The best copy editors for hire in the United Kingdom

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Sarah 5 star rating

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Senior Editor with 13+ years' experience. Specialist in Romance, Thrillers, YA, LGBTQ+ and Historical for both new and established authors.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Totally Entwined Group (Bonnier Publishing)

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

Sandy 5 star rating

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Sandy is a seasoned editor of non-fiction and fiction titles, and has been helping authors 'give birth' to their books for 20 years.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sex & Relationships, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Parenting & Families, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Godsfield Press
  • Tigerprint Limited
  • Self-employed
  • AA Publishing

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

Kelly 5 star rating

Maryport, United Kingdom

I have edited and proofread many non-fiction books for HarperCollins and Bonnier and I have also worked on memoirs for individual clients.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Children’s Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Education & Reference, Poetry, Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

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

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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

Dick 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Experienced London-based editor of fiction (novels, short stories), biography, art and culture.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Waltham Forest Council

Josephine 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Experienced editor within various genres, including Mind Body Spirit, travel, cookbooks, and fiction (YA, women's fiction and thrillers).

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sex & Relationships, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Duncan Baird Publishers and Watkins Publishing
  • SPG Media
  • Rogers, Coleridge & White Literary Agency
  • Freelance

Bryony 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

Friendly, sharp-eyed editor & former biographer helping authors wrangle plots, shape voice & nail continuity. 20+ years. Series specialist.

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

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

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

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

Caroline 5 star rating

Durham, United Kingdom

A flexible non-fiction editor with an eye for detail and consistency. I make sure that the little things don't distract from the big things.

Genres: Mathematics & Statistics, Math & Science, Non-Fiction, and Technology.

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

Julia 5 star rating

Cambridge, United Kingdom

I am an editor and writer with a mission to make everything I work on the best it can be. I specialise in non-fiction and children's books.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Nature, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Reader's Digest
  • Macmillan Children's Books
  • HarperCollins Children's Books
  • Penguin Books, Ltd.
  • Harcourt Education
  • Orpheus Books
  • Self-employed

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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.

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Step 2

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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

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