The best book editors for hire in the United States

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Steven 5 star rating

Vermont, United States

Intuitive, expert editor with 30 yrs experience teaching fiction writing at a major university. Well-published, knowledgeable, honest, kind.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Miami University, Oxford, OH
  • Colby College, Waterville,ME
  • Self-employed

Mary-Theresa 5 star rating

New York, United States

Award winning editor with 25+ years in traditional publishing. Specializing in genre fiction. Looking to help make good stories well told.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin

Rebecca 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

With 10+ years of experience working at NYC publishers, I've edited 100s of books across genres. Thorough, candid, and easy to work with!

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

Work experience:

  • Disney Publishing Worldwide
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed
  • Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Education

Chersti 5 star rating

Provo, United States

20yrs editing with NYT/international/indie bestsellers such as Brandon Sanderson and Tricia Levenseller. Adult Fantasy/SF/Suspense + all YA.

Genres: Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery & Crime, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Space Opera.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Cedar Fort
  • Leading Edge

Wayt 5 star rating

Seattle, United States

Award-winning science writer, editor, and publishing consultant for high-profile media. Also produce videos, podcasts, and presentations.

Genres: Computers & Internet, Non-Fiction, Technology, Engineering, Math & Science, Physics & Chemistry, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Engineering & Materials Science, and Life Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Intellectual Ventures
  • Self-employed
  • Scientific American

Nell 5 star rating

Jacksonville, FL, United States

From bestselling business titles to novels and short story collections, I've helped authors polish their prose for over a decade.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Action & Adventure, Inspirational, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Callisto Media
  • The American University in Cairo Press
  • Karen Leland, Sterling Marketing Group
  • Amnet Publishing

Jerry 5 star rating

Vero Beach, FL, United States

An editor with more than 20 years of experience in books, covering a variety of genres in fiction and nonfiction.

Genres: Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Karli 5 star rating

Clarksville, TN, United States

Editor who specializes in developing manuscripts and is passionate about helping authors craft their best stories!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Dawn 5 star rating

Hoboken, NJ, United States

Experienced, dedicated editor specializing in memoir and literary fiction, with a shelf full of clients' published books.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, Buddhism, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Entertainment, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Reader's Digest
  • O, The Oprah Magazine
  • More Magazine
  • The Literarian
  • Self-employed

Will 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Trusted copy editor and proofreader for romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, and suspense.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Berkley Publishing (Penguin Random House)
  • Harlequin Romance (HarperCollins)
  • Orbit Books / Redhook (Hachette)

Erik 5 star rating

Minneapolis, MN, United States

Editor with years of in-house experience. Founder of a literary agency. Writer. Host of Print Run Podcast.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Career Guides, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Nature, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Sports & Outdoors, Life Sciences, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Red Sofa Literary Agency
  • Self-employed
  • The Overlook Press
  • Oxford University Press
  • Headwater Literary Management

Jesse 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

I'm a New York City-based editorial consultant with expertise in memoir, fiction, humor, narrative nonfiction, and prescriptive nonfiction.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Music, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Penguin Random House
  • Callisto Media
  • Freelance/Self-Employed

Gail Naron 5 star rating

New Orleans, United States

Editing of academic works, reports, and dissertations, with a focus on the social sciences, Jewish studies, humanities, and law

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Law, Political Science & Current Affairs, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, and Economics.

Work experience:

  • Aptara, Westchester Publishing Services
  • Jewish Communal Service Association

Erica 5 star rating

Parrish, United States

Freelance editor offering friendly but thorough editing to independent authors.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Allyson 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, United States

Professional copy editor and proofreader with 15+ years of experience working on fiction, narrative nonfiction, and prescriptive nonfiction.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • The Overlook Press
  • Grand Central Publishing
  • DC Comics

Jenn 5 star rating

Leawood, KS, United States

I am an award-winning author and editor of books for children and young adults. I specialize in humor, fantasy, and scifi.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Picture Books, Children's, Action & Adventure, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Brittany 5 star rating

Rye, United States

Experienced cookbook editor and proofreader with a background in nonfiction publishing.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Nature, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Cider Mill Press Book Publishers
  • Book Passage Bookstore
  • Saint Mary's College of California
  • MARY: A Journal of New Writing
  • The Music Hall

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Hire the best book editors in the United States

Done with your first draft, but have no idea how to proceed? It’s true that there are several different types of editing, and the type you need will depend entirely on the state of your book — but being the author yourself, it’s unlikely you can be objective about its strengths and weaknesses.

So to save money on unnecessary or premature edits, hire someone to give your book an editorial assessment first. These editors look at your work and offer clear, concise feedback about areas in which you need to improve. This might be anything from weird spacing to gaping plot hole, so brace yourself for the gamut of editorial suggestions.

Of course, it’s possible that your assessment will come back with a stamp of approval and just one note: publish. But it’s more possible that an editorial assessment of a rough draft will come back with at least a few suggestions. The good news is that, after getting a thorough editorial assessment, you know exactly where you stand — it takes the nerve-racking guesswork away, so you can move forward with your publishing journey.

To discover the most perceptive and knowledgeable editors for hire in the United States, start looking on Reedsy 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.

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