Meet the best editors in the industry

Get book editing services from 1,900+ industry experts, including editors who’ve worked with Suzanne Collins, Colleen Hoover, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Choose the right editing service for you

What kind of editing do you need? Here are a few popular services to get you started:

Developmental Editing

Average rate: $36/1,000 words (9,000+ projects, 2026)

Developmental editors find the gem within the ore of your early draft. Our 1,800+ editors have years of experience shaping bestselling books, so they know what sells. They’ll provide feedback on core elements like structure, pacing, and characterization — giving you a roadmap for your best draft yet.

With developmental editing, you can expect:

  • A detailed editorial letter with an analysis of your manuscript and specific revision suggestions
  • An annotated copy of your manuscript containing sentence-level edits as well as chapter-level comments

Copy Editing

Average rate: $27/1,000 words (9,000+ projects, 2026)

Ready to supercharge your sentences? Once you’re happy with your core story or argument, a copy editor will help you bring it to life. Our 1,900+ copy editors know how to balance clarity, cohesion, and consistency with bringing out your unique voice.

Your copy editor will give you:

  • A thoroughly annotated version of your manuscript with tracked changes to easily identify edits
  • A style sheet listing standard spellings and formatting, which can later be referenced by your proofreader

Proofreading

Average rate: $20/1,000 words (5,000 projects, 2026)

Proofreading is the last line of defense before you send your book to print, coming after copy editing and design. Our 1,600+ proofreaders will put your manuscript under the microscope to eliminate spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors and inconsistencies.

After proofreading services, you can expect:

  • A final manuscript that has been meticulously proofread and corrected, and is ready to be published

Editorial Assessment

Average rate: $25/1,000 words (4,400+ projects, 2026)

Not sure where your manuscript stands? An editorial assessment gives you expert direction on how to improve your draft without the price tag of a full developmental edit. It’s ideal for authors in the early drafting stages, or those wondering whether their manuscript is ready to query.

Our 1,600+ editors will deliver:

  • A detailed editorial letter analyzing what’s working and what isn’t working in terms of plot, structure, characters, and market fit
  • A clear, prioritized roadmap for revising your manuscript

Discover more editing services

Reedsy has experts to support you at every stage of your publishing journey.

Get to know our editors

To get started on your search, meet some of our top-rated editors.

Sean L.

Hanson, KY, USA

Proofreader/editor for 14+ years, reader for 40+, and as a lifelong fan, horror is my go-to genre.

Specializes in:
Literary Fiction
Science Fiction
Horror
Short Story
Mystery & Crime

Alethea S.

Toronto, ON, Canada

27 yrs. NYT & USA Today bestsellers, Harlequin & Entangled, 100s of others in my publishing consultancy. Finding the book you want to write.

Specializes in:
Biographies & Memoirs
Romantic Comedy
Fiction
Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Mystery & Crime

Michael J.

New York, NY, USA

Dynamic children's book agent, editor, and best-selling author with 15 years of experience at Scholastic & Random House Children's Books.

Specializes in:
Humor & Comedy
Children’s Non-Fiction
Children's
Picture Books
Fiction

Browse thousands of professionals on Reedsy. Search for editors near you

What authors say about our editors

Countless authors have used Reedsy to bring their books to life.

Sarah is an exceptional editor with a thorough understanding of how to take a manuscript to the next level. I knew from our first interaction that she was a consummate professional as she set the tone for our working relationship with kindness and efficiency. She delivered her suggestions and advice promptly with an obvious eye for detail and care . She just gets it! I am so pleased to have found an editor that is reliable and insightful. I highly recommend Sarah.

Elaini was wonderful to work with and very professional. She was sure to answer all of my questions in a timely fashion and her attention to detail made my project the best version it could be. I am very grateful. She finished early as well.

Daniel is thoughtful, wise, and matter of fact. I partnered with him to bring his literary instincts to my story. So glad I did. While reading his development memo—his reflections on my work—I get a humbling sense that he knows more then me about what I'm trying to say. Some of Daniel’s input parallels my quiet subconscious voice. "Yep, I knew I cheated there." One might classify this as coaching. Some of his input lightning-strike fresh…a totally new point of view that will take you're tale ...

Kate goes above and beyond on all collaborations. I've worked with her twice now. The editorial review she gave me amazing insights into how I could improve not just my current manuscript but my overall writing. Suggestions are always helpful with reasons given. The line/copy edit collaboration has helped me to improve tone and style, stop repetition and fix everything from grammar to insights into character, making my progression fantasy seem more real. Kate sprinkles support and helpful ...

Beau is amazing! My story is only in the beginning phase and Beau has been able to provide me with so much feedback and insight. I’ve been able to talk through my plot and the story development and end up with more material to work with. My brain fog has been lifted thanks to Beau’s in-depth review and my excitement has been renewed just from hearing Beau’s interest and enthusiasm around the story. Can’t wait to collaborate with them again and I couldn’t recommend Beau enough.

Working with C.J. was an exceptional experience. She approached my manuscript with discernment, compassion, and an evident respect for both my voice and the audience I hoped to serve. Her editorial feedback was thoughtful, comprehensive, and remarkably constructive. She identified opportunities to strengthen the manuscript while preserving the heart and purpose behind my writing. Her guidance helped me develop a more cohesive, substantive, and meaningful book. I am deeply grateful for the car...

Working with Abbey was a joy. She gave me thoughtful and spot on comments on a global level, as well as pointing out places in in the manuscript where little tweaks could go a long way. Her sense of story is very strong, and my novel will be 1000 times better thanks to her invaluable feedback. Thank you, Abbey, you glorious editor!

Deborah was incredible to work with! I am so impressed with the quality of her work, her thoroughness, her notes, and how easy it was to work with her. I have been so lost in this process, and she has been beyond patient, professional, kind, and extremely responsive. I can't say enough good things about her!! I just loved working with her!

Where can I begin? Conni has helped me truly transform my writing and my book. When we began collaborating, I had about 3 chapters written and the structure figured out, but once I started working with Conni, my book was elevated. She helped me (and pushed me because I was a bit unsure) to create more structure and predictability to the book and chapters. I went from "I don't want to spoon-feed my readers" to thinking "well I do have to explain it because they can't read my mind." The structu...

Working with Hannah has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my book! From the very beginning, she was thoughtful, thorough, and deeply invested in both the story and my growth as a writer. Her editorial letter was incredibly insightful and pushed me in all the right ways. She has a rare ability to see the heart of a story, identify what’s already working, and then clearly articulate how to strengthen it without ever making you feel discouraged or overwhelmed. Her line edits were de...

Erin was the first professional editor I've worked with. Only started writing about 1 year ago, coming from a completely different long-term career, so had no experience and have had to crash course every angle of this whole writing thing. Erin met and exceeded my expectations. She was professional in every sense of the word, and I do work in another professional environment that isn't writing, so I have a reasonable expectation of what to expect when the word 'professional' is used. S...

Agatha’s dev edit on Unbidden is the kind of work that makes you feel both seen as a writer and capable as a craftsperson. She read my manuscript like a reader and then diagnosed it like an editor, with total command of narrative mechanics (pacing, viewpoint discipline, structure), plus a sharp instinct for what my story is really about: the terrifying intimacy of being “used” by something bigger than you. Her notes are deeply specific, actionable, and cross-referenced in a way that makes rev...

The story was The Judge’s Daughter not Conspiracy. Fictionalizing a complex story based on real experience is a challenge. More so for an octogenarian emerging to write. Zeynep in a professional manner tested my work in her analysis against critical desirable elements rather than preach. She made several useful elemental suggestions to tighten my storyline, including a timeline adjustment and an impactful repositioning. She is pleasant yet concrete. I think the world of her capacity base...

Jen was absolutely phenomenal! I worked with Jen on copy and line editing for my third novel, and it was my first time working with her. Of all the copy/line editors I've worked with, none have had this kind of professionalism, kindness, value, and quality. Jen's eye for structure transformed entire chapters into clean, polished moments. I am so grateful to have found Jen and am never going back to another copy/line editor! 10/10, would recommend!

Dan was absolutely brilliant. I had a high-level piece of publishing consulting which he helped me on and gave me excellent advice and walked me through the steps I needed to take to get a non-fiction work into the hands of publishers. Dan was extremely friendly, supportive, knowledgable and gave me expert help in positioning my work. I highly recommend working with him.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific editing services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

Step 2

Browse

Then, browse editors' profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five editors at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.

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Watch how Reedsy can help you assemble your team in the video below:

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