publishing
  3. Keep freelance manuscript work on the side
  4. Many career editors ultimately combine both

What people love

  • · Deep engagement with books and writers
  • · Freelance editing is genuinely remote and scalable
  • · Self-publishing has expanded the client base enormously
  • · No credential gate for freelance work

What wears people down

  • · Traditional publishing pay is low for the cost of living required
  • · Entry roles are concentrated in a few cities
  • · Much of the reading happens on your own time
  • · Freelance income depends on constant client acquisition

From people doing it

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