Almost anyone who writes something is looking for a payoff; a good grade on a paper or dissertation, advancement or approval at work, or publication. But to get the biggest return for what you write, you must do what it takes to make your work stand out. And that includes solid copyediting.

To get maximum results, there’s often a cost. How much would you pay for good, professional copyediting? Well, what’s it worth to you to get the kind of payoff you want for your document? And what’s the cost to you if you don’t?

How Much Does Copy Editing Cost?

Professional copy editing services cost money. That’s no secret. But the cost is worth it.

Some people think they can fake it. After all, how hard is it really to figure out where the commas go? And do you need professional copy editing now with spell-check?

The answer is yes, you do. Copy editing is a skilled profession. Professional editors are trained to copyedit thoroughly and efficiently. They see what you don’t. Not just the misspelled words and missing commas — and spell-check and grammar check or no spell-check and grammar check, you WILL have errors. But there’s also poor transitional phrasing and faulty subject/pronoun agreement to watch out for, as well as a host of other things that a writer doesn’t even consider when he reaches the copyedit phase.

You can’t fake good writing. So how much are you willing to pay to make sure your book or paper is polished professionally? How much will it cost you if it’s NOT copyedited professionally?

Of course, the services of a professional copy editor aren’t free. No professional service is. The cost of having a professional copyedit your book, dissertation, business plan, web article, or other documents is nothing compared to the cost to you of not doing it. How much is it worth to you to get that document published? To have that business plan succeed at the bank? To have an agent or publisher pick up your book?

And how much do you want to stand out in the sea of writers who don’t seek professional copyediting services, but choose to “copyedit” their documents themselves?

The cost is up to you. Can you afford not to hire the services of a professional editor? We think not.

Originally posted 8/31/2017 and happily updated 10/29/2017. Thanks for reading!