The best biographies & memoir book editing services

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Jessica 5 star rating

Jacksonville, United States

Award-winning freelance editor Jessica provides practical, marketable revision advice to clients on all six habitable continents.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Historical Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Women's Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Writers House
  • St. Martin's Press
  • Fox Literary LLC
  • Self-employed

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

Tracy 5 star rating

Baltimore, MD, United States

Passionate about helping writers realize their visions. I love picture books (especially rhyme!), young adult, fantasy, memoir, and more.

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

Work experience:

  • Agent Carrie Pestritto (formerly of Prospect Agency, now with LDLA)
  • Marketing Agency
  • University of Baltimore
  • SCBWI MD/DE/WV
  • Self-employed

Allison 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, United States

Jack-of-all-trades editor specializing in literary fiction and academic work (journal articles, book chapters, dissertations).

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Writing & Publishing, Sports & Outdoors, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wiley

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

Sally 5 star rating

Austin, TX, United States

Editor of Christian fiction and nonfiction. Charisma House and Founders Ministries editor. Edited 300+ authors, some of them best sellers.

Genres: Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Biographies & Memoirs, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, and Christian Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Laura 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Expert developmental and line editor, ghostwriter, and consultant collaborates on all aspects of nonfiction and fiction for adults and kids.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Poetry, Inspirational, Women's Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Jill Grinberg Literary Management
  • Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
  • Pocket Books
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Penguin USA
  • Theater Communications Group

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Sandra 5 star rating

Port Hadlock, WA, United States

Developmental editor helping professionals transform real-world expertise into compelling, best-selling, market-ready books and series.

Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Historical Mysteries, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Military Science Fiction, Medical Thriller, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Writers' International Forum
  • BAE Information Systems Technology
  • Manufactured Homes Magazine
  • Crooked Lane Books

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

Laurie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor of National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalists and bestselling authors at Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Romance, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • St. Martin’s Press a division of Macmillan, USA
  • Hyperion, a division of ABC/Disney
  • HarperCollins, a division of Newscorp
  • Dutton, a division of Penguin Group USA, Pearson
  • Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS
  • Hyperion, a division of the Walt Disney Comapny
  • Rizzoli Books

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

Glenn 5 star rating

Colorado Springs, CO, United States

Experienced editor for university presses (MIT, Harvard, etc.) and scholars (Princeton, U of Toronto, etc.); published award-winning books.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sociology, History, Law, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Frederick News-Post
  • Capital News Service (Washington, D.C.)
  • American Journalism Review

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

Patrick 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Hands-on, thoughtful editor specializing in memoir, self-help, thriller, mystery, suspense, and YA fiction. Formerly of Simon and Schuster.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed
  • Simon & Schuster / Simon Pulse
  • Simon & Schuster / Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE) and Gallery Books
  • International Creative Management (ICM)
  • Matt DeCoursey Enterprises / Realist Books

Ronit 5 star rating

Detroit, MI, United States

20+ years in publishing including 10+ years at Penguin Random House. Literary and book club fiction and memoir.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Women's Fiction, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House Inc.
  • Random House Inc.
  • Detroit Metro Times
  • The Daily Orange (Syracuse University)

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

Fiona 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

I am a veteran trade book editor of fiction and nonfiction, committed to helping writers find their voice and produce their best work.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Inspirational, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • HarperColllins
  • Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
  • Self Employed

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Hire the best biography and memoir book editors

Getting your facts straight while writing a novel is tough enough — but doing the same for a biography or a memoir is even tougher. How are you, for instance, supposed to fact-check every single detail about someone else’s life if you’re writing a biography? And if you’re writing a memoir, how are you supposed to know if your own life forms a coherent, satisfying story?

Enter every memoirist or biographer’s best friend, a biography or memoir editor. These editors have the knowledge and experience needed to take a rough draft and help you turn it into a manuscript that sings with life and heart. They can draw from their deep knowledge of the memoir and biography genres, seeing how your work can fit into the market, what readers will expect to find in the story you’re writing, and whether there are any issues with the way you’ve gone about it. Their guidance and expertise can help take your manuscript to the next level, as they can provide edits on big-picture elements as well as proofread all of your words, one at a time.

Hire the best biography and memoir editors in the industry are right here on Reedsy. We vet our editors very carefully, ensuring they’ve got the expertise and experience with esteemed publishers needed to guide their clients to success. Sign up for a free account to browse our editors’ profiles, read through their resumes, and reach out to request a quote today.

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