The Top 5 Manuscript Editing Services in 2024

1. Editor World

Editor World provides English manuscript editing services, including academic editing, book editing, business editing, ESL editing, personal editing, same-day editing, and proofreading services.  The price to edit 30,000 words at Editor World, with a 7-day turnaround, is $660. The price for manuscript editing services increases to $840 for a 3-day turnaround, which is the fastest turnaround available for a manuscript with 30,000 words. The rate is the same for manuscript proofreading services. Editor World lists available manuscript editors and you choose which professional editor works on your document. The cost to edit PDF or PPT files is 1.5 times the regular price for Word or text files shown on the Prices for Manuscript Editing page.

Editor World accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal, JCB, UnionPay, and PayPal. Because of payment processing fees, the company prefers that clients pay via credit card rather than PayPal.  Editor World has ratings of 4.9/5 stars on Google Reviews, 5/5 stars on Better Business Bureau ratings with an A+ rating, and 5/5 stars on Facebook reviews.

2. Scribbr

Scribbr is a manuscript editing company located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is a large company that was founded in 2012 and acquired by Course Hero. Scribbr provides manuscript editing services as well as proofreading services, a plagiarism checker, and citation tools. Scribbr’s cost for editing a manuscript with 30,000 words (editing and proofreading with structure and clarity checks, which are included in most other companies' services), is $1,015 with a 1-week turnaround.  The price for manuscript editing services increases to $1,510 for a 72-hour turnaround, and $2,005 for a 24-hour turnaround. It is important to consider whether 24 hours is enough time to adequately edit and proofread a manuscript before choosing this turnaround.

Scribbr accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, AliPay, WeChat Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Their FAQ list transaction fees for each payment type, and it is unclear whether the transaction fee is added to the client’s payment. Scribbr has a 4.7/5 rating on Google My Business, a 5/5 rating on Facebook, and does not have a rating on the Better Business Bureau site but has positive reviews on TrustPilot. Scribbr appears to provide consistently reliable manuscript editing services, although the prices are among the highest in the industry.

3. Taylor & Francis Editing

Taylor and Francis provides three levels of manuscript editing services: Advanced Editing, Premium Editing, and Premium Editing Plus. Advanced Editing Services have the lowest price, with Premium Editing Plus Services having the highest cost and Premium Editing Plus Services falling in between. Taylor and Francis prices also depend on whether you choose their budget plan or fast plan. The rate for manuscript editing services with a word count of 30,000 words is not provided in T&F’s online pricing page. Manuscripts with this number of words require clients to request a custom quote, which may delay how quickly you can have your manuscript edited and returned.

According to their website, Taylor and Francis Editing Services accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, and PayPal. There are no online reviews or ratings of T&F Editing Services but the manuscript editing company provides selected testimonials from editing service clients on their website.

4. Enago

Enago provides manuscript editing services and is located in Newark, New Jersey. The manuscript editing company started offering editing services in 2005. Enago provides scientific editing services, substantive editing services, copy editing services, proofreading services, and thesis editing services among other offerings such as translation services. The price for editing 30,000 words at Enago is not available on their editing pricing calculator. Manuscripts that exceed 5,100 words require you to upload your manuscript, and the company states they will provide a quotation within 1 hour after your request is submitted. The price for scientific editing a manuscript with 5,100 words at Enago is $1,020 with a 6-day turnaround, so the price for editing 30,000 words (about 6 times their maximum word count) is expected to exceed $2,000.

Enago accepts payment through PayPal, Stripe, and bank transfers. Enago does not have a rating on Google My Business, has a 3.7/5 rating on Facebook, and does not have a rating on the Better Business Bureau site but has a 3.4/5 rating on TrustPilot.

5. Editage

Editage provides manuscript editing services as well as other services such as translation services. The manuscript editing company is located in Princeton, NJ and was founded in 2002. Editage requires clients to contact customer service for a customized quote when manuscripts exceed 18,000 English words. When quotation requests are submitted during business hours, the response is sent within 1 hour, but quotation requests submitted outside business hours are responded to the next day. The lowest price per word listed on their pricing page is $0.06, which would lead to a price of $1,800 for a manuscript with 30,000 words unless the price per word decreases as the word count increases.

Editage appears to accept bank transfers and PayPal for payment. The manuscript editing services company does not have a rating on Google My Business or Facebook, has mixed written reviews on Facebook, has 4.7/5 stars on TrustPilot, and does not have a rating on the Better Business Bureau website.