Top 20 Best Proofreading and Editing Services 2026

At Self-Publishing School, we talk a lot about high-quality editing as a non-negotiable when it comes to self-publishing. A great-looking book cover gets a reader to open your book, but if the editing is poor or there’s no editing at all, you can lose a potential reader (and repeat buyer), no matter how great your story is. Quality editing is the glue that holds the pieces of your story together. Without it, everything will fall apart. 

Below, you’ll find a list of the top 20 best proofreading and editing services for self-publishers. Use this list to compare the top service options to find the best fit for you. 

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What type of editing do you need?

Before you know what type of editing your book needs, it’s critical to know the difference between proofreading and editing. 

People mistakenly believe that proofreading is just a light edit. No so. Technically, proofreading isn’t considered editing at all. In traditional publishing, proofreading is more of a quality control step to catch anything that might have been overlooked during the main editing process. 

What does this mean for the self-publisher? Editing based on your manuscript’s needs should be the first priority, and proofreading secondary if it fits your budget. 

Before digital formatting, manuscripts were manually typeset before printing. As with anything done manually, human error can be introduced. And, during the typesetting phase, it was not uncommon for punctuation to be dropped or formatting issues like extra spacing to creep in. A proofreader would use their “eagle eyes” to find these small errors so they could be addressed before the book’s publication. Today, not as many human errors are introduced during the formatting process, but proofreading is still an excellent way to catch any oversights that may slip through the cracks during book production.

Editing, on the other hand, is what shapes the manuscript from rough to polished. Depending on your manuscript’s needs, you might need to use one or many of the following types of editing:

• Structural editing: Focuses on the content’s overall structure to determine if anything needs to be adjusted (added, subtracted, or moved around)
• Developmental editing: Often used interchangeably with structural editing, its main focus is on how the story is built. It’s a wide, overhead view of the manuscript as one piece. 
• Line editing: This type of editing is a line-by-line assessment of a sentence’s structure. This can include the phrases selected, word choices, and grammar
• Copyediting: This editing includes a broader technical focus on the elements of a manuscript that make it cohesive. This includes language, content, and style guide alignment. 
• Fact-checking: Fact-checking is, as the name suggests. It is researching the specific details (e.g., data, timelines) of your book to ensure that they are correct. This works for both fiction and nonfiction. 
• Sensitivity reading: This form of editing, which became mainstream in the mid 2010’s, checks manuscripts for any cultural, stereotypical, or bias issues. When writing about a culture or ethnicity that is not yours, using a sensitivity reader can ensure that you do not offend readers.  

For additional types of editing, start with this article: Learn these 10 Different Types of Editing for a Better Book

Why is investing in professional proofreading and editing important?

The ultimate goal of quality book production is to optimize the reader experience. When a book is professionally edited, readability is improved, and reader trust is elevated. It also improves marketability. Editing also helps to avoid costly errors later down the road. 

Once you decide what type of editing you’ll need (and proofreading) for your manuscript, consider these areas when selecting the best service provider:

• Types of editing offered (proofreading, copy editing, structural editing). Some services provide a little bit of everything, while others are more niche. If your book needs multiple types of editing, going with a service that provides several types of editing might provide a more cohesive editing experience. 
• Pricing models (per word, per page, per project, hourly). Hourly fees can be unpredictable. Editing speeds can vary by editor, so tying down an exact price can be difficult. Per project, word, or page can be a better option. Just make sure you understand the specifications for what is considered a page (double-spaced, single-spaced), how word counts are calculated, and what’s included in a project quote. 
• Turnaround time options. As the self-publisher, consider when you want to launch your book and then backdate each step in the publishing process from there. This will give you a solid idea of when the editing process would need to be completed to meet your deadline. 
• Editor qualifications and experience. As you would guess, less experienced editors are often more affordable than more experienced ones, but the trade-off is … less experience. For less complicated books (simple storylines or straightforward nonfiction content), a less experienced editor could be the perfect option. For complex storylines (worldbuilding, lots of characters, or lots of nonfiction research), finding a more experienced editor who has handled books similar to yours could offer the best outcome. 
• Sample edits/satisfaction guarantees. Always ask for sample edits, whether ones they’ve already done, so you can see a before and after or see if they offer a sample of a small portion of your manuscript. Many editors will offer a sample edit of the first  “x number of words.” Many will do this for free. If so, find multiple editors, get a sample edit, and compare. 
• Assess your needs. Some manuscripts need a lot of work to get them into shape, while others just need a touch-up. Whichever camp you fall into, have your book edited accordingly. If you’re not sure what your book needs, find an editor who will give you a book assessment. In rare cases when the editing needs are minimal, a strong proofreading pass to prep the book for printing is sufficient. On the other hand, if your book needs a lot of work (and that’s okay), look for budget-friendly options (payment plans) to ensure you don’t have to cut any corners to get the best book possible. 
• Know your budget. Don’t break the bank trying to get your book edited. Try to get the best editing you can afford that won’t leave you broke and panicked. Perfection is not the goal because that’s hard to do, but doing the best you can until you can do better is more than reasonable.

Top 20 proofreading and editing services for self-publishers

(In no particular order, these are the top 20 proofreading and editing service providers for self-publishers.)

For current rates, check the service provider’s website.

Note on pricing: On marketplaces like Reedsy, Upwork, and Fiverr, you’ll find that pricing can vary significantly because pricing is set by the individual freelancer rather than the company. Remember that going for the cheapest can be a recipe for disaster, and selecting the most expensive is no guarantee of quality editing. Read reviews carefully. Look at the examples of the editor’s previous work, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You want to make sure that whichever editor works on your manuscript is a good fit for you. 

Takeaways

Remember that when producing the best book possible, quality editing is a nonnegotiable. You can be the best writer in the world and have storytelling skills that are unmatched, but if there’s a disconnect between how your story is presented and how a reader takes in information, your book may not get the recognition it deserves. An editor’s job is not only understand the technical aspects of editing but also the specific market for your book and reader expectations. This is one of the greatest benefits of having a good editor. They have insight that your book needs to make it shine.

When looking for the best editor, remember that pricing can vary across the board. To get a good benchmark for editing rate industry standards, use the Editorial Freelancers Association rates guide. This offers the media rate ranges for editors based on book type (e.g., fiction, graphic novels, medical, memoirs, nonfiction, etc.) 

Whether this is your first book or you’ve written many, try to not be too hard on yourself. Self-publishing a book is an amazing opportunity to learn and grow. It’s definitely a marathon and not a sprint. With each book, you’ll be able to take what you learned from the last one and improve on it. If you only plan to write one, take your time and enjoy the process. 

Although we’ve offered you our opinion of the best proofreading and editing services currently available, this list is not exhaustive, and many more service providers could have been missed. Don’t stop with this list. Do your own research. You might find a gem in the middle of all the rubble.

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