A professional editing service provides the writer with many advantages, such as fixed deadlines, fixed prices, and a satisfaction guarantee. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when it comes to the individual freelance editor. Compare the professional editor vs. freelance editor.
There are many advantages to choosing the services of a professional editing team such as FirstEditing over that of the independent freelance editor.
As a writer, it’s in your best interest to have a polished manuscript to get noticed. As agents and publishers receive a lot of submissions, a professionally formatted and clean document will make a much better impression, as opposed to a paper filled with grammatical problems and typos. Therefore, it’s always best to send in meticulously edited work.
Comparing: Professional Editor vs. Freelance Editor
To polish manuscripts for submission, writers often turn to a professional editing service or an individual freelance editor.
An established professional editing service has many more advantages. Most prominent and reputable editing services will provide you with firm deadlines. This way, you know exactly when your edited manuscript will be returned to you.
Firm deadlines are not always the case with the freelance editor, who can be much more flexible with his or her time. It is not unusual for the freelancer to have a turnaround time of months.
At a professional editing service, the turnaround time is usually only a couple of weeks, which is the typical case at FirstEditing.
In addition to the fixed deadline, a professional service also gives you a fixed price. When working with an individual freelancer, however, prices are often subject to negotiation, so the amount you pay would be determined by your negotiating skills.
Ultimately, your fee could be much higher than the price that you would pay to a professional editing service. A professional service also provides you with a satisfaction guarantee. Professional editing services ensure high levels of qualification and experience from the vetted editors.
The independent freelance editor does not provide these safeguards. However, if you do choose to work with a freelance editor, be sure to check his or her credentials.
Do your research in advance so you select the editor or professional editing service that’s right for you. Whether you ultimately choose a professional editing service or an individual freelance editor, it is best to get someone with an established reputation for excellence.
Originally posted 10/11/2010 and happily updated 11/15/2017. Thanks for reading!
