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Topic: Freelance book copyediting -- going rates?
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| Author | Message |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/15/2005 6:46:29 PM | show profile | email poster Hey, all -- I'm trying to get an idea of the going rate for freelance book copyediting, in both children's and adult trade publishing. I'm hoping to ask for a raise from the publisher I work for regularly, but I'm not sure I actually have a leg to stand on... It's a major publisher in New York, by the way, if that makes a difference. Thanks! |
| scribechick | Posted – 4/17/2005 2:51:49 AM | show profile rates for u Hey there, According to 2005 Writer's Market, $17 per hour is low, $34 per hour is average, $60 per hour is high. I offered $1,200 flat fee for 40 hours/light copyediting and one freelance editor didn't get back to me. I guess she thought it was too low of pay. |
| porfavor | Posted – 4/18/2005 2:41:22 PM | show profile According to me, $17-20 is average, $25 is good, and any more than that is virtually unheard of. (I work primarily on academic and reference titles.) |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/18/2005 4:33:55 PM | show profile Thanks... I'm mostly copyediting children's and adult fiction, so it's not technical stuff. Really surprised to hear about the rates at the low end of the scale! Still feel like there should be more money in this, but maybe that's just because I also do a lot of magazine work for $25-30. Hmmm.... |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/20/2005 2:02:10 PM | show profile Just bumping this up in case anyone else can shed light on the matter... Sorry to bother those of you who can't! |
| Lotus665 | Posted – 4/20/2005 2:23:27 PM | show profile I copyedited for St. Martin's Press for years --trade fiction and nonfiction -- and my last rate in 2001 was $20/hr (haven't worked for them since, but would assume a raise by now). ------ Lotus665 |
| Mirage | Posted – 4/20/2005 2:29:02 PM | show profile Rates I do freelance copyediting and proofreading for children's nonfiction and educational book publishers. I have three steady clients (of course, I also have a day job as a mag editor), and I get $22/hour for two of them, $20/hour for the other one. The $20/hour one is a new client (I was told that they pay all new freelancers $20/hour to begin with and then reevaluate in 6 months according to accuracy, turn-around time, etc.)--the other two just don't pay very much, but since they're steady, I'm glad to have them. |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/21/2005 11:51:44 AM | show profile | email poster Thanks for the replies... I guess I'm still amazed that copyediting for books is as undervalued as it is. To my mind, it's a lot more complex than copyediting for magazines! Anyway, just had a very frustrating e-mail from my client; they started me at $18 with a rush rate of $19, then finally raised me to $20 with a rush rate of $23...oh, about a year ago. I deal with different production editors all the time, though, and I just had an e-mail from one saying, ''I can pay a rush rate of $22.'' I answered, of course, that I've been getting $23 for some time now, but the whole thing makes me want to scream -- I mean, how can we still be haggling like this? |
| JCB | Posted – 4/21/2005 12:22:17 PM | show profile Question from a Realtive Newbie Hi, all. Just reading the thread and have a couple questions for anyone familiar with book publishing. I have years of magazine and newspaper editing experience and would like to freelance as a book copy editor, if possible. I'm living in L.A., where freelance work is very hard to come by. I have been a Copy Chief at several magazines, and have freelanced for years. How does one break into freelance book copy editing, and is it possible to do it long distance? (Since there are so few publishers in L.A.) If anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. |
| scribechick | Posted – 4/21/2005 12:30:41 PM | show profile Hi JCB, I think you can fall into it. For instance, I'm a full-time author/journalist. Two of my fave editors (one is a book ed./the other a mag ed.) left their full-time positions. Thus, they gave me their phone numbers when they made their departure. So, we kept in touch. |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/21/2005 1:58:38 PM | show profile | email poster Hi, JCB -- I'd send your resume out to the book publishers and see who might bite. I had very minimal book copyediting experience when I started, but I was able to prove myself very quickly, and I'm sure you could do the same. They'll probably start you at a low rate (see above!), but hopefully this thread will eventually show how much you should be able to charge... :-) Incidentally, location shouldn't be a problem; I asked my publisher what would happen if I relocated. The answer was that as long as we could work out something regarding shipping charges (I'm working on hard copy, with pencils and post-its and all those old-fashioned things, and so far they use DHL to send stuff to me in Brooklyn from Manhattan), it would be fine. Good luck! |
| JCB | Posted – 4/21/2005 7:44:20 PM | show profile Brooklyn to Manhattan is a far easier hop than L.A. and Manhattan. I was just wondering if anyone knew whether NYC companies were willing to work with someone so far away. What would be the benefit to them? I don't know of any book publishers in L.A., and any that would exist would likely be small and already stocked with their own copy editors. Anyone know specifically about the NY-LA editing route? |
| redpencilgirl | Posted – 4/22/2005 9:33:35 AM | show profile | email poster My point was that I specifically ASKED about doing the work much further away from where I am now; they basically said that it wouldn't be a problem, except that where now they pay the shipping charges (because it's only Brooklyn-Manhattan), we'd have to discuss it if I were further away. Basically, there would be no benefit to them, but if they really need editors and you seem to be a good asset, they might work with you. Easier, obviously, for me to relocate having already established the relationship than for you to try to establish it long-distance, of course. |
| madgal | Posted – 4/22/2005 2:20:49 PM | show profile Book copyediting Many (probably most) NY publishing houses use freelance copyeditors and proofreaders who live in other states. The ms is sent overnight by FedEx or UPS instead of via messenger. Try sending your resume to copy chiefs and/or managing editors and if you have relevant experience, they may send a test or even be willing to take a chance on someone new. |
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