The best copy editors for hire in the United Kingdom

Sign up for free to meet top copy editors on Reedsy

Bryony 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

Traditionally published biographer now editing memoirs, health, thrillers, SFF, historical + contemporary fiction. 20+ years in publishing.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Atomic Partnership Limited

Judith 5 star rating

Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Children's book editor, specializing in middle-grade and picture books. Experienced in helping authors turn good ideas into great books.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Education & Reference, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Plurus Books
  • Oxford University Press
  • Jacaranda Literary Agency
  • Oxford Brookes University

Jackie 5 star rating

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Jackie has been editing and proofreading for more than twenty-five years; food, travel, fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Travel, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • AA Publishing
  • Self-employed

Jude 5 star rating

United Kingdom

Multi award writer and Editor with a Masters in Writing (Distinction). Published since 2004 - Collins, Hodder, Pearsons and more.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, ELT, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Biographies & Memoirs, Education & Reference, Young Adult, and Poetry.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Elizabeth 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Full-service editor with 20+ years experience. Specialising in fiction, including fantasy, crime & historical novels. On time and efficient!

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Parragon
  • Robert Hale, Ltd.
  • Hodder and Stoughton

Editor/Writer with more than 20 years of experience in educational publishing, magazines, technical and web.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Math & Science, Writing & Publishing, Children's, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Macmillan UK
  • Multimedia Communications, Singapore
  • Marshall Cavendish, Singapore
  • Educational Publishing House, Singapore
  • Horizon Knowledge Solutions Pte Ltd, Singapore
  • Shing Lee Publishers Pte Ltd, Singapore
  • Chacon Publishing Inc, Calgary, Canada
  • Self-employed

Copy editor and proofreader with experience in non-fiction books, arts and culture, biography, business, the environment and general history

Genres: Design, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Architecture, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Travel, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Karen 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Award-winning editor & publishing consultant. Launched bestselling series like Beast Quest. Specializes in adult, YA & children's fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
  • Working Partners
  • Walker Books
  • Scholastic

Elv 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Editorial consultant with 20 years’ publishing experience. I can help you shape your book, grow as a writer and create a great proposal.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Poetry, Anthologies, Classics, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • OUP
  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed
  • Scholastic
  • Simon and Schuster
  • Egmont

Martin 5 star rating

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Editor with ten years experience of working on award-winning sports books such as Andrea Pirlo's autobiography, Pep Confidential & more

Genres: Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • BackPage Press
  • The Herald
  • The Sunday Times

Tim 5 star rating

York, United Kingdom

Experienced editor specialising in science fiction, horror, mystery and YA – offering assessments, structural editing and copyediting.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • CGP
  • Pearson
  • Scholastic
  • British Fantasy Society
  • Self-employed

Hannah 5 star rating

Oxford, United Kingdom

An editor with expertise in children's books, literacy and artwork design, I’ve worked with authors such as Julia Donaldson and Terry Deary.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Literary Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Comics Non-Fiction, and ELT.

Work experience:

  • Pearson Plc
  • Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
  • Oxford University Press
  • Hamilton Trust
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Camel Publishing Ltd.
  • BBC
  • Oxford Inspires
  • Blue Tutors
  • University of Oxford
  • Forge Media, University of Sheffield

Keith 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Nonfiction publisher (25 years) specializing in science; author of one nonfiction book, three scifi novels and many TV entertainment shows.

Genres: Computers & Internet, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Math & Science, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Technology, Physics & Chemistry, Entertainment, and Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Oxford University Press
  • Addison-Wesley/Pearson Education
  • Pergamon Press
  • Self-employed
  • Penguin Press

Tamsin 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

An expert in pairing words and pictures for internationally renowned institutions, galleries and publishers

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, History, Antiques & Collectibles, Home & Garden, Philosophy, Design, Photography, and Architecture.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Phaidon Press

Tom 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Highly experienced academic and educational book editor, previously worked as Senior Book Production Editor for a leading publishing house.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Math & Science, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sociology, Education & Reference, and History.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • SAGE

Claire 5 star rating

Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Reliable and versatile proofreader and copy editor with a passion for all things Sci-Fi and Dickens.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self employed

Emily 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

A Bookseller Rising Star and commercial fiction editor with 12 years editing experience at Penguin Random House, Hachette and HarperCollins

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Quercus (Hachette UK)
  • Ebury & Del Rey (Penguin Random House)
  • Orion Publishing (Hachette UK)
  • Avon (HarperCollins)
  • Boldwood Books

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best copy editors in the UK

If you’ve ever fallen victim to embarrassing email typos, errors in a work document, or even mistakes in your own published writing, you already understand the importance of copy editing. Needless to say, if you’ve written an entire book, you’re going to want a copy editor to look it over before you proceed.

Of course, what a copy editor does extends far beyond the realm of basic spelling and grammatical errors. A truly effective copy editor will register the signature style and tone of your story, and note down any places where it veers away. They’ll eliminate instances of inconsistent tense, POV, and pacing, all of which can confuse the reader and distract from the narrative. But perhaps most importantly, they’ll give you — the author — peace of mind as you prepare to publish. A thorough copy edit is the literary equivalent to a yearly physical: even if nothing’s wrong, it’s still much better to know for sure.

Selecting the right “doctor” for your book is no easy task, but Reedsy can definitely help. If you’re seeking a copy editor for hire in the UK, look no further than our ranks of experienced professionals. All you have to do is sign up, and you’ll be able to view their full portfolios — even request sample edits and quotes to figure out whether they’d be a good fit. From Stephen King to Meg Wolitzer, our editors have worked with some of the best in the biz, and they’re sure to help make your book a success too.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

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

Step 2

Browse

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

Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers 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.