The best book editors for hire in the United States

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Mary Beth 5 star rating

Orlando, United States

Sensitive, seasoned copy editor dedicated to strengthening each author's particular voice

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Self-employed

Stephen 5 star rating

Maplewood, United States

Top editor for 30+ years, novelist, sf/f story writer, poet. Specializes in NF and SF/F. I'll help you write a book you're proud of. No AI.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Sports & Outdoors, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Avon Books
  • Wiley
  • Amacom
  • Thomas Dunne Books

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

Dave 5 star rating

Seattle, United States

Experienced copyeditor, proofreader, and fact checker proficient with Chicago style. I specialize in literary and historical fiction.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Missy 5 star rating

Missoula, MT, United States

MS in Publishing. Proofreader for Bloomsbury (publisher of Harry Potter). Knows Chicago Manual of Style so you don't have to. On your side.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • brass|MEDIA Inc.
  • Trial Guides
  • Ooligan Press
  • The Portland Review
  • Montana Kaimin

Estelle 5 star rating

New York, United States

Agent/Senior Content Development Editor at one of New York's top agencies, specializing in YA, MG, picture books, and women's literature.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Coming of Age, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Folio Literary Management
  • Self-employed

Katie 5 star rating

New Haven, United States

I'm a versatile, seasoned editor who can edit in a variety of genres, from outdoor adventure to family-friendly topics and nature to DIY.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Health & Wellbeing, Nature, Sports & Outdoors, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Globe Pequot Press (FalconGuides)
  • Globe Pequot
  • Taunton Press

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Jim 5 star rating

Tigard, OR, United States

An editor with over twenty years of publishing experience at major houses, who has a sweet spot for genre fiction and comic books.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Comics & Graphic Novels, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Kirkus Media, LLC
  • Hachette Book Group
  • Time Warner Book Group/Hachette Book Group
  • DC Comics

Sandra 5 star rating

Omaha, United States

Skilled nonfiction book editor in business/leadership, true crime, selected memoirs. Get from idea to published. I love first-time authors.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Southeast Community College
  • Self-employed
  • Metropolitan Community College

Sarah 5 star rating

Saint Paul, United States

Meticulous copyeditor with 19 years of experience helping independent authors polish their sci-fi manuscripts.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Science Fiction, Fiction, Writing & Publishing, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

David 5 star rating

Long Beach, CA, United States

Give me your dangling participles, your absent oxford commas, your run-on sentences yearning to be written correctly.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Classics, Plays & Screenplays, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Group, USA; Random House, LLC
  • Pegasus Books and Publishing House
  • Words That Stay, LLC

Eliza 5 star rating

Maplewood, NJ, United States

I'm a detail-oriented editor, specializing in children's nonfiction, with 10 years of experience at publishing houses and literary agencies

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

Work experience:

  • Diversion Books
  • Self-employed
  • Leigh Feldman Literary
  • The Bent Agency
  • Callisto Media
  • Rebel Girls

Jodi 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, United States

I have an MFA and a lot of energy. I work in memoir, fiction, & humor. You'll have fun & learn craft as we go. No AI "writing," please.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Humor & Comedy, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Julia 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, United States

NYT-bestselling author, book reviewer, and editor. I've helped dozens of clients get published in small and large presses. I love what I do.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Education & Reference, Literary Fiction, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Los Angeles Times
  • El Financiero de Mexico
  • Wired News
  • The New York Times
  • Stanford University

Adaobi 5 star rating

Bronx, NY, United States

I offer services in proofreading and copyediting for all genres, developmental editing of nonfiction, and project management.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Technology, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Manuscript Coordinator
  • Self-employed
  • Hachette Book Group
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Apress
  • Project Lead The Way

Holly 5 star rating

Springfield, United States

Experienced fiction editor, formerly with Samhain Publishing. I specialize in romance and other genre fiction.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing, Ltd
  • Self-employed
  • Mundania Press
  • Lyrical Press

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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.

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Apply filters

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Step 2

Browse

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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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