The best fiction book editing services

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George 5 star rating

Virginia, United States

Experienced copy editor and proofreader of trade books in a wide variety of genres, for readers of all ages.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Children’s Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • The Free Lance-Star
  • freelance
  • self-employed and for various companies
  • volunteer

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, United States

Literary agent turned editor of fiction & select memoir where narratives and protagonists have distinct, identifiable voices.

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

Work experience:

  • Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
  • Self-employed

Sean 5 star rating

Denton, TX, United States

Editor of bestselling, award-winning middle grade, YA, and adult books, specializing in fantasy and sci-fi. Let's make your book stand out!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Andrea Hurst and Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Hurst and Associates
  • Self-employed
  • Relay Publishing, LLC
  • The Editorial Department

Ashley 5 star rating

New Philadelphia, United States

Editor of all things smart, inspiring, crafty, and culinary that enrich the soul. Helping authors put their best books forward since 2008.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Romance, Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Religion & Spirituality, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Barbour Publishing
  • Adams Media (Simon & Schuster) | BenBella Books | Page Street Publishing | Callisto Media

Lindsey 5 star rating

New York, United States

Experienced editor from a Big Five publisher specializing in mystery, suspense, and thrillers.

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

Work experience:

  • Grand Central Publishing
  • Crooked Lane Books

Maria 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, United States

Insightful, inspiring Developmental Editor of 25+ years specializing in Historical fiction, Self-Help, Spec fiction. Tailored-to-you edits.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Post-Apocalyptic, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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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Erin 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Experienced writer, editor and agent with an MFA in Creative Writing. I have edited NYT bestsellers, including The Maze Runner. 15+ years

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Romance, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • The Industry
  • tNY Press
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
  • Self-employed

Jim 5 star rating

Perry Hall, MD, United States

Crafting a work of fiction is a gloriously arduous process. With over twenty years of experience at one of the big NYC houses, I can help.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Coming of Age, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Random House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor experienced in creative development, visual storytelling, and licensed publishing. I solve problems.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Anthologies, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • DC Entertainment
  • Self-employed
  • Little Bee Books
  • Emergents Universe

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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.

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Step 2

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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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