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.

Lynne M.

Haines City, Florida, USA

Lynne is a multi-published, award-winning picture book author. She wears many hats, including acquiring editor -The Little Press Publishing.

Specializes in:
Children’s Non-Fiction
Children's
Non-Fiction
Fiction

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:
Horror
Entertainment
Mystery & Crime
Short Story
Anthologies

Maria D.

Kansas City, MO, United States

Insightful, inspiring Developmental Editor of 25+ years specializing in Historical fiction, Self-Help, Spec fiction. Tailored-to-you edits.

Specializes in:
Cozy Mysteries
Mystery & Crime
Humanities & Social Sciences
Fiction
Psychology

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.

Steve delivered clear, insightful, and actionable feedback on my manuscript. He identified what I needed: a high level evaluation of the story’s strengths and weaknesses, including pacing, structure, and character development. I also appreciated that he took on the project earlier than scheduled and delivered his notes ahead of time. The experience was smooth and genuinely valuable.

My first experience working with an editor. Emily was great. Everything suggested made sense. Very knowledgeable, detailed, and I was amazed that she was well ahead of schedule. Nothing but good things to say.

I absolutely loved working with Andrew on my project. His feedback, review, and suggestions were all dead on the things that I had not even noticed. He was concise. He had explained everything thoroughly giving me the bigger picture of why his suggestions and or feedback would improve a section or chapter in my novel. I highly recommend Andrew and his professionalism and hope to be able to use him again in my next project.

This is my fourth project working with Lucia, and I can attest to the absolute professionalism of both her editing and proofreading. Thorough, timely, detailed, consistent, constructive and encouraging ... she's everything you want in an editor/proofreader. Highly recommend!

It was a true pleasure collaborating with Lucy on the proofreading of my first spy thriller. She delivered outstanding work with meticulous attention to detail and went above and beyond her role—helping me troubleshoot issues with a program I wasn’t familiar with. Lucy was consistently available, responded promptly to my messages, and always met deadlines. Her professionalism, dedication, and commitment are beyond question. Thank you, Lucy, for your exceptional contribution.

Working with Michael has been an incredible experience from start to finish. His editorial insight is sharp, thoughtful, and deeply attuned to both the heart of the story and the clarity of the writing. He has a rare ability to elevate ideas without ever overshadowing the author’s voice, and his feedback consistently brings out the strongest, most polished version of the work. What I appreciate most is his balance of professionalism and genuine enthusiasm. He celebrates the wins, guides the ...

Where do I even begin with Sean? As a first-time author, I walked into this process nervous and honestly a little lost — and I walked out with a finished book I'm beyond proud of, and what feels like a lifelong friend. Sean is AMAZING. And I don't throw that word around. From day one, he treated my book like it was his own. This wasn't just editing — he helped me restructure, rewrite, and rethink pieces of my memoir in ways that made it so much stronger, and he did it all while protecting my...

I can't recommend Sam highly enough. His editorial assessment of my thriller was everything I needed - thorough, insightful, and delivered with the perfect balance of challenge and encouragement. Sam treated me as a fellow writer rather than just a client. He gave me confidence in the strengths of my manuscript while fearlessly challenging the structural issues that needed addressing. His critique of the ending has definitely given me work to do, but he was absolutely right to pick up on it,...

I am so grateful for Mikola. She really took a lot of time to go through my book and bring it to the finish line. All of her edits were spot on and thorough. I would highly recommend her. Very easy to work with and kind. Thank you Mikola :)

Really enjoyed working with Tina. Great communication and she did an excellent job of doing the copy edit for my first book. She didn't just make the edits, she provided reasons and guidance so I understood the "why". Will work with her again for sure!

Peter was excellent to work with throughout the editorial process for Governance by Design. He presented as a professional, thoughtful and communicative with brought a high level of editorial expertise to the project process. One of the things I appreciated most was his ability to strengthen clarity, flow, structure, and readability while still preserving my authentic voice and the deeper themes woven throughout the book. The subject matter often involved complex ideas around governance, le...

Zennor provided a thoughtful, rigorous editorial assessment that engaged seriously with both the strengths and structural challenges of my manuscript. Her feedback was clear, specific and respectful of voice, with particularly helpful insights into pacing, repetition and narrative arc. I found the report both encouraging and demanding in the right ways, and it’s given me a strong framework for revision. I’d happily recommend her to authors looking for honest, professional feedback.

I expected a professional assessment of my memoir, Border Haze: A Cold War Illusion, and thoughtful recommendations for improving it. Mikayla gave me much more than that. Her work included detailed comments throughout the manuscript and a comprehensive editorial letter addressing the book as a whole. What impressed me most was how completely the two worked together. The letter identified themes, character arcs, structural patterns, and connections running throughout the manuscript. Her indiv...

My choice of Melissa for my Developmental Editor could not have been more perfect for my debut novel! I am so impressed by her ability to understand the concept of the story but to also "hear" my voice and then apply what she understands to the editing. I am totally in line with her suggestions and am having a good time expanding the story to include them. I think it will be a much better "read" with these revisions. She has been a tremendous asset to my project and I look forward to the poss...

Michael is the copilot you want for your book. He’s the Goose to your Maverick. What a wonderful companion to have in this incredibly vast space of editing. I believe him to be sincere and he took his time on the subject matter and heart of my story. There is a soul behind the words we write and Michael catches the essence with a grace and knowledge only few possess. Honestly time is the greatest gift you can give someone. Even if we pay for it, he didn’t hurry through my story. I really enjo...

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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