How Much Does Book Editing Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)

You've typed "The End". Now an editor has quoted you £2,000 and you've no idea whether that's fair. Here's the short answer. UK editors charge by the hour, by the word or by the project, and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) suggests minimum hourly rates of £31.92 for proofreading, £37.11 for copyediting and £42.66 for developmental editing from 1 March 2026. For an 80,000-word novel, that works out at very roughly £680 to £2,480 per edit, depending on the type, before anything extra for speed, specialism or experience.

Key takeaways#

• There are four types of editing: developmental, line, copy and proofreading. Pay for them in that order, or you'll pay twice.
• The CIEP's 2026–27 suggested minimums are £31.92 an hour for proofreading, £37.11 for copyediting and £42.66 for developmental editing. They're a floor, not a price list.
• Length, the state of your draft, your genre and your deadline move the quote more than anything else.
• A fixed project fee tells you the full bill before work starts. Hourly and per-word quotes need a cap in writing.
• Always see a sample edit on your own pages before you pay for the whole book.

The four types of editing (and which you pay for first)#

Most "how much?" confusion comes from comparing quotes for different jobs. A proofread and a developmental edit are not the same product, so they'll never cost the same.

Developmental editing

This is the big-picture edit. Does the story work? Is the pacing right? Does the argument in your non-fiction book hold together? A developmental editor usually sends a long report and notes in the margins rather than rewriting your sentences. We explain the difference in more detail in developmental editing vs copy editing.

Line editing

A line edit works sentence by sentence on voice, rhythm and clarity. It's the edit that makes flat prose sing. If you're not sure you need one, read what line editing is before you book anything.

Copy editing

A copy editor fixes grammar, punctuation, spelling and consistency. Is your detective's car blue in chapter two and red in chapter nine? Is it "Mum" or "mum"? They'll catch it, and they'll usually build a style sheet so the rules stay the same all the way through.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final sweep for typos and layout errors, ideally on the formatted pages. It is not a light copy edit. A proofreader won't fix a saggy middle or a clunky paragraph.

The order matters. Developmental, then line, then copy, then proofread. Pay for a proofread before the structure is settled and you'll be paying to polish sentences that may not survive the next draft. Our editing process page walks through why each stage comes where it does.

How UK editors price their work#

You'll see three pricing models. None is better. What matters is that you understand what you're comparing.

Hourly rates

The CIEP publishes suggested minimum hourly rates for freelance editors in the UK. From 1 March 2026 they are:

• Proofreading: £31.92 an hour
• Copyediting: £37.11 an hour
• Substantial editing, rewriting and development editing: £42.66 an hour

Two things to know. First, these are minimums for a trained editor with some experience. The CIEP itself says some editors charge more, sometimes considerably more, and some charge less. Second, the CIEP doesn't publish a separate line-editing rate, so expect line-editing quotes to sit somewhere around the copyediting and developmental figures, depending on how heavy the work is.

Per-word rates

Some editors quote a rate per word, which is handy because you already know your word count (if not, paste a chapter into our free UK word count tool). To turn an hourly rate into a per-word rate, divide it by how many words the editor gets through in an hour.

Worked example: an editor charging £37.11 an hour who copy edits 2,000 words an hour is charging about 1.9p a word. On an 80,000-word book, that's roughly £1,485.

Pace is the unknown here, and it varies a lot with the job. As a rough guide only, the US-based Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 rate chart shows members' median pace for fiction at about 10–15 pages an hour for proofreading, 6–10 pages an hour for copyediting and 5.5–10 pages an hour for developmental editing, where a page is 250 words. That's a US survey, so treat it as a ballpark, not a British benchmark.

Flat project fees

Many authors prefer a single fixed fee. You know the whole bill before you start, and the editor carries the risk if your book takes longer than expected. The catch: a fixed fee is only as good as its scope. Check the word limit, how many rounds of revision are included and what extra rounds cost.

Worked example: what an 80,000-word novel might cost#

Here's an illustrative estimate. It multiplies the CIEP minimum hourly rates by the EFA's fiction pace ranges above (converted at 250 words a page). It is not a quote and not a price list. Real prices depend on the editor and your book, and many experienced editors charge above the minimum.

• Proofreading (2,500–3,750 words an hour at £31.92): roughly 21–32 hours, so about £680 to £1,020.
• Copy editing (1,500–2,500 words an hour at £37.11): roughly 32–53 hours, so about £1,190 to £1,980.
• Developmental editing (1,375–2,500 words an hour at £42.66): roughly 32–58 hours, so about £1,370 to £2,480.

So that £2,000 quote from the opening? For a full copy edit or developmental edit of a novel-length book, it's within the range you'd expect at or near the minimum rates. For a proofread of the same book, it's on the high side, and it's fair to ask why.

Don't add all three together and panic. Not every book needs every edit, and some editors combine stages. Our free UK self-publishing cost calculator lets you see editing alongside cover, formatting and ISBN costs in one budget.

What pushes the price up (or down)#

Two books with the same word count can get very different quotes. Here's why:

• The state of the draft. A clean draft goes faster. Heavy rewriting, tangled timelines or inconsistent spelling all add hours.
• Non-fiction extras. References, footnotes, tables and fact checks take time.
• Your deadline. The CIEP notes that a quick turnaround attracts a higher fee. Book your editor early.
• Specialist subjects. Medical, legal and technical books often need an editor with matching expertise, and that expertise costs more.
• Mixed spelling. A book that flips between British and US English needs more fixing. Decide which one you're using before you send it.

The honest ways to cut the bill are all about sending a better draft. Do your own revision pass first. Get feedback from readers before you pay an editor (our guide on how to find beta readers shows you where to look). And run your draft through the free Manuscript Readiness Checker. It gives a verdict on whether your book is ready for formatting or needs copy editing, line editing or developmental editing first, so you don't buy the wrong edit. For a fuller self-editing walkthrough, see our novel editing guide.

What HMD charges#

We use fixed prices, so you know the bill up front. Our three editing packages are:

• Fresh Eyes, £197 ($249): a proofread for books up to 20,000 words, delivered in 7 days, with 1 revision round.
• Deep Clean, £297 ($377): a proofread plus edit for books up to 40,000 words, delivered in 10 days, with 2 revision rounds.
• Full Makeover, £397 ($497): a copy edit for books up to 60,000 words, delivered in 14 days, with 2 revision rounds.

Every package includes track changes and an editorial summary report. Prices include VAT. Extra revision rounds beyond those included are £15 ($19.99) each.

Writing something longer than 60,000 words, or need structural work first? Ask for a free exact quote. We send one within 1 business day, so you're not guessing whether a package covers your book.

How to tell if an editor is worth it before you pay#

Whoever you hire, run through this list first:

1. 1Ask for a sample edit. Seeing their changes on your own pages tells you more than any testimonial. You'll see whether they respect your voice or flatten it.
2. 2Check they know your genre. A brilliant academic editor may not be the right fit for a cosy mystery, and the other way round.
3. 3Ask what's included. Will you get a report or just tracked changes? How many revision rounds? What does an extra round cost?
4. 4Get the fee, scope and deadline in writing. Especially with hourly or per-word quotes, agree a maximum before work starts.
5. 5Check they edit in the English you want. If you're publishing for UK readers, make sure they know British conventions.

Our own sample edit is free. Send us up to 1,000 words and we'll return them with track changes and feedback, normally within 24–48 hours. There's no obligation to book.

Frequently asked questions#

Next step#

Not sure which edit your book needs? Send us your first 1,000 words for a free sample edit. You'll see exactly what an edit changes on your own pages, normally within 24–48 hours. Then decide. You can request your free sample edit here.