Line Editing vs Copyediting vs Proofreading: What to Charge

For fiction, the Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 Rate Chart reports proofreading at 1.2–2.0 cents per word, copyediting at 2.0–2.7 cents per word, and line editing at 2.7–3.5 cents per word. Rates typically rise from proofreading to copyediting to line editing, because each tier demands closer, slower attention to the text. Proofreading catches typos in a near-final file, copyediting corrects grammar, spelling, and consistency, and line editing reworks sentence-level style and flow. Price a manuscript by naming the tier, not just "editing," and scope it as a fixed-price, fixed-turnaround Creator Service.

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and applies a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays (pricing).

Most "can you edit this?" DMs don't specify a tier, so the price a writer expects and the work an editor plans to do often don't match. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) defines the tiers this way: line editors "work at the sentence or paragraph level of a manuscript," copyediting "involves correcting spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation," and proofreaders "check for typographical errors and formatting mistakes" (EFA Editorial Service Definitions). The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart, published March 24, 2026, drew responses from over 1,100 individuals — the most since the survey began in 1991 — and was the first edition to include editors outside the EFA's own membership (EFA 2026 Editorial Rate Chart announcement). Naming the tier up front is what lets a price hold.

"The EFA Rate Chart, along with our glossary of editing services, is a premier reference for gauging what freelancers charge for various types of work." — Vina Orden, EFA Director of Communications and Marketing, EFA 2026 Editorial Rate Chart announcement

What does line editing actually include?

Line editors work at the sentence or paragraph level of a manuscript, correcting errors like copyeditors do but focusing mainly on improving the language and style of the text (EFA Editorial Service Definitions). Line editing costs more than copyediting because it asks for judgment about voice, not just consistency rules.

The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart reports fiction line editing at 2.7–3.5 cents per word or $50.00–$60.00 per hour, above the same chart's fiction copyediting range, and puts fiction line-editing pace at 5.0–9.5 pages per hour against copyediting's 6.0–10.0 pages per hour (EFA Editorial Rates).

A line edit is a good fit for a manuscript that already has a solid structure but reads clunky, repetitive, or flat at the sentence level. Line editing is the wrong tier for a writer who needs plot or structural feedback (that is developmental editing) or one who just needs a final typo sweep before publishing (that is proofreading).

What does copyediting actually include?

Copyediting involves correcting spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation, checking cross-references, and preparing the style sheets that guide consistency and accuracy across a manuscript (EFA Editorial Service Definitions). Copyediting is rule-based rather than a judgment call on voice, which is the line that separates copyediting from line editing on both scope and price.

The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart puts fiction copyediting at 2.0–2.7 cents per word or $40.00–$50.00 per hour, while the same chart lists business/marketing copyediting at 3.0–4.0 cents per word and medical copyediting at 3.0–5.0 cents per word, because denser and specialized text takes longer to verify (EFA Editorial Rates).

Copyediting is the right tier when a manuscript's prose already reads the way the author wants it to, and the remaining work is catching grammar slips, inconsistent spellings (British vs. American, character-name variants), and punctuation errors rather than reworking sentences.

What does proofreading actually include?

Proofreaders check for typographical errors and formatting mistakes, comparing the latest stage of a project — the publisher's "proof" — against the previous one to confirm every change was made correctly (EFA Editorial Service Definitions). Proofreading is not a rewrite pass and does not touch sentence structure.

That narrower scope is why proofreading is the least expensive tier: the EFA's 2026 Rate Chart reports fiction proofreading at 1.2–2.0 cents per word or $35.00–$45.00 per hour, below both fiction copyediting and fiction line editing (EFA Editorial Rates). Selling proofreading as a flat per-project price instead of an open-ended "edit" avoids scope confusion, since a proofreading buyer who actually wants prose reworked is really asking for a different tier.

Why do the three tiers charge such different rates?

Rates rise from proofreading to copyediting to line editing because pace slows and required judgment increases at each step. The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart shows fiction pace falling from 10.0–15.0 pages per hour for proofreading to 5.0–9.5 for line editing, with per-word rates rising across those three tiers (EFA Editorial Rates).

(EFA 2026 Editorial Rate Chart)

The same rank order shows up outside the US. The UK's Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading lists suggested minimum hourly rates for 2026–27 of £31.92 for proofreading, £37.11 for copyediting, and £42.66 for substantial editing, rewriting, and development editing (CIEP suggested minimum rates).

"Individual members' rates may vary considerably, depending on multiple factors, including type of work, turnaround time, degree of expertise, local cost of living, training, and years of experience." — The Editorial Freelancers Association

How should you price each tier as a Creator Service?

Set one price and one turnaround per tier rather than a single open-ended "editing" listing. A FanBell Creator Service is a defined deliverable whose price, scope, and turnaround the creator sets, and the fan can attach their own files when ordering (how it works). A flat per-project price removes hourly estimating.

