Do you really need a copy editor and a proofreader?

Q: What does it cost with Jooneyd?

Jooneyd: My proofreading is 0.8¢ a word (from $99) and copyediting 1.2¢ a word (from $149).

Updated 31 October 2026 · 2 min read · Jooneyd

Short answer

Copy editing works on the manuscript before layout, fixing grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency and clarity line by line, while proofreading is the last check of the formatted pages for remaining typos and layout errors. Most self-published books benefit from both, in that order, because typesetting can introduce new errors that only a proofread will catch.

What it costs with me, Jooneyd: My proofreading is 0.8¢ a word (from $99) and copyediting 1.2¢ a word (from $149).

Different jobs at different times

Copy editing happens on the manuscript, before the book is laid out. Proofreading happens on the laid-out pages, as the final check. The UK's CIEP describes the same order: editors and typesetters change the copy, then the proofreader marks last-minute corrections on the proof.

Copy edit the manuscript.
Format the book.
Proofread the formatted pages.
Make the final cover once the page count is fixed.

Printers won't check it for you

IngramSpark says it “will not perform work of an editorial nature such as proofreading”. Its blog advises hiring an editor before design and a proofreader on the formatted interior.

Proofreading changes can move pages, and the page count sets the spine width. So finish the proofread before the final cover is made.

What it costs

These are published market rates. CIEP's figures are suggested minimums, and it says it doesn't have the authority to tell people what to charge.

EFA 2026 survey medians, fiction: copyediting 2.0–2.7¢ per word ($40–$50/hr), proofreading 1.2–2.0¢ per word ($35–$45/hr).
EFA 2026 survey medians, nonfiction: copyediting 3.0–4.0¢ per word, proofreading 2.0–3.0¢ per word.
CIEP suggested minimums for 2026–27 (UK and Ireland, from 1 Mar 2026): £37.11/hr for copyediting and £31.92/hr for proofreading.
Reedsy averages for an 80,000-word book: $2,160 for copyediting and $1,600 for proofreading.

Common mistake

Proofreading the Word manuscript instead of the final laid-out pages.

From an author I worked with

“I love that Jooneyd met with me via zoom to better understand exactly what I wanted. The formatting went very well. He also edited! Highly recommend!”

Stacy

Need it done?

I copyedit and proofread in Track Changes, so you approve every change. Proofreading from $99 and copyediting from $149, priced by the word.

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