The best copy editors for hire near Chicago

Sign up for free to meet top copy editors on Reedsy

Nathan 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Writer and editor with 7+ years of experience. Has worked at the Kenyon Review, Tin House Books and Scholastic, among other publications.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Short Story, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Tin House Books
  • MAYDAY Magazine
  • Agate Publishing House
  • The Kenyon Review
  • Scholastic Inc. (Tangerine Press Imprint)

Will 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Trusted big-5 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)

Joe 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Fast. Friendly. Experienced. Thorough. I'm here to help you be your best. Sample edits available.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree Press
  • Self-employed

Jenni 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Intelligent, respectful editing for trade & scholarly nonfiction, esp. American history, history of religions, art history. $0.05/word.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Art.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The University of Chicago Press

Editor with 24+ years of experience in biography, memoir, history, and fiction for adults and children at various publishing companies.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, True Crime, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Children’s Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Heinemann-Raintree
  • Quarasan
  • McGraw-Hill
  • Publications International, Ltd.
  • Capstone Publishers
  • Self-employed

Lizzie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Nimble, warm, and energetic literary editor with 10 years' experience shepherding projects from manuscript to award-winning finished book.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Parenting & Families, Non-Fiction, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Coffee House Press
  • Transit Books
  • Self-employed

Vesela 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Decades of experience with transformational and creative nonfiction spanning topics in holistic health, psychology, spirituality, and more.

Genres: Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Association for Research and Enlightenment
  • Institute of Noetic Sciences
  • Yoga Journal

📞 Chat with our team

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

Mohamad 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Ph.D level expertise with over 12 years of developmental, editing, and proofreading consulting experience.

Genres: Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Political Science & Current Affairs, Law, Writing & Publishing, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • International Network for Hate Studies

Cassie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Experienced fiction, nonfiction, and YA editor focused on precision, constructive criticism, and lots of Parks and Rec references.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, True Crime, Romance, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Open Road Integrated Media
  • Macmillan

Meticulous copy and developmental editor of nonfiction, equipped with diverse industry experience and a masters in Publishing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Sociology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Bryn 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Former publishing executive and author; exceptional book editor. I give detailed, encouraging edits to help you reach your author goals!

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Romantic Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hallmark Publishing at the Hallmark Channