Hire A Copy Editor

There are over 57 million freelancers working in the United States right now. These freelancers often work as writers and editors, offering their services to business owners and bloggers alike. If you’re planning to build a self-publishing empire or want to start a blog relevant to your field, you’ll benefit greatly from hiring a freelance copy editor. 

Many publishing houses and other businesses outsource their editing services. Good copy editors can be hard to find, but the nice news is you aren’t limited to hiring people physically nearby. There are tons of websites and services that hire out freelance editors and writers remotely. 

Depending on your needs, you may not be sure what kind of copy editor you need. You may not be sure if you need one at all! Even if you do, you may not be sure where to find a copy editor for hire. 

If you’re putting any sort of written work into the world, hiring a copy editor is worth it. They will help you seem more professional and polished by ensuring your work is error-free. 

What Is a Freelance Copy Editor?

A copy editor is someone who edits your copy. Copy, in this case, refers to any piece of writing: blog posts, sales pitches, scripts for a commercial, corporate reports, and announcements. This very article is a piece of copy.

A copy editor is considered a freelance worker because they are contracted by your company instead of hired. These freelancers are technically self-employed and work from anywhere they choose. This means that your copy editor will be self-motivated and will likely communicate with you entirely virtually. 

Copy editors have a firm grasp of grammar rules and style guides. They should be able to differentiate between different voices and ensure that your copy is written for the correct audience. You can count on your copy editor to successfully edit both B2B and B2C copy. 

What Does a Copy Editor Do? 

A copy editor goes through your writing with a fine-tooth comb. They check and correct grammar, but also revise your content for clarity and purpose. In addition, they edit your document to make sure it follows all the appropriate style rules (usually according to the AP guide) and keep the tone consistent. 

While editing a document, the copy editor must wear many hats. They make sure that every piece of punctuation is used correctly, and fact-check the claims made in the piece. They also read other pieces put out by your business to keep consistency in tone and style. 

Finally, your copy editor will arrange and format your document for publication. This means that they’ll have strong knowledge of web design and publishing. Not only will your copy editor make your writing flawless, but they’ll make it nice to look at, too. 

How Much to Pay a Copy Editor

How much you will pay your copy editor depends on a few factors:

• Experience level
• Hours worked
• Whether you hired via an agency
• Deadlines or rush jobs
• Difficulty level of the writing

On average, copy editors earn about $30/hour. This is a fair rate when you consider the amount of work and editing that they perform on every piece of copy, as well as their education in grammar and style rules. If a piece must be edited in a short amount of time, they may add a rush fee of 20-50% their usual hourly rate. 

This hourly rate may be higher if your copy editor has niche knowledge of your industry or is editing a highly technical document. With freelance editors, you generally get what you pay for. It’s a worthy investment to avoid grammatical gaffes and embarrassing sentence structure. 

How to Interview and Evaluate Your Copy Editors

First, you’ll want to take a look at your copy editor’s portfolio. This is where you can examine their past works and make sure they have the skills necessary to read and edit your document. If you look through their portfolio and it’s riddled with grammatical errors and bad flow, look elsewhere. 

When interviewing your copy editor, here are a few good questions to ask:

• Do you have any editing certifications?
• How long have you been working as a copy editor?
• What do you do to self-motivate while working from home?
• Do you have a dedicated home office?
• Are you a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (or any other related unions)? 
• What hours of the day are you available?
• What other projects are you working on at this time?
• What similar projects have you worked on?

Since you’ll be in constant communication with your editor, make sure they’re an excellent communicator with great interpersonal skills. 

Where to Find a Freelance Copy Editor

Of course, you can always check websites like Upwork and Freelancer. However, those sites largely do not vet their members and you may end up hiring an unreliable or unskilled editor. Even if you find a good editor through these platforms, you’ll have to wade through a sea of profiles and proposals before contacting one. 

Here at FreeUp, we vet and certify all of our freelancers to verify that they will create great work. You’ll have more success using a freelancing agency, as they do half of the work for you. All you have to do is create an account! 

Your Writing Will Be Better Than Ever

Whether you’re writing full-scale books or just a series of commercials, a freelance copy editor will dedicate themselves to your copy. They’ll ensure that you’re putting the best work possible into the world. 

So don’t hesitate to make an account on FreeUp and look through the freelancers we have to offer. Our pricing is fair and affordable, but you’ll get expert-level work.

Look through our other offerings and blog posts for more advice and ideas on how freelancers can improve your business. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!