When producing marketing content, you must have an editor you trust. Not only do you need them to work through your content volume, but you also need them to ensure that the content is on-brand, free of errors, accurate, makes your or your client’s brand shine, and is ready to convert readers to customers.
But hiring editors is hard, expensive, and can be risky. According to Zippia, a full-time editor costs $61,694 per year on average in the United States (more if you offer benefits). LinkedIn pays theirs $70k-$128k annually, with a median salary of $93k. The wrong full-time hire can be very expensive and significantly reduce your results.
Because of this, if you’ve been through it before, you probably know that hiring a copy editing agency is likely the right direction for you. But doing that comes with its own risks.
In this article, I’ll share the top copy editing agencies available online, explain what a copy editing agency is, explain why agencies can be great to work with, and point out some common pitfalls to avoid when working with agencies.
Top Copy Editing Agencies
If you need a copy editing service, here are the best online!
1. EditorNinja
First up is EditorNinja. We are the internet’s only subscription flat-rate copy editing service. Every document through EditorNinja is copy edited (and proofread!) by US-based MFA-trained editors who have also taught editing and writing at the university level. As of September 2024, we’ve edited over 9.3 million words, growing quickly.
Copy editing for content agencies, in-house brand content teams, and freelancers is what we do. We specialize in blog post editing and article editing, though we also have experience editing web pages and other documents.
How EditorNinja works is easy to explain.
First, schedule an Intro Call to discuss your needs with our team. We aim to ensure that EditorNinja is a mutually good fit for your needs and our team’s strengths.
Once we decide to work together, we’ll establish contracts. Then, you’ll sign up, get onboarded, and add your first documents to your queue.
Your primary editor, primarily responsible for your content, will get to know your brand through your style guide and anything you tell them via the shared Slack channel. You will also have a backup editor who gets to know your brand and steps in to help your primary editor if needed.
Keep your queue full to maximize your subscription, and never wonder again about quality or cost. Our editing service, powered by professional human editors, ensures that.
Our support is available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Our headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, though our team is distributed around the United States and Europe.
2. Wordy
Next up is Wordy. Wordy is a proofreading-first editing service that also offers copy editing services. Based out of the UK, they have editors in the UK, US, and Australia to handle your English-language editing needs. They provide daily support from 9-5 GMT, making them an excellent fit for UK-based companies. When you search them in Google, they’re one of the more frequent copy editing companies that appear in the search results.
Their proofreaders are available 24-7.
3. Editor World
Editor World is a Virginia-based editing service with editors in the US, UK, and Canada. They provide editing services primarily for students, authors, academics, and government professionals.
With Editor World, you submit individual documents that are charged per word. Their pricing depends on your turnaround requirements and the exact number of words you edited. You submit your document, select an editor, and then get your document back edited. Some of their providers also offer fuller editorial services, such as writing and strategy.
4. Proofed
Proofed is another professional editing service. It offers proofreading and editing services to businesses, authors, students, and others. It also offers content formatting services.
If you need proofreading services, Proofed is a great option to consider. If you’re looking for fuller copy and content editing services, you must request that specifically.
5. ServiceScape
ServiceScape is a full marketplace with copy editors and proofreaders for you to choose from and work with. Experience, location, and price vary by freelancer, though most seem to be professional editors.
If you need other content services, like translation or graphic design, Service Scape can also handle those.
6. TrueEditors (UK)
Finally, you have TrueEditors out of the UK who offer proofreading and copy editing services. They also work on a per-document basis and specifically talk about experience with academics, businesses, authors, and job applicants.
What is a copy editing service?
A copy editing service is an outsourced organization that employs copy editors who can edit your content. Suppose you’re producing content at scale and struggling to hire editors who can keep up or who are qualified. In that case, a copy editing agency can be a great solution to get started and get edited documents back quickly.
Why can services like these be excellent to work with?
Editing services can be great to work with for a few reasons.
First, you can get started with them quickly. Most services are always able to take on new customers.
Second, you know what you’re getting. Services you work with should specialize in the area you are hiring them for.
Third, services take care of the most challenging part of hiring. They find the editors, assign them the work, train them, conduct performance reviews, and so on. If an editor quits or is fired, services are responsible for replacing them.
What are common pitfalls to avoid when working with an outsourced editing service?
There are a few common pitfalls to avoid when hiring and working with an editing service.
First, don’t hire a service that doesn’t have a set process for how they work. They should be able to explain the steps to getting started, what to expect, and when while working with them.
Second, services should give you an account manager. Sometimes, this is seen as unnecessary overhead, but you know that a great account manager is worth their weight in gold. If you’re not paying for an account manager, you are the account manager.
Third and finally, a copy editing service shouldn’t sell you a specific number of hours if you’re using their services. Their output should be handling the volume of content you send to them and turning it around in a reasonable amount of time. If you need specific hours or work completed within your systems, it’s best to work with a freelancer or a dedicated editor like we offer at EditorNinja.
Ready To Work With A World Class Copy Editing Service?
At EditorNinja, we specialize in copy editing. If you need a copy- diting service, you can find one with the service outlined here.
Schedule a call to learn more and get started.
Frequently Asked Questions about Copy Editing Services
How much does copy editing cost?
Copy editing costs, on average, $30 per 1,000 words edited. Copy editing involves editing to brand guidelines, including tone and voice as well as punctuation and formatting.
What is the difference between a proofreader and a copyeditor?
Proofreaders and copy editors may be the same person, but they are different skill sets. A copy editor will edit a piece of writing to align with brand standards, including tone and voice as well as punctuation and formatting. A proofreader reads the final document before it is published to catch any final typos or errors.
How much do editing services charge?
Editing services charge different rates depending on the depth and type of editing needed. They can vary from a few cents per word and up, especially when more in-depth editing is needed and feedback being sent to a writer for another round of revisions. Good services do not charge less than a few cents per word edited.