What are the pros and cons of hiring a freelance editor vs. an editing agency?

If you have an idea of the exact kind of editing support you need, choosing a freelance editor could be the better choice. You can find professionals with very specific niche experience. Plus, you may be able to negotiate a faster delivery timeline compared to an agency.

Um editor escolhido especificamente para seu projeto poderá oferecer um nível diferenciado de parceria. Durante o período do projeto, ele será como um membro da equipe organizacional, mergulhando na cultura e nos detalhes das atividades da organização. Com isso, encurta-se o caminho até o resultado desejado.

En mi corta experiencia, en el ámbito académico contratar a un editor independiente será una buena opción si maneja un sistema de gestión editorial (OJS de preferencia) y si está familiarizado con los procesos editoriales y los permisos que se requieren, asimismo puedes motivarlo a seguir en la profesionalización , invirtiendo en cursos y diplomados, para que pueda trabajar en tu proyecto muchos años. No obstante, la agencia de edición te puede ayudar con alguien que ya cuente con experiencia en maquetado, corrección de estilo e inclusive marcación XML-JATS.

Freelance editors offer unparalleled flexibility. Whether you are looking for brainstorming, proofreading, or you want to multiple varying drafts, finding the right freelancer for the job will be an easier task. What's more, you can often find freelancers with specialised experience that will actively enhance your work. In my experience, freelancers can also bring in a new flavour in the style of writing, if that's what you desire. Such third party perspective on your work can be invaluable.

With an agency, you��ll typically be assigned an account executive who oversees a suite of services related to your project. Onboarding and turnaround times can definitely be slower, but you have the advantage of full scale support if you need it. An agency may also have in-house expertise on the book launch process.

Agencies are more organised than freelancers. With editing agencies, you can be assured full coverage. Let's face it, no matter what you do to map out the scope of work before beginning a project, something new does come up every now and then. In such cases, editing agencies will provide your better coverage so that you can rest assured and focus your energy on the creative thinking aspect of writing to churn out high-quality ideas for your work.

Creo que depende mucho del tipo de trabajo que se necesite editar. A veces la opinión de un editor independiente y su experiencia, puede resultar mejor para cierto tipo de contenido. Si lo que se necesita es mucha experiencia, de repente una agencia sea lo más recomendable. Cada proyecto es único y debe tratarse como tal.

En mi expertise, hay varias ventajas. 1. Es más económico. A diferencia de una agencia bien reconocida, los ahorros en los costos podrían ser de hasta 90%. 2. Son más rápidos, listos y leales. Pero es difícil hallarlos, se necesita empatía para conocer y reconocer a un talento, sobre todo en México, dónde abunda el hate a la excelencia y hay muchísima envidia. 3. Son autogestivos y adaptables. Solo es cuestión de pedir muy bien lo que deseas, los tiempos y las características de cada pedido.

In my experience, working with a freelancer offers you more flexibility and cost effectiveness. On the other hand, they may not always be available for jobs, may be unnecessarily slow to deliver and controlling their output is sometimes difficult.

To my mind, freelance is better, check people for expertise on the topic and their commitment as well. Agencies typically commoditise the writing and the quality managers are not exactly quality conscious because it is more of a business in my experience. But it is not necessarily the agency's fault either. If companies cut corners in their content budgets, they will get agencies who promise them the sun and moon and deliver pebbles. Anything worth doing needs to be done in the best way possible. Or else, don't do it!

Considero que contratar uno u otro es indistinto, todo dependerá de la calidad del servicio brindado a la hora de evaluar. En ambos casos menester que se brinden las herramientas necesarias para que en uno u otro caso puedan empaparse de la verdadera esencia y necesidad del cliente.

Writing is inherently and incredibly subjective. At all stages of the process, engage in brainstorming and introspection to be aware of your progress and needs. The goal of hiring a freelancer or an agency will be to leverage their services, but you would not be able to do this if you aren't sure of what you want, what is your vision and what are your goals and expectations. Stay sorted, stay creative!

The differences are mainly in management. Working with an agency, you will be faced with more formal procedures. If you want certainty of results, deadlines, and legal requirements, you should work with an agency. Especially if you represent an institution. Working with an independent editor is more informal. They generally work based on trust and strong interpersonal relationships. Regarding the quality of work, I don't think there is much difference. Many agencies end up subcontracting their work to independent editors.