How To Hire A Good Editor On A Small Budget

A good editor is worth its weight in gold. It can be challenging to understand how to find a good editor who fits your needs if you're on a small budget.

You can get the best deal if you prepare your negotiation with accurate information and informed knowledge.

If you're on the hunt for a good editor and you're on a tight budget, keep reading because, in this post, you'll learn how to do just that.

To hire an editor, you must understand the level of editing you need. For most small businesses, one good editor is all you need to function.

You may even be able to find them for free if you offer internship opportunities. However, interns don't offer the same experience as editors who have been doing it as a career.

A good editor can take footage that's already good and make it great by improving things like lighting, sound quality, transitions, and more.

Imagine you have an exceptional script with phenomenal footage filmed from multiple angles by someone with experience. In that case, the only thing holding back your video from being excellent is its audio quality—and that's where great editors come in handy.

In this case, it would be wise to pay the extra bucks for an experienced editor to get the best video possible.

To find the right editor, you can look at freelance websites with editors.

Here are some of the most popular freelance platforms:

Upwork

Fiverr

Kimp.io

PeoplePerHour

Make sure they have a good portfolio and reviews. Some editors may charge more than others, but if you don't have much experience with your type of work, the extra cost might not be worth it.

Asking yourself these questions is a good way of ensuring that you hire an editor who will meet your needs and keep within budget constraints:

Do I need someone who can help me with marketing materials? (If so, consider hiring an experienced copywriter instead.)

Am I looking for someone who can edit technical documents or blog posts? (If so, make sure they know how to write concisely to avoid wasting anyone's time.)

While chances are, you will be able to find a great freelance video editor at an affordable price, there are some reasons why you might want to consider working with a video editing company.

Here are the benefits of video editing companies:

Predictable pricing

Consistent quality

Quick turnaround time

Aview provides editing services for short-form content across a wide range of platforms. This is a great place to start if you're looking to grow your brand using Instagram reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts, or other types of short-form content.

A sample edit is a great way to see the editor's work style, process, and approach. It's also an excellent way to understand how they work with clients.

Many editors will be happy to provide a sample edit for free or at an incredibly reduced rate. Some editors may even offer it as part of their initial application process. Requesting this type of sample edit is entirely acceptable and encouraged!

Before you begin the hiring process, you need to know what you're asking your editor to do. An editor can't give you a quote if they don't know how many words need to be edited. You won't know if they've done the job right unless given specific instructions.

When hiring an editor, make sure you match what's needed for your project. To help determine what you need, ask yourself:

What qualities would improve my content?

Is there a particular style guide I must conform to?

By compiling the necessary information you will set yourself up to collaborate well with your editor.

As you begin your search, it's essential to have a list of potential editors in mind. You may be able to find them through word-of-mouth referrals or by searching online.

One way to narrow down your search is by looking at the type of professional that might be right for your project. In the case of editing a video and seeking someone with experience with making videos, you would want someone with that specific background and skill set.

If this isn't possible or practical because there aren't many editors with these skills, consider hiring a different type of editor who is familiar with this kind of work but not necessarily all the experience needed.

If you can't find the perfect editor, it's important to be flexible and work through any difficulties.

Be clear about the parameters of your project. If you're editing a video, consider how long the material should be. If it's an article or blog post, how many paragraphs?

Know what kind of editor you need. Do they need to be experienced in editing ads? Are they good at design and layout?

Ask for references from previous clients. A good editor will have no problem giving out references—and if they don't, that should raise some red flags right away!

Get a sample edit done. This will give both parties an idea of how well each other works together and whether there's any chemistry between them—or whether this particular individual might not be the best fit for whatever project needs doing.

If you're looking for an editor on a budget, remember that there is more than one option. You might go with someone who charges by the project or by the hour, but make sure you know what kind of edit you want them to do beforehand so everyone can be on the same page.