The best developmental editors for hire in the United Kingdom

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Parul 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Professional editor with 10 years of experience at Random House, Quercus. Cofounder: London Writers' Salon. Genre: Thrillers, NonFiction, YA

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery & Crime, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Random House
  • Quercus/ now Hachette
  • Cornerstones
  • London Writers' Salon
  • Eccles Fisher

Colm 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Freelance developmental editor, with a focus on thriller and contemporary fiction, memoir non-fiction, and LGBTQ+ writing.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed
  • RateSetter

Jenny 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Experienced editor of writing for children and adults (fiction, non-fiction, picture books, novelties) through all stages of editing.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Hot Key Books
  • Walker Books

Maartje 5 star rating

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Experienced and friendly non-fiction editor with a passion for bringing your research and ideas to a wide audience. **AVAILABLE AFTER JUNE

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Art, Biographies & Memoirs, and Nature.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Cambridge University Press

Jude 5 star rating

United Kingdom

Multi-award writer & editor (MA Writing–Distinction). Published since 2004: Collins, Pearson & more. Expert fiction & non-fiction support.

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

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

Katie 5 star rating

Cornwall, United Kingdom

Over 25 years' experience in the publishing industry as a writer, editor and project manager – predominantly in children's non-fiction.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Geography, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • National Asthma Campaign (now Asthma + Lung UK)
  • Aladdin Books Ltd

📞 Chat with our team

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

Rebecca 5 star rating

York, United Kingdom

Ten years' experience in publishing industry across three major literary agencies, I specialize in commercial fiction, children's and YA.

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

Work experience:

  • Rogers, Coleridge & White
  • Ed Victor Ltd
  • The Wylie Agency

Luke 5 star rating

North Shields, United Kingdom

Freelance copy-editing, proofreading and plain language support; working with publishers, businesses, charities, students and other writers.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Music, Psychology, Entertainment, and Economics.

Work experience:

  • Various voluntary organisations; Newcastle City Council
  • Book publishers; County Durham, UK
  • Self-employed

15 years of in-house editorial experience specialising in children's fiction (MG, teen and YA). Previously Editor-at-Large for Hachette.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hachette Children's Group
  • Orion Children's Books
  • Scholastic Ltd
  • Columbia University

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

Ameesha 5 star rating

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Nonfiction book shepherd & editor of award-winning books that make the world a better place, including business, philosophy, & tech.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Biographies & Memoirs, Health & Wellbeing, Technology, and Computers & Internet.

Work experience:

  • Packt Publishing
  • Self-employed
  • Business Book Awards UK
  • Storyterrace

Chris 5 star rating

Exeter, United Kingdom

I am an experienced copy- and developmental editor specialising in Business, IT and Physical Sciences for authors, academics and publishers.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Engineering, Math & Science, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Physics & Chemistry, Technology, Photography, and Economics.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Sophron Partners
  • McKinsey & Co.
  • Cambridge Consultants

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

Scott 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Editor for 20+ years. Have worked on many award-winning and bestselling books. 190+ five-star reviews on Reedsy. Booked up till April 2026.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Science Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • The Friday Project, HarperCollins
  • Waterstones
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • Eye Books & Lightning Books
  • Abandoned Bookshop

Jackie 5 star rating

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Jackie has been editing and proofreading for more than thirty-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

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

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best developmental editors in the UK

You’ve done it — after months or maybe even years of hard work, you’ve finally completed your manuscript. What are you going to do next? Well, if you’re a savvy author, you'll hire a developmental editor.

What does a developmental editor do, you ask? It’s really all in the name: they develop your book’s plot, characters, and prose until all the pieces fit together and the story runs smoothly. And while you may not think you need it, developmental editing is a key part of the process for every author — it ensures you don’t end up with gaping plot holes or inconsistencies when your work goes to print.

But where can you find someone you trust with that level of responsibility? Here at Reedsy, we have all the best developmental editors for hire in the UK, and you can look through their portfolios as soon as you sign up. Some of our developmental editors have even worked with bestselling authors like Neil Gaiman. So don’t spend another second deliberating — discover your dream developmental editor today.

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.