The best fiction book editing services

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Georgette 5 star rating

Carmel, IN, United States

I'm a freelance editor and proofreader who's committed to helping authors produce the best work possible for their audiences.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Scholastic Reading Counts!

Kathryn 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Experienced developmental book editor specializing in parenting books as well as children's PB, MG and YA fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Parenting & Families, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks, Inc.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The Purcell Literary Agency
  • Entangled Publishing
  • Author Claudia Gray

Julie 5 star rating

New York, United States

Seasoned copyeditor and proofreader, supporting authors of high-quality fiction and nonfiction. (Helping authors look good since 1993).

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Open Road Integrated Media
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Disney Publishing Worldwide
  • HarperCollins Children's Books
  • Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books
  • HarperCollins Publishers, HarperPaperbacks and HarperPrism
  • Self-employed

Sarah 5 star rating

Saint Paul, United States

Editor with 17 years of experience helping independent authors with their how-to, finance, and sci-fi manuscripts. Limited availability.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Kathy 5 star rating

San Diego, United States

Freelance copyeditor and proofreader offering 25 years of experience in scientific and educational publishing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Math & Science, Nature, Action & Adventure, Classics, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Education & Reference, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Academic Press (Elsevier Science/Harcourt)
  • Academic Press
  • Brian F. Smith and Associates (Archaeologist)
  • Converse Consultants West
  • Cajon Valley, Mountain Empire, and Palm Middle Schools
  • Self-employed

Susannah 5 star rating

Barre, VT, United States

Friendly, supportive editor at Macmillan for 25 years. Teacher of editing. Favorite genres are women's fiction, memoir, historical fiction.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wiley-Blackwell
  • nSight
  • Vermont College of Fine Arts
  • Maponics (Pitney Bowes)
  • Clariant Creative Agency
  • Union Street Media Interactive
  • Self-Employed
  • Editorial Arts Academy
  • St. Martin's Publishing Group, Macmillan Publishers

Paul 5 star rating

New York, United States

Contemporary fiction, romance, YA, plays, memoirs & cookbooks are my specialties. Clients: Amazon, Simon & Schuster, Kensington.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Contemporary Fiction, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Editing Company
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Diner Journal
  • Kensington Publishing

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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

Joanna 5 star rating

Oak Park, IL, United States

Seasoned publishing industry professional with agency experience and a keen eye for detail who embraces all aspects of the editorial process

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Browne & Miller Literary Associates
  • The Parlor
  • Literary Agency

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

Ann Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, United States

Over 25 years' editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher and a literary agency, specializing in commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin Books
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

Nicole 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

I'm a literary agent with a passion for collaboration and a love of storytelling. Always thoughtful, engaged, and optimistic.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Women's Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Sex & Relationships, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • The Book Group
  • The Reading Room
  • ICM Partners

Will 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Trusted copy editor and proofreader for romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, suspense, and all the sub-genres therein.

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)

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, Parenting & Families, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • The Overlook Press
  • Grand Central Publishing
  • DC Comics

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

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

Michael 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, United States

An attentive proofreader and copy editor, I help you deliver clear, precise prose.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Crime, Historical Fiction, Romance, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Hire the best fiction editors

You know the saying — behind every great work of fiction is a great editor. Ask any author, and they’ll confirm exactly how important their editor was to the success — and existence — of their book. After all, there’s a reason why one of the first people that authors thank in their acknowledgements chapter is usually their editor.

“Fiction editing” is quite a broad term that encompasses multiple types of editing across several genres. One of these is developmental editing, where the editor helps the author improve the overall structure and plot of their story by offering feedback on character development, pacing, and other key fiction elements. Another is copy editing, which zeroes in on the individual lines of the story, making sure that each line is clear, concise, and stylistically consistent with the rest of the manuscript. A third type is proofreading, which checks works of fiction for spelling or typographical mistakes.

Fiction editors tend to specialize in a number of genres, like children’s books, romance, or science fiction — specializing means they can stay on top of genre conventions and tropes and keep up with new market trends. On Reedsy’s marketplace, you can search for fiction editors by genre, by selecting the category that best fits your project. Having had years of experience working at Big 5 publishers, our editors know exactly what it takes to spot common issues recurring in each genre and launch a bestseller. They’ve edited New York Times bestselling titles authors like George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Atwood — and now they’re ready to help perfect your masterpiece-in-the-making.

To browse their portfolios and start working with a professional fiction editor today, simply sign up for a free account on Reedsy.

How it works

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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.

Reedsy | 3 editors | 2025-05

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