The best developmental editors for hire in the United Kingdom

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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

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

Sarah 5 star rating

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Senior Editor with 14+ 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

Clare 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

A freelance copy-editor and proofreader specialising in cookery, craft and other lifestyle titles.

Genres: DIY & Crafts, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Cico Books
  • New Holland Publishers
  • Clare Sayer

Katy 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

A senior commissioning editor and content developer with ten years of experience in professional, educational and trade publishing.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Philosophy, Psychology, Writing & Publishing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Kogan Page
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
  • Hodder Education
  • Routledge/ Taylor and Francis
  • Open University Press/ McGraw Hill

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

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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

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

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

Kerry 5 star rating

Hove, United Kingdom

An experienced editor, writer and publishing professional with 20+ years' experience of copy editing, development editing and proofreading.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Travel, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Architecture, Humanities & Social Sciences, Young Adult, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Yes Educational Centre
  • Marvel Comics
  • Egmont Fleetway
  • Panorama Holiday Group
  • Pavilion Publishing
  • Pavilion Publishing and Media
  • Self-employed

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

Nira 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Commercial editor helping authors turn ideas into books. Formerly Penguin Random House & HarperCollins with Sunday Times & NYT bestsellers.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Inspirational, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Women's Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Ebury, Penguin Random House UK
  • Icon Books, UK
  • HQ, HarperCollins UK
  • Quarto Publishing

Donna 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Fiction & non-fiction editor; over 20 years' experience including 'Big Five' (regular clients incl. HarperCollins, Penguin RH, Hachette)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin UK Ltd
  • Little, Brown
  • Self-employed

Atalanta 5 star rating

Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Editor | Proofreader | Writer (arts, humanities, education, fiction, nonfiction, corporate and nonprofit publishing and comms)

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Short Story, Education & Reference, Design, Business & Management, Contemporary Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Claire 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Editor with 20 + years experience working with bestselling and award-winning authors - formerly Associate Publisher at Headline, Hachette UK

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Headline Publishing Group
  • Self-employed

Niamh 5 star rating

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom

Professional editor, proofreader and project manager, specialising in educational publishing.

Genres: Education & Reference and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Scholastic Ltd

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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.