Once you’re ready to hire an editor (or two), you may start to see “sample edit” popping up. A sample edit is a short edit a freelancer may offer on a chapter or small excerpt of work by an author who is interested in hiring them and with whom they haven’t previously worked.

Sample edits serve several purposes:

• To give authors a sense of an editor’s editing and communication style and to compare the work of multiple editors before hiring.

• To give the editor an idea of where your manuscript is at (is it ready for an editor?) and if they’re the right fit for you.

But not every editor offers a sample edit, and not every editor who does goes about it the same way.

You may sometimes hear that a freelance editor should do this or shouldn’t do that (with everything from pricing to process), but often there’s no right or wrong—just preference.

Let’s look at some differences you may encounter when it comes to the sample edit:

No sample edit at all

Established editors whose schedules are booked out far in advance may not provide sample edits—it’s time they may not have, or their portfolios may be strong enough that they don’t need to. Some (like me) still like to do samples because we can tell from a short excerpt if the manuscript is one we’re a good fit for (and if we’ll enjoy it).

Length

The length of the sample edit varies editor-to-editor based on how much time they are willing to give to it, what they need to know, and what they are comfortable with. I’ve seen sample edits ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 words, up to a full chapter.

(I sample up to 1,000 words.)

Cost

Some editors offer complimentary sample edits, while others will charge a small fee to compensate them for their time, with that fee then deducted from the project cost if you hire them.

(Currently, I offer complimentary sample edits following a successful intro call.)

To sum it up

The sample edit benefits both parties, but how exactly it’s completed may vary by the editor(s) you engage. As with any other part of the publishing process, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting and why.

Authors and Editors: What are you looking for in the sample edit?

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