Free tool · Live estimate
Book editing cost calculator
Slide the word count. Mark the stage. Watch the market range move. Educational bands—not a Polar Bear quote.
Estimated market range
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Move the slider to see an educational range.
- Per word
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- Editor hours
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- Calendar
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Ranges follow common indie-market bands. Complexity, fact-checking, and sample-page findings change real quotes.
Same word count · every pass
Compare the path, not just the sticker
Condition and rush modifiers apply to all rows. The selected service is marked.
| Service | Range | Hours |
|---|
How to use this number
If developmental editing looks high, do not “save money” by buying proofreading instead. That is how rough books ship polished. Adjust stage, not reality.
Clean manuscripts sit toward the low end. Rough drafts and rush calendars push the high end. None of this replaces a sample-page scope.
Next: compare types of editing, then tell us genre, word count, and goals for a scoped quote.