Senior Book Editor

What you'll do

This is book editing with a second audience. You work through manuscripts across genres, looking at clarity, narrative structure, voice and market fit, and deliver the full range of editorial work: developmental feedback, line editing, copyediting and restructuring where the book needs it. You flag gaps and inconsistencies in plot, character development and thematic continuity the way you would in an editorial letter.

The AI angle sits on top. Your feedback and commentary become training material, so it has to be constructive, specific and actionable enough that a model can learn the reasoning behind it, not just the verdict. You also help write the editorial guidelines and best practices that inform model development, and you review AI-generated editorial work for accuracy and style.

Collaboration runs through written and spoken discussion with project stakeholders, fully remote.

Who fits

• Extensive experience editing published books for recognised publishers or prominent authors
• Editorial leadership on a New York Times bestseller or award-winning title is described as a significant plus
• Exceptional command of English grammar and literary style
• Incisive, nuanced feedback across genres and formats
• Strong written and spoken communication
• Comfort in a remote, tool-based workflow

US-based editors are preferred, though the ad says strong candidates elsewhere will be considered.

What it pays

$80–120/hour, micro1's published band. For senior freelance book editors, who often work on flat manuscript fees, that is a competitive hourly equivalent. No compensation structure is stated, so ask whether the rate is time-based or per task before you accept.

Worth knowing

Good:

• A strong rate that treats editorial judgment as expert work
• Twenty openings, newly posted and flagged high demand
• The work is recognisably editing (letters, line edits, guidelines), not scoring on a scale
• Open outside the US despite the stated preference

Less good:

• "Extensive" experience is undefined, and bestseller credits are a pedigree filter
• No compensation structure, hours or project length published
• Editing for a model means spelling out instincts you normally leave implicit, which some editors find slow
• The work helps build AI editing tools, which editors may weigh in light of their own market
• Contractor engagement: no benefits, no notice period, your own tax to manage

About this listing

Posted by micro1 on its own jobs portal on 24 September 2026 and read the same day. The $80–120/hour band, twenty openings, the US preference and the qualifications above are its published text. The customer is not named. See micro1.