Where to Find your Editor or Ghostwriter

(Above is a conversation I had with a favorite critique partner of mine, and a video I made about why your editor needs to be a "hardass." Watch and keep it in mind as you read this post about where to find the best editor/ghostwriter for you.) There is a LOT of content being put into the world every second--advertising copy, marketing materials, college papers, fiction books like this and this--and for many, an editor was used (and sometimes a ghostwriter/web content writer).
Where does one find editors and ghostwriters for all of the words they want to put into the world?
Many places, actually. I thought I would compile a list of the various places you can find an editor or ghostwriter for your project, as well as my thoughts about the quality of the work you can expect from those places (it can vary a lot).

THE BEST WAY TO FIND AN EDITOR/GHOSTWRITER (in my opinion): 
 1. Organically. Maybe you stumbled across them on Twitter and became fast friends over your love of Ever After and chocolate-covered anything. Maybe a friend used them and couldn't stop raving. Or MAYBE they wrote a book you really enjoyed, and they offer editing services as well! (Most of my recent clients are individuals who read "The Charismatics" and wanted to become clients of Utopia Editing & Ghostwriting Services because of that.) For a fiction book, I think this is THE best way to hire an editor or ghostwriter--you've seen their work (or at least their work ethic), you know they are reliable, and that your money will be well-spent. Always go with this option if you are serious about having a well-done end product (and are willing to invest in it).

2. Thumbtack.com. This is my second-favorite option, mostly because Thumbtack doesn't deal with any pay transactions. A freelancer pays a small amount to send a quote for a job, and after that Thumbtack is out of the equation, and it's just the freelance editor/ghostwriter and the client. When you post a job on Thumbtack you'll receive up to five quotes from interested freelancers (and normally within minutes), and you can browse their profiles, read reviews, and compare their proposed amounts to do the job. I think this is another way to get high-quality work, though it will cost more. Since it's less "competitive" regarding pay rates (freelancers don't know how much others are quoting), you are getting realistically "high" amounts for a job done well. Other websites make it a much more competitive market for jobs so that freelancers quote low (and take a cut of freelancers' earnings), and in my observations it can severely hinder the quality of work.
 **Keep in mind that if you use Thumbtack to post a job, that freelancers are PAYING several dollars or more to bid on it. It's courteous to be serious about actually hiring someone, as long as they are the right fit.**
**Freelance editors/ghostwriters should keep in mind that a lot of people aren't necessarily serious about a job, so be thoughtful about spending the "bid tokens" you purchase.**

3. Elance/oDesk/Upwork.com (These were three separate companies, but they are merging to Upwork this year). On Upwork, all of the payments and correspondence are done through their website--both to protect you and the freelance editor/ghostwriter. When you post a job that's decently compensated, you could have upwards of 50 applicants in minutes! Upwork allows you to browse profiles, read reviews--but keep in mind that freelancers who work with you can ALSO rate you as a customer. The website also posts how much you've spent on jobs, how much you normally pay people an hour, and what your "customer rating" is--so guess what! If you only pay $3.33 an hour (a frequent sum, I've seen), the individuals who will be applying for your jobs MIGHT not speak English (or they might just be downright spammers).
Compensate someone for the quality of work you want. If it's some simple ad copy, then you can probably get away with $7.00 an hour (anything lower than that in my opinion is unethical). But if you want a full-on deep content edit of your novel (something I offer for $25/hour),  then best to go elsewhere. Or hire me. :)

4. Fiverr.com. Ah, Fiverr. Fiverr, Fiverr. Fiverr. If there was ever a "bargain" shopping option for freelance work, it's here. The name says it all--five dollars for a service. "It's too good to be true!" you might be saying. And, well, the answer is YES. It *is* too good to be true if you want quality editing/ghostwriting for more than a few hundred words.
I've only utilized the website a few times, and my experience was mixed. The freelancer didn't really give me what I wanted (this was when I gave up on trying to format "Misery and Marlene" myself, even though I DID end up doing it after I worked with this individual and wasn't happy with the result), but I felt bad continuing to ask for edits from them when I'd only paid five bucks.
Other friends I've talked to said they enjoyed the service, but I did begin editing a manuscript for someone who'd originally worked with an editor from Fiverr and it was ... well ... pretty awful. Still needed serious copy-editing and proofreading, so I hope he didn't pay too much for such poor work from the site.
I DO offer several services on Fiverr including proofreading, copy-editing, content editing and ghostwriting (of a novel, blog post or social media marketing), but they are for small amounts and are mostly to meet clients for bigger jobs. I do not offer things for barely anything, because I believe that my work is worth more than that.
**Be wary of people stating they will "edit" your entire manuscript for five dollars. It just isn't feasible for quality. But if you have a college paper that just needs a quick proofread, go right ahead!**
**ALSO be wary of some serious spammers. The site is full of them, both for those offering services and those posting jobs. Look for freelancers with several pictures of themselves (or a video, even better!) and those with reviews. And DEFINITELY no typos or weird English--that is the HUGEST mark of a spammer who's used some sort of Google Translate and doesn't have good intentions.**

Hope this helped to enlighten you about where and how to find an editor or ghostwriter for your next project! And as always, I'm here to discuss editing or ghostwriting services with my own company, Utopia, at ANY time! Email me at ashleyrcarlson13@gmail.com to discuss your project, for my references, and to receive a free sample edit of your first 1,000 words.