The best developmental editors for hire in the United Kingdom

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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

Scott 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Editor for 20+ years. I have worked on many award-winning and bestselling books. 175+ five-star reviews on Reedsy. Slots from late July.

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

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

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

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

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

Kelly 5 star rating

Maryport, United Kingdom

I have edited and proofread many non-fiction books for Hachette and HarperCollins, and 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

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Andrew 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Friendly, precise editor and writing coach. Lots of experience with various genres. I'm an author, too. So I know what it's like.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Action & Adventure.

Niall 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I focus on non-fiction development editing and editorial assessment. History, economics. business, 'big ideas'. Best-selling author and PhD.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Philosophy, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sociology, Finance & Accounting, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • London School of Economics & University of Warwick
  • Freelance
  • ThinkWrite
  • Economist Intelligence Unit

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

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

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

Anna 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I have 20 years' experience working on children's and YA writing at UK publishers including Hachette and HarperCollins.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Picture Books, and Social & Family Issues.

Work experience:

  • Octopus (Hachette)
  • Carlton Books
  • Orchard (Hachette)
  • Egmont
  • Self-employed

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

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)

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

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

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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.

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Step 2

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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.