Christian Writing Line Edit quotes - Am I being unrealistic?

[Shamrock]

I would not normally share this kind of info but I am serious shock and just want to check out if I am being very naïve or not.

I have just got a quote for a line edit for a 80K MS - £2,490.00 (and not it is not from Claire Tucker) i.e $3024

That seems very pricy to me. I have used another company, and they only charged £1,200 for a 90K line edit. It was good one too. ($14572)

The first sounds like an industrial standard edit but I don't know enough about the publishing industry to know for definite.

I need a lie down and stiff drink.

 

[Jeff Potts]

It had best come back with two first class tickets to Cancun.

That's a bit...uh..."pricy."

 

[Shamrock]

Best Shop around I think but glade you agree with me Jeff.

 

[Johne]

I paid for a thorough edit of THE BLUE GOLEM from a Story Grid Certified Editor in early 2020, and it was $1750. For that I received:

• One-Hour Phone Consultation (Review of Findings)
• In-Depth First 5-Scene Story Grid Spreadsheet
• Global Story Analysis for your 112,000-word manuscript (draft must be within 1,000 words of stated length)
• Next Steps Recommendation Letter
• Annotated Manuscript
• Masterworks of the Genre

This was a steep price for me at the time, but completely changed this novel and vastly improved its quality. I still refer to some of these insights as I'm editing what I have to send to Beta readers.

 

[Shamrock]

That sounds good value for money if you are in to story grid.

 

[Claire Tucker]

Shamrock, I'm sorry to say that according to the Editorial Freelancers' Association, standard rates for a line edit are $0.04–$0.049 per word. This means that you can expect to pay $3,200 for a line edit of an 80k-word manuscript.

It is definitely worth shopping around, as some editors do charge less for a service while others (especially established editors with hundreds of books in their portfolios) charge more. But to get an idea of what you can expect to pay, here are a few places you can go:

Editorial Rates from the Editorial Freelancers' Association. This is my favorite resource as it lists per-word and per-page fees.

Suggested Minimum Rates from the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. Pro: it lists the fees in GBP. Con: it only lists suggested per-hour rates.

Average Rates for Editorial Freelancing from the Christian Editor Connection. This isn't as extensive as the Editorial Freelancers' Association's list, but it is also useful. This is also a great place to look for Christian editors who have been tested on their skills.

Again, shop around as you might find someone who charges less for the line edit.

 

[Shamrock]

Thanks. @Claire Tucker.

I put the thread up when I got quote from a particular editor.simply because I was shocked at the price.

I do have a company I use whose rates are far more reasonable . They' may not do.such an extensive line edit as others but it is not for publication at this stage. It is for querying.
Thanks. I have made a note of the links you suggested.