Using Reedsy Versus Hiring an Editor Directly

Looking to hire a book editor? You can work with one directly or you can use a platform such as Upwork, Fiverr, or Reedsy.

Reedsy is the platform most strongly associated with the publishing industry so I’ll offer some tips on the pros and cons of using Reedsy versus hiring an editor directly here:

What is Reedsy?

Reedsy is a platform that connects writers seeking editorial services with book editors and other publishing professionals (translators, book formatters, etc.). They have loads of useful resources for writers, ranging from free mini-courses, worksheets, and a book formatting tool, to more in-depth (paid) courses and other programs. Some of these resources are great, especially for new authors.

Reedsy also link authors to vetted book editors, which brings me nicely onto the advantages and disadvantages of using the platform. I’ll focus on the author perspective first – if you’re an editor and you’re wondering about whether to use the platform, scroll down.

The pros and cons for authors of using Reedsy

Reedsy is a platform, much like Uber or Just Eat. Adding an intermediary means that authors will pay a higher price in exchange for various benefits. One big benefit is peace of mind. Reedsy will take care of contracts, carefully drafted by legal professionals, and they vet editors, which gives authors some peace of mind, particularly as book editing is a completely unregulated field and book editing is expensive, costing from several hundred to thousands of dollars depending on the level of edit required. The site is easy for author and editor to navigate. And Reedsy will also make sure that you receive your edited manuscript after having paid the fee – using Reedsy requires less trust in an individual editor.

This peace of mind comes at a price, and Reedsy charge a 20% commission fee on collaborations. For those based in the UK, this rises to 24% as 20% VAT is applied to the service fee.

You won’t receive a better edit than if you’d hired the author directly – the service the editor provides is the same. But that peace of mind could be worth paying for, especially if you’re new to publishing, as it’s a tricky industry to navigate.

One negative is that you only get to know the editor through their Reedsy profile. Maybe they don't have an online presence elsewhere, in which case, the Reedsy profile is as good as it gets. But if they do have a business website and detailed blog, you miss out on a more personal touch, which can be really useful for deciding who to work with.

The pros and cons for authors of hiring an editor directly

If hiring an editor directly, you don’t have to communicate on the Reedsy platform with them; you can discuss the job however you want. You could also save quite a bit of money without the Reedsy platform fees. The big issue is finding an editor you can trust.

With this in mind, I strongly suggest you pick an editor who:

1)      Has a website with client testimonials on it

2)      Is a member of an editorial association

3)      Has a listing in a vetted editorial directory

4)      Issues contracts for book projects

If things go wrong and you’ve chosen an editor on Reedsy, there is a specific process to follow – Reedsy will be used to handling situations like this after all, and I’ve only heard good things from editors and authors about how they handle disputes. If you’re working with an editor directly, then you have fewer options. Nevertheless, most professional editors include Terms and Conditions on their website, and you can always file a complaint with the editorial body they belong to (CIEP in the UK, EFA or ACES in the USA). This means there is a clear line of accountability.

Beware: if you pick an editor who isn’t a member of any of these bodies (my advice: don’t), then you have fewer options at your disposal if things go wrong.

You should also ensure the editor issues a contract for your peace of mind. It’s possible that the contract you receive won’t be as polished as Reedsy’s, as most editors are small businesses. If the contract is written in legalese, I recommend also asking for a plain English summary.

Working with an editor directly can help you save money and collaborate in a more flexible way, often with an editor who not only works in your niche, but who you also vibe with well. Many editors (myself included) have a comprehensive blog that you can use to get a deeper sense of their writing and commenting style – another benefit of working with them directly.

The pros and cons for editors of using Reedsy

Reedsy suits book editors who don’t like marketing, or who don’t have the time for it.

From a supplier perspective, Reedsy are charging a fee for client acquisition after they’ve done the hard work on website SEO and marketing. I have a friend with a busy work and home schedule. In between childcare and actually doing the editing, the last thing they want to do is spend hours marketing their business, and so Reedsy is a good fit for them.

Reedsy also particularly suits book editors who work for traditional publishers and edit as a side-hustle. This is because Reedsy’s vetting procedures strongly emphasize experience with traditional publishing, and these professionals are also super busy with their day jobs, with little time to market. They are also more likely to have a gatekeeper mindset rather than a service provider mindset, which can disadvantage them in the freelance marketplace.

Reedsy doesn’t suit book editors who have invested lots of time and effort in their own content marketing and in building up an independent web presence, through ranking for keywords on Google, etc. This is because these editors have spent many unbillable hours on building up their business, and they will already receive a stream of inquiries through Google. This means Reedsy is in some ways a competitor to them. These editors will likely be charging above-average rates, and will be less willing to take a 10% or 20% hit to their rates in exchange for client acquisition.

If you’re that kind of editor, here’s a marketing tip for you: big organizations like Reedsy will have professional SEO teams writing content for them, so you should focus on long-tail keywords highly specific to your niche.

There’s a danger here, too. If an editor relies heavily on Reedsy, they are doing little to increase their visibility and profile off the platform, as Reedsy require all communication to be through their platform and do not link to editor’s websites through their profiles. That makes sense for Reedsy, as they want to keep authors on their platform! But for an editor, that client can only build up a limited picture of them through their Reedsy profile. Editors who have focused on their own content marketing often prefer to work with authors who have engaged with their content and self-selected to work with them, as they are often a better fit.

In summary, Reedsy works well for book editors who don’t have a solid web presence and who have links to traditional publishing. Even for those who do lots of content marketing, Reedsy can be a good extra income stream for famine months. But there are dangers attached to doing work solely or primarily through someone else’s platform – as publishing’s reliance on Twitter has made clear.

Finally, Reedsy also doesn’t suit book editors who focus solely on the self-publishing market. If those self-publishing authors have less than a certain number of Amazon reviews of their book available online (this number was one hundred when I last checked), then they do not count as a title in Reedsy’s vetting process. Personally, I think editors who work in the self-publishing market should work to get some traditional publishing experience, as the standards traditional publishers used are often high, and it’s good to keep abreast of developments in traditional publishing. But some editors in this market do get salty about Reedsy’s focus on traditional publishing experience.

Do you have any thoughts on Reedsy and the points I’ve mentioned? If so, let me know in the comments below!