Professional Book Editing Business

Provide developmental, line, and copy editing services for authors

Startup Cost
$2,500-$8,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
6-12 months
Profit Potential
$7,000-$38,000/month

Overview

Book editors charge $0.01-$0.10 per word depending on editing type (developmental highest, proofreading lowest).

Editing 40-100 manuscripts annually generates $80,000-$450,000 with 75-90% margins as service business.

In 2025, self-publishing boom creates demand for professional editors as traditional publishers cut editing budgets.

Services include developmental editing (structure, plot, character), line editing (sentence-level flow, style), copy editing (grammar, consistency, fact-checking), proofreading (final typo catch), manuscript evaluation and critique, genre-specific editing expertise, and managing editorial projects.

Successful book editors have strong editing skills and credentials, specialize by genre (fiction, business, memoir) and/or editing type, provide clear editing samples, manage deadlines reliably, and give constructive feedback.

Most specialize rather than offer all editing types.

Per-word or per-page pricing standard.

Fiction and nonfiction different rates and approaches.

Virtual delivery standard.

Marketing through writing conferences, author groups, editor directories (ACES, EFA), and author referrals.

Required Skills

  • Editing Expertise
  • Genre Knowledge
  • Grammar & Style
  • Constructive Feedback
  • Deadline Management
  • MS Word Track Changes

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • High margins with low overhead
  • Growing demand from self-publishing boom
  • Can specialize in preferred genres
  • Work from anywhere remotely
  • Recurring clients for series authors

Cons

  • Income limited by editing capacity
  • Intensive focused work can be draining
  • Managing irregular project flow
  • Some authors defensive about feedback
  • Need credentials or portfolio for credibility

How to Get Started

  1. Develop professional editing skills and credentials
  2. Choose editing specialty (type and genre)
  3. Create editing samples showcasing your work
  4. Set competitive per-word or per-page rates
  5. Join professional editing organizations (EFA, ACES)
  6. Market through author groups and writing conferences
  7. Build portfolio and testimonials from satisfied authors

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