The best developmental editors for hire in Australia

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Katia 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

Manuscript nurturer, sentence polisher, eagle-eyed proofreader, wordsmith, preserver of voice and vision; fiction and memoir specialist.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Themes & Motifs, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Ed 5 star rating

Newcastle NSW, Australia

Astute, experienced and empathetic, I'm a narrative problem solver and sentence sharpener who works well with big presses and solo authors.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, True Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Puncher and Wattmann

Pete 5 star rating

Perth WA, Australia

I'm a professional writer and editor who specialises in speculative fiction (horror, fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal romance) and thrillers.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime, Comics & Graphic Novels, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Science Fiction, Travel, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Kate 5 star rating

Sydney NSW, Australia

Children's fiction editor with over ten years industry experience with Scholastic, Disney and Marvel.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Mystery & Crime, Humor & Comedy, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic Australia
  • Allen and Unwin
  • Lexis Nexis

Sherryl 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

Writer, teacher, editor- my job is to help writers create terrific, publishable stories.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Young Adult, Poetry, Short Story, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Victoria University

Sam 5 star rating

Sydney NSW, Australia

Expert manuscript developer and editor. I specialise in literary fiction and nonfiction, and general / popular fiction and nonfiction.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Thriller & Suspense, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Brow Books
  • Self-employed
  • The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australia, The Saturday Paper
  • University of Melbourne, Deakin University, RMIT University, Victoria University

Jocelyn 5 star rating

Blue Mountains NSW, Australia

Developmental and copy-editor with 25 years' experience at Penguin and indie publishers, specialising in creative non-fiction and memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Literary Fiction, Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed

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Anjanette 5 star rating

Newcastle NSW, Australia

A passionate publishing professional, I love empowering writers by offering manuscript appraisal and mentoring. Upmarket fiction specialist!

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Rick Raftos Management

Sally 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

An award-nominated editor of information books for adults and young people. Major areas include environment, animals, science and education.

Genres: Agriculture, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Nature, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, and Physics & Chemistry.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Victorian State Government, Departments of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources.
  • Department of Planning and Environment, Victoria
  • Department of Education, Victoria

Rebecca 5 star rating

Coffs Harbour NSW, Australia

With structural expertise and market insight, I'm here to make writing the best it can be. I work with Big 5, smaller publishers and indies.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • New Holland
  • WHSmith
  • Hachette and Curtis Brown

Rachel 5 star rating

Lithgow NSW, Australia

Award winning publisher, author and educator with 20 years experience in ghost writing, resource writing and curriculum development.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Education & Reference, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Elsevier
  • Cengage
  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra
  • Word Travels
  • Currency Press

Daniel 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

Accredited non-fiction editor with more than 40 published titles. Specialising in art, spirituality, well-being, history, science & ESL.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Religion & Spirituality, True Crime, Classics, Fiction, and DIY & Crafts.

Work experience:

  • Arcturus Publishing
  • Search Press

Brenda 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

I'm a professional children's book editor with 20+ years of experience in working with picture books and junior fiction.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Red Paper Kite Publishing
  • Insider Guides
  • The School Magazine

Claire 5 star rating

Melbourne VIC, Australia

Meticulous, highly experienced editor, specialising in non-fiction: memoir, biography, business, self-development, natural health and more.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Business & Management, Biographies & Memoirs, Action & Adventure, Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Global DataPoint
  • Aspire Learning Resources
  • Global Listings
  • Self-employed
  • Satellite TV Europe Magazine (consumer magazine), London, UK
  • Bright Star Publishing / Midsummer Books Ltd, London, UK

Jane 5 star rating

Toowoomba QLD, Australia

I'm a freelance editor, author and librarian with an eye for detail. Kids' books, fiction, non-fiction, history books: I love them all!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Action & Adventure, Contemporary Fiction, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Concordia Lutheran College

Jessica 5 star rating

Sydney, Australia

Edited over 100 fiction and non-fiction titles, including Prime Minister's Prize, The Age and various Premiers' literary award winners.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Home & Garden, Mystery & Crime, Education & Reference, Parenting & Families, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Amnesty International
  • Thomson Reuters
  • Arts Hub Magazine
  • News Ltd

Heather 5 star rating

Aldinga Beach, South Australia

Accredited editor specialising in biography, memoir, self-help, psychology, spirituality, general non-fiction. Former editor at Hardie Grant

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hardie Grant Publishing
  • John Brown Publishing, London

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Hire the best developmental editors in Australia

After months, or maybe even years, of hard work and determination, you’ve finally completed your manuscript.

But now, in the midst of celebrating this accomplishment, you might be wondering: “What’s next?”

Well, for your best chances of coming to market with a professional and polished book, your answer should be: “Hire a developmental editor.”

A developmental editor works to ensure that your plot, characters, structure, prose, and all other pieces of your story are fine-tuned and cohesive as possible.

So how do you find a developmental editor in Australia you can trust to really make your story shine? Our marketplace is home to hundreds of experienced editors — many who worked for Big 5 publishers or with bestselling authors like Neil Gaiman. Sign up for a free account to start browsing the profiles of developmental editors in Australia today.

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