The question of when to hire an editor is really two questions: are you at the right stage in your own process, and are you asking for the right kind of editing for that stage? Getting either wrong tends to waste money, because work done too early is often undone by later revisions.
This guide walks through the stages of a manuscript’s life and which type of editing fits each one, so you can time the decision sensibly rather than by instinct or anxiety.
When is it too early to hire an editor?
It is too early if the manuscript is not actually finished, if you have not yet revised it at all, or if you know there are unresolved structural problems you have not attempted to fix yourself. Paying a professional to point out issues you already suspect and could investigate first is rarely the best use of a budget.
For example, an author once sent a developmental editor a manuscript missing its final three chapters, on the reasoning that the editor could "see where it was heading". The editor could not meaningfully assess pacing or resolution without those chapters, and much of the feedback had to be redone once the draft was actually complete.
When is the right time for developmental editing?
Once the manuscript is complete from start to finish and you have revised it at least once for the problems you can see yourself: obvious plot holes, pacing issues you already suspect, an ending that does not quite land. Developmental editing works on the whole shape of the book, so it needs the whole book to assess. See what is developmental editing?.
When is the right time for copy editing?
After the structure is settled and you are not expecting to move chapters, cut characters or rewrite the ending. Copy editing works at sentence and paragraph level; a structural change after copy editing usually means re-editing the affected sections, which costs more than waiting. See what is copy editing?.
When is the right time for proofreading?
Right at the end, once the manuscript is copy edited and laid out or typeset in something close to its final form. Proofreading assumes the words themselves are essentially settled; it looks for what slipped through, not for what still needs writing. See copy editing vs proofreading.
Should I hire an editor at first-draft stage?
Generally no. A first draft usually still has problems the author can identify with some distance and a structured self-review, and paying for professional editing on a draft you have not revised at all often means paying to hear things you would have found yourself. See can I edit my own book?.
What about a second or revised draft?
A revised draft, where you have already addressed the issues you could see yourself, is usually the right point to consider developmental editing, because the remaining problems are more likely to be ones you genuinely cannot see from the inside.
Where do beta readers fit relative to hiring an editor?
Beta readers usually come before professional editing, not instead of it. Their feedback is less structured and expert than an editor’s, but it is cheap or free, and it can surface obvious confusion or disengagement that helps you brief a professional editor more precisely. See what are beta readers?.
Should I hire an editor before querying literary agents?
A developmental edit, or at minimum a thorough self-revision and beta feedback, before querying can meaningfully improve a submission, since agents read a huge volume of manuscripts and respond to ones that already feel close to ready. A full copy edit before querying is usually unnecessary, since agents and publishers will edit further regardless.
Should I hire an editor before self-publishing?
Before self-publishing, there is no external gatekeeper to catch problems for you, which is why most independently published books benefit from at least copy editing, and often developmental editing too, before formatting and release. See should editing happen before formatting?.
What if the manuscript has already had some professional editing?
If a manuscript has already had genuine structural editing and been revised in response, the next sensible step is usually copy editing or a lighter check, not another full developmental pass. Repeating the same stage without new evidence of a problem is rarely a good use of budget.
Are there cases where earlier professional input makes sense?
Occasionally. Some authors commission a manuscript assessment partway through a long project, or an outline review before drafting, particularly for complex non-fiction or a first attempt at a long book. This is different from a full edit; it is a lighter, more general check intended to catch a fundamental problem before a great deal more time is invested in the wrong direction.
If you are unsure whether you are at the right stage at all, the free Manuscript Health Check on your first 5,000 words can offer some orientation before you commit to a paid edit.
Common mistakes
- Hiring a developmental editor for an unfinished manuscript. Structural feedback needs the whole book to be meaningful.
- Copy editing before the structure is settled. Later structural changes can undo detailed sentence-level work, meaning it has to be redone.
- Skipping self-revision to save time. It usually costs more later, since obvious problems left in place inflate the professional editor’s workload and your invoice.
- Proofreading before formatting is finished. Proofreading checks the final laid-out pages; doing it earlier means checking pages that will change again.
- Assuming querying and self-publishing need the same preparation. Querying usually needs the manuscript in strong shape structurally; self-publishing needs it fully edited, since no one edits it after you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire a developmental editor and copy editor at the same time?
It is usually more efficient not to, since copy editing done before developmental changes are settled often has to be partly redone.
What if I am not sure how much I have already fixed myself?
A short editorial assessment, or a diagnostic tool like the Manuscript Health Check, can help you judge whether the manuscript is ready for a full edit or needs more self-revision first.
Is it ever too late to hire an editor?
Not in principle, though hiring one after formatting or after publication means redoing production work if changes are needed, which is more costly than editing beforehand.
Do traditionally published authors hire their own editors?
Usually not for the main structural and copy edit, since publishers typically provide that; independently published authors need to arrange it themselves.
Should I wait until I feel confident about the manuscript before hiring an editor?
Not necessarily. Confidence is not the same as readiness; a completed, self-revised draft is a more reliable marker than how you feel about it.