Pricing Editorial Services
Plus, a new horror class, a steal on Editing Short Stories, and more!
How to Price Services
My hair stylist moved to Indiana. I only found this out when I called to make an appointment. Let me tell you, I had questions. (I didn’t ask them because it’s none of my business, but I had them.)
Anyway, that led me down a rabbit hole of Googling “hair stylists near me,” which segued into “read a Reddit about Supercuts versus high-end salons” and an argument that stylists all have the same skills so a pricier haircut isn’t better than an inexpensive one.
Then, an actual working stylist came on the thread and said, “Consider the difference between having to do four haircuts an hour and two haircuts an hour to earn the same income. Which is more likely to lead to a better cut?”
It is very hard to do a good job cutting someone’s hair in less than fifteen minutes (because there also has to be time to call people over to the chair, take their money, and so on). This is true even if the stylist is skilled and has lots of experience.
I mean, in fifteen minutes, I’ve barely gotten my butt adjusted in the seat and the cape on.
Of course, I’m making a connection with freelance editing. Newer editors are often concerned about pricing their work too high, but just as Supercuts ($30/cut) and Nine Zero One (starts at $225/cut) exist in the same universe, so too can lower- and higher-priced editors.
Notice how Nine Zero One charges nearly ten times (and gets it!) what Supercuts charges. They are offering different experiences.
I’m not dogging on Supercuts; my daughter just got a super cute cut from the one down the street from us. But it was a very simple cut, just a trim, and she didn’t expect anything other than her hair to look a little neater when she was done. That’s what she got. She doesn’t even remember the name of the person who cut her hair.
My point is this: If you would like to gross, say, $50,000 a year from editing and charge $500 an edit, then you have to edit one hundred manuscripts a year. A full-time year at forty hours a week is two thousand hours of work. (Assuming you take two weeks off each year, and you’ll need them at this pace.)
That means you can only spend twenty hours on each manuscript – you’d have to edit two manuscripts a week, plus all of the marketing required to get the work in, plus all of the admin work, such as invoicing and paying taxes. And that $50,000 a year is not the same as what a staffer makes because you aren’t getting benefits like health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, paid national holidays, and so on. And I’m assuming that in your work year, you only have those two weeks off. You never ever have an unexpected cold or have to take a Friday off to visit your ailing mother or go to the dentist.
Can you really do good work when, realistically (after marketing, admin, etc.), you have twelve or fifteen hours to edit an 80,000-word manuscript?
Trying to do too much to remain “competitive” is a sure road to burnout, not to mention the risk of producing lower-quality work. Word-of-mouth is crucial in this business, so you need to maintain a good reputation. Charge a little more and give yourself a break.
Introducing: Editing Horror with James Gallagher
I’ve always gotten a lot of requests for a class on horror. The problem is, I don’t edit horror. But now I can finally offer one!
Veteran horror editor James Gallagher will be teaching a hybrid class (webinar + discussion + editing assignment + feedback) starting October 22.
$75/$30 for members. (Members must use the coupon code available in the Membership Program classroom.)
James will cover:
What is horror?
Brief history of genre
Subgenres
Horror beats and tropes
Character: protagonist v. the monster
Setting
Controlling theme: From life to death to damnation
The unknown
Reader immersion
Editorial concerns for problematic tropes
And you’ll have a chance to try your hand at editing a chunk of a horror story, with James’s feedback on your work.
Find out more here.
Subscribers-Only Deal!
Editing Short Stories and Novellas is just $25 through September 15, 2024.
Save $65 on this self-paced class.
Use the coupon code: EXCLUSIVE
Find out more about the class here.
Beta Reads Starts Tomorrow
Don’t forget, Editorial Toolkit: Beta Reading starts tomorrow, Wednesday, September 11. This is your last chance to sign up for the class!
Which you can do here.
September Only: Certificate Program Open for Applications!
Earlier this year, I paused applications to the Certificate in Developmental Editing Program. I am reopening them through the end of this month (September 30, 2024).
This is a great way to structure your learning in developmental editing. You’ll finish the program feeling more confident about taking on paying clients. More details about the program can be found here.
I’ve simplified the application process so all you have to do is send an email stating your interest in the program (there is no application fee).
The Certificate Program Course Bundle is also available through September 30, 2024. By purchasing the bundle, you can save more than $500 (over purchasing them individually). If you’ve bought a few classes already, ask how the purchase price can apply to the bundle (info@ClubEdFreelancers.com).
New! Marketing Toolkit Classes
Marketing Toolkit: SEO for Editors starts on September 24
Marketing Toolkit: Content Marketing Strategy starts on October 8
Marketing Toolkit: Social Media for Editors starts on October 29
Marketing Toolkit: Year-End Review starts December 2
You can get all four Marketing Toolkit Classes for $150 ($30 for members) by purchasing the Marketing Toolkit Class Package, found here.
For Members
Club Ed Conversations
On September 17, 2024, 11 am - noon Pacific time, Amarilys (Amy) Acosta will be talking about graphic design for social media and other editors’ needs.
Visit the Membership classroom page to find out how to register for this free Q&A.
NOTE: Raquel Brown has had to cancel her October Q&A with Club Ed so there will be no October Q&A.
But we have a new class on horror! See the discussion above for more on how to enroll in that class. The code for the member price is in the Membership Program classroom.
Enjoy a replay of August’s talk with James Gallagher about copyediting, now available in the Membership classroom.
Becoming a Member
You can find out more about becoming a member here.
Upcoming Classes
Fall classes starting soon:
Editorial Toolkit: Beta Reading, starts Sept 11, 2024
Editing for Character Development, starts Sept 11, 2024
Marketing Toolkit: SEO for Editors, starts Sept 24, 2024
Beginning Copyediting for Fiction, starts Sep 30, 2024
Intermediate Developmental Editing for Fiction, starts Oct 2, 2024
About Jennifer Lawler
I help editors figure out what the hell they're doing.
If you're an aspiring, new, or established book editor or story coach, I can probably help you learn how to do the work better and more profitably.
Through Club Ed, I offer developmental editing classes, a freelance editor membership program/support group, and a slightly bony shoulder to cry on.
I've worked as an editor for more than twenty years. I learned how to edit in the trenches of traditional publishing with its insane deadlines, pitiless competition, and crushing bureaucracy. To that I added a Ph.D in English literature with a specialization in medieval literature because of a long story.
Editorial clients have included Simon & Schuster, Girl Friday Productions, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Barnes and Noble Custom Publishing, and others, along with many independent authors.
For fiction self-paced classes, click here.
For fiction instructor-led classes, click here
For nonfiction self-paced classes, click here
For nonfiction instructor-led classes, click here
For on-demand instructor-led classes, fiction and nonfiction, click here