How Long Should the Editing Process Take?
Think of the last book you read. Even if you’re a quick reader, a short book might take several days to finish. Now imagine you’re stopping every few paragraphs, sentences, or sometimes even every few words to look something up, leave a comment, or fiddle with the punctuation. Then, once you’re done, you’ll need to go through it again to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Chances are that finishing that book would take you much, much longer than it took to finish the last book you enjoyed as a hobby.
Clearly, reading as a reader — and even as a writer! — is vastly different from reading as an editor. When you’re self-publishing a book, that can make it hard to know how much time to budget for the professional editing process, especially when you’re trying to get a release date nailed down.
So how long does it take for a book to be professionally edited? Well, as is often the case in publishing, the answer depends on a few different factors. Let’s take a closer look at some of the variables that can affect your editing timeline as a self-published author.
Type of editing
The first consideration is what type of professional editing your manuscript needs. You may need more story-level support, with guidance on big picture elements like your plot, character development, themes, and pacing, or you may need more line-level support to improve the flow, consistency, and grammar of your writing. Most manuscripts would benefit from some combination of the two, and in an ideal world, every book would go through multiple rounds of editing with multiple editors, as is the case with traditionally published books. If you’re not sure what type of support you need, soliciting a sample edit from an editor you’re interested in working with (or several!) can help you narrow it down.
Since each type of editing involves different goals and deliverables, the services you choose will affect how long you can expect the process to take. Below is a rough estimate of how much time I generally budget for different types of projects (with the exception of proofreading, which I don’t offer as a service — that estimate is based on industry research).
Manuscript evaluations: 3-5 weeks
Developmental editing: 5-8 weeks
Line editing: 4-7 weeks*
Copy editing: 3-5 weeks
Proofreading: 1-3 weeks
*I often provide line editing and copy editing as a combined service, so this estimate can stretch longer if a manuscript is in greater need of support.
Length of manuscript
You may notice that the estimates I’ve provided above include some pretty big ranges. That’s because every book is different, and your editor may need more or less time depending on the specifics of your project, particularly when it comes to the length. For manuscripts over 100K words, you can expect to receive quotes on the longer end of the potential timelines I outlined, while manuscripts under 50K words (often considered the minimum length for a novel) will have a much quicker turnaround. To streamline the process, be sure to do several rounds of self-editing before handing your manuscript off to a professional. This helps ensure that you’ve trimmed your word count as much as you can on your own, which will save you time (and money) in the long run.
Complexity of edits
Your editing timeline may also vary based on what shape the manuscript is in when your editor receives it. Drafts that need a higher level of support are generally going to take more time for an editor to work through, so it’s not uncommon to receive a longer estimate if you are newer to writing. The same could be said of books that are more complex due to a unique structure, multiple timelines or perspectives, etc. This is another reason getting a sample edit can be a huge help when it’s offered; it allows your potential editor to gauge how much work the manuscript likely needs and give you a realistic estimate for the turnaround time.
What if I need multiple services?
While it’s possible to receive edits back in a matter of weeks (depending, of course, on the factors we discussed above), taking a manuscript through several rounds of editing, as is typically the case with traditionally published books, will likely take months. If you plan to book multiple services — such as a developmental edit followed by a copy edit — you’ll also need to factor in time for your own revisions after receiving your first round of feedback.
Your editor will likely suggest a timeline for self-revision, and that can be a good starting place. I usually tell my clients to take four weeks at minimum to implement content-level changes, but most take more than that, and not all editors will have wiggle room in their schedules to shift things around if you aren’t able to meet your deadline for the next round. So it’s important to be realistic about your capacity and give yourself some leeway in case your revisions take longer than expected. Be sure to communicate regularly with your editor and let them know if the revision process is not panning out how you hoped so that you can make an alternate plan.
When should I start looking for an editor?
Because projects can last weeks or months, many editors book up quickly, and it’s not uncommon for authors to book their editing services months in advance. I recommend beginning your search at least two months before you think you’ll be ready to get started with editing, perhaps while your draft is in the hands of beta readers or critique partners. In general, it’s a good idea to start keeping an eye out for editors you might mesh well with as early as you can in the writing process. That way, you’ll already have a few options ready to go when it’s time to book your project.
Keep in mind that editing requires deep focus and attention to detail, which can be taxing both on the mind and the eyes, so the number of hours per day an editor can spend working with manuscripts is limited. As a a result, many editors may only have the capacity to take on a few projects at a time, which is why schedules tend to fill up quickly.
What if I need my edits back quickly?
Some editors will take projects that require a quick turnaround, but they may charge what’s called a “rush fee” to help offset any disruption to their schedule or required overtime. If you need your edits returned on a shorter timeline than usual, you’ll want to be prepared to pay a bit extra.
That being said, it’s best to be cautious of quotes that seem too good to be true. If an editor is offering to perform a full-scale developmental edit on a 100K-word novel in less than a week, chances are the final product may not meet your expectations. Always take the time to vet potential editors to ensure they have the skills and training you’re looking for and will be the right fit for you as a writer (because fit really is everything!).
Now that you have a good sense of how long the editing process should take based on the specifics of your project, you’re ready to get your publishing timeline in order. Time to pencil those dates in on your calendar!