To translate a per-word range into a flat quote: multiply the genre's per-word range by the manuscript's word count, then round to a number you're comfortable committing to for a fixed turnaround. For a 70,000-word novel, the EFA's fiction copyediting range of 2.0–2.7 cents per word works out to roughly $1,400–$1,890 before rounding — an illustrative calculation, not a guaranteed price, since scope and experience level both move the number (EFA Editorial Rates).

The turnaround windows below are this guide's illustrative recommendations, not FanBell limits and not EFA figures. FanBell does not publish a maximum turnaround; creators set their own delivery window and deliver within it. The windows leave room for the working time the EFA's pace figures imply — a 10,000-word manuscript is 40 standard 250-word pages, which at the EFA's fiction copyediting pace of 6.0–10.0 pages per hour is roughly 4–7 hours of actual editing (EFA Editorial Rates) — plus scheduling slack.

State the word-count band, the tier, and what's excluded (for example, "copyediting only — this listing does not include line-level rewrites") directly in the listing so a buyer isn't surprised mid-project. How to write a creator service offer covers scoping a listing so a request stays inside what was purchased.

Should a quick grammar question ever be a Paid Private Question instead?

A one-sentence grammar question fits a Paid Private Question rather than a full editing service: the fan pays, sends the question, and the creator replies with a written answer in a private thread. FanBell documents those replies as text, with no file-delivery step described.

A Creator Service is the offer built for file exchange. FanBell documents Creator Service delivery as a written note plus up to five files — video, audio, images, PDF, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint — and/or a private link for anything larger, with the fan able to attach their own files at order time.

Use the split to route mismatched requests: "Is this one sentence grammatically correct?" fits a quick paid question; "can you copyedit my 80-page manuscript?" needs a scoped Creator Service with a stated word count and turnaround. Mixing the two under one listing is a common source of scope disputes.

What if a manuscript needs more than the tier a client purchased?

Decline and refund a request that falls outside the listed tier rather than absorbing unpaid work — for example, a buyer who bought a proofread but wants sentences rewritten. FanBell lets a creator decline and refund any request they would rather not fulfil. A stated boundary reduces the mismatch.

If a manuscript clearly needs a heavier tier than what was requested, name the mismatch and point the buyer to the correct listing (or a higher tier, such as a full manuscript critique) rather than either declining silently or quietly doing more than the price covers.

What else can support an editing offer?

An editing page can carry several offers alongside the three editing tiers without turning into an open-ended service menu. Paid Private Questions handle one-off grammar questions, Wishlist support funds tools rather than buying an edit — see how novelists can crowdfund their editing budget — Tips reward free writing content, and Brand Collaboration Inquiries route partnership pitches away from per-manuscript work.

• Paid Private Questions: A single grammar or style question answered with a written reply, with no file attached.
• Wishlist / Project Support: Fans contribute cash toward a stated goal, such as software or training that improves turnaround — a funding progress bar, not a purchase of the edit itself.
• Tips: A way for someone who found your free grammar tips or writing content useful to support you without buying a specific edit.
• Brand Collaboration Inquiries: A separate intake for publishers, writing-tool companies, or platforms proposing a paid partnership rather than a per-manuscript edit.

Keeping each tier as its own listing, with its own price and turnaround, is what lets a buyer self-select the right service instead of messaging to ask "which one do I need?"

For per-word and per-hour benchmarks across every genre the EFA tracks, not just fiction, see how much freelance editors charge per word. For landing a first paying client once your tiers are priced, see how proofreaders get their first paying client. Writers shopping for an editor may find FanBell for writers and BookTok creators useful context. Editors who also take on branded or sales writing may want the same tiered breakdown applied to ghostwriting versus copywriting rates.

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about the three editing tiers cover which one costs most, which costs least, whether per-word pricing is possible on FanBell, whether a certification is required, and what FanBell deducts from an editing sale. Each answer below cites either the EFA's 2026 Rate Chart or FanBell's own documentation.

Is line editing more expensive than copyediting?

Yes. The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart reports fiction line editing at 2.7–3.5 cents per word against 2.0–2.7 cents per word for fiction copyediting, because line editing requires slower, more judgment-based sentence-level work (EFA Editorial Rates). Genre and subject matter shift both ranges, so compare within the same genre.

Is proofreading the cheapest of the three tiers?

Generally yes. The EFA's 2026 Rate Chart reports fiction proofreading at 1.2–2.0 cents per word, below both fiction copyediting and fiction line editing, reflecting proofreading's narrower scope of catching typographical and formatting errors rather than reworking prose (EFA Editorial Rates).

Can I charge per word instead of per hour on FanBell?

FanBell Creator Services use a single price the creator sets for a defined deliverable rather than a live per-word or per-hour meter, so convert a per-word target rate into a flat quote for a stated word-count band before listing it.

Do I need a certification to sell editing services?

FanBell's setup process does not list an editing certification as a prerequisite for enabling Creator Services or Paid Private Questions. Describe your actual experience accurately, since professional norms and any regulated-title rules can vary by context and jurisdiction.

What does FanBell charge on an editing sale?

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and takes a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays. Stripe's published pricing lists US online card processing at 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge as a separate cost (Stripe pricing).