The best literary fiction book editing services

Sign up for free to meet top book editors on Reedsy

Home > United States > Book Editors > Literary Fiction

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

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

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

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

Ryan 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Detail-obsessed proofreader and copyeditor with 20 years of Big Five and indie experience. Let’s polish your manuscript to perfection!

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Legal Thriller, Technothriller, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Group USA
  • Phoenix Books
  • Omnicom Production/Deutsch LA
  • Self-employed

Gene 5 star rating

Houston, United States

Creative, experienced editor of novels, children's books, and poetry. Let's prepare your manuscript for publication together.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Poetry, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Uptown Stories
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Scholastic
  • HarperEntertainment
  • Daniel Weiss Associates/17th Street Productions
  • Denver Quarterly
  • San Jacinto College South

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

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

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

Amy 5 star rating

Township of Washington, NJ, United States

Friendly, thorough, supportive editor/proofreader for your novel. Experience in romance, historical, LGBTQIA+, mystery, YA, sci-fi, fantasy.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, and LGBTQ Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
  • Great Minds

Erin 5 star rating

Birmingham, AL, USA

Former literary agent with 15+ years of experience, specializing in developmental & copy edits for MG, YA, horror, mystery, & magic realism

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Howland Literary
  • The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
  • Dotdash Meredith
  • Self-employed

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

Monica 5 star rating

Montclair, NJ, USA

Big-picture, market-aware editorial guidance and publishing advice from a literary agent with 15+ years experience.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Contemporary Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cultural & Ethnic, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Montclair State University

K.J. 5 star rating

Sheridan, WY, USA

Publisher, Executive Editor, and Consultant w/over 30 years experience shaping publishing/media projects in both fiction and non-fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Cultural & Ethnic, Themes & Motifs, Photography, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Digital, Print, and Multimedia Publishing Company (Fiction/Non-Fiction)

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)

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best literary fiction book editors

What does it take to create a great book of literary fiction, be it a novel or a collection of short stories? All you need to do to find out the answer is take a look at the “Acknowledgements” section of your favorite novel. Ten times out of ten, you’ll find that the first person that the author thanks is, of course, their editor.

That’s for good reason. A good book editor is the backbone of a book — perfecting its structure, filling up stray plot holes, bringing out the best in your characters, and helping your language flow. And whether it’s developmental editing, copy editing, or proofreading, a literary editor is an author’s number one best friend during the publishing journey.

So if you’re writing a novel and you’re looking for a literary fiction book editor, then you’re in the right place. Reedsy is home to thousands of the best book editors in the industry — many of whom have worked for Big 5 publishers and literary journals, and edited New York Times bestselling novels. Their feedback is informed by years of experience in the publishing industry, editing some of the most accomplished works of contemporary literature.

To meet them and start the process of editing your own novel, simply sign up for a free account 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.

Work with the best editors in the industry

Sign up to request quotes from editors who shape bestsellers.