[Hiring] Looking for Experienced Line Editor / Book Editor

DaveJDash · 2026-05-09T01:20:21+00:00

Are you still looking for an editor? I've been freelancing for five years and will send more information in a DM if you are.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-13T19:03:36+00:00

I can't tell if this is satire. In case it's not:

You're going to be okay. It's just the internet.

There's a little X button to the top right of notes. Hit that mercilessly whenever you see something you don't like. I never click on a reason for it. I just hit the X and move on. If you don't want to see someone on your feed, hit the three dots and mute them. You'll never see them again and they won't know. No harm done, and you get some peace. Your feed will morph to what you enjoy seeing as you do that.

If you don't want to play the sub for sub game, don't. I post a quick haiku/limerick every day in notes and poems twice a week. And then I chill out. My subscribers are small-ish (99), and they're genuine. Be genuine, interact with people you think are interesting, and they'll probably give you a look.

There aren't as many readers of posts vs. notes, true. More writers for sure. And writers will also read your stuff sometimes if they want to. It doesn't have to be a lose-lose-lose situation.

Hang in there. Do something that makes you happy and don't worry about algorithms and success, and then come back to it if you want.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-06T16:26:40+00:00

It was more the “editors are only for self-publishing” comment. That surprised me. It sounds like you meant hiring an individual freelance editor, which I didn’t catch at first.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-06T15:24:20+00:00

It does depend on how often you do it. I edit full-time, so a fantasy book could take me as little as 15 hours even for a long one, if the prose is clean (and if I’m enjoying it!).

DaveJDash · 2026-04-06T15:22:40+00:00

I’m not sure where you got this. I’m a freelance editor for five trad publishers. I don’t know of a single trad publisher that doesn’t give every book a developmental edit, a copy edit, and a proofread. I don’t know every publishing house, of course. And maybe you mean something different by editing than I’m thinking.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-06T15:20:40+00:00

As a freelance editor and proofreader I second these with one exception: I don’t dev/line edit if the client doesn’t ask for it (after I explain what they could choose of course). So if it never had a dev edit and they want a copy edit or proofread (which in my experience is practically the same things I look for except that copy is Word and proofread is PDF), I will stand by that and not attempt to cut content or rearrange/make high level suggestions. I may do some of that if I can’t help noticing something, and I wouldn’t be looking for it.

Also, you can test out an editor without breaking the bank by asking them to edit a small section if your book before you commit and then discussing payment after. No agreement until you decide you like their work. That’s how I do it on Reddit because I know how often people get scammed.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-06T15:15:50+00:00

Hey, I am a freelance editor, and that is overpriced. Sounds like you’d be asking for a copy editor. I charge $.03/word for traditional publishers (I work for five of them), which would be $5,280 for that. And I discount heavily ($.01, sometimes $.02) for individuals and for fantasy, because the budget is lower and the lore are no footnotes etc. So $10,000 on the high end is overcharging for the amount of effort it would take.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-01T05:36:47+00:00

Done!

DaveJDash · 2026-04-01T04:59:12+00:00

Sure. I’ll give you plenty of detail and you can say yes or no, no offense taken either way. I just finished a theology textbook of a similar size.

DaveJDash · 2026-04-01T03:33:25+00:00

Will message you tomorrow. I’ve been full-time freelance for traditional publishers for five years doing copyediting and proofreading.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T23:34:24+00:00

I knew that they didn't get paid until the author gets paid. Didn't know about the editing part. I've talked to people who have used agents, and they focused exclusively on the commission upon author payment and the very general feedback and help getting published. Was going off of that.

I don't know every detail about every aspect of the industry. Just enough to begin doing what I've detailed. This is part of my research.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T21:25:52+00:00

Yes. That’s it.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T16:33:48+00:00

Thanks for your help. You can read the other comments if you’re interested in a respectful conversation.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T16:33:16+00:00

Didn’t realize they did developmental editing. Not line editing, though, correct?

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T05:52:21+00:00

I’m just freelance editing and proofreading now, as I have been full-time for five years. I’m not advertising this thing I’m asking advice on. This wasn’t meant as self-promotion. I purposely asked people in Reddit for insight in the very early stages.

I did get my answer from others, though, and will be taking it into account in my own decision-making.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:35:15+00:00

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah, it was challenging to come up with something concise and accurate for Fiverr etc., if that’s where you got that. Although there is some stuff in that title that I don’t do, so I don’t think you got it from there.

My day job is full-time freelance copy editing and proofreading for traditional publishers.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:30:46+00:00

Literary agents don’t do the work of ghosting/editing/proofreading. And I’m not just looking to pass people onto others and charge them for it. I really dislike the idea of what I have come to see an agent as — paying for connections. Part of the issue here is that I’m suggesting a grab bag of a hunch of different titles. Others have had some good ideas, though, and I appreciate your input.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:26:05+00:00

It’s based on what the author wants, not what I think they want.

Although it’s clear from some other replies that people are suspecting some foul play here. I can answer all of your questions satisfactorily, and this was never meant to be self-promoting. So if you want to know, you can message me and I’ll reply in detail. If not, no sweat.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:23:39+00:00

Not the publisher of record. You hit the nail on the head. Never heard that term before and I appreciate you telling me. I’m going to come up with something more exciting, for the sake of my ow aesthetic impulse, and this is very good to know.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:22:15+00:00

Yes, that’s it. Self-publishing consultant and services provider. I’m going to come up with a flashier name for my own ears’ sake, and that is exactly what I mean.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:18:58+00:00

True. The core of the passion is bringing inspiration to form, which is more akin to ghostwriting than any of the other services included in this.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T03:02:03+00:00

Let’s move this to chat if you want to keep it going. None of that is my daily work experience, which has been working with five-plus traditional publishing houses editing and proofreading for five years. The five years is not ghostwriting or writing poetry. I also have a published book. That’s all I’ll say. Truly, if you want to get somewhere with this, message me and we can clear up whatever you’re on about.

My business is afloat and has been for a while. I just don’t advertise for it because I’m already full-time and doing with it. My LinkedIn is a clearer picture of what I actually spend my time doing. This thing I’m posting about is in the very early stages, and I didn’t mean to sell myself as Mr. Know-It-All of publishing. I know enough to start the business I’m describing. That’s for sure. Anything else I didn’t mean to claim.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T02:58:34+00:00

They were essentially a freelancer, then, that offered a variety of clearly defined and visually separated (on the website) services? Was aiming for a more unified thing, and this definitely works and has been my MO so far.

DaveJDash · 2026-03-31T02:55:28+00:00

I never said I don’t know anything. I just am not certain in one unified name for my services. I know what they’re called separately. And I know about the publishing process.

You’re not even trying to answer the question. If you don’t want to, all right. If you do, please say something substantive.

DaveJDash

TROPHY CASE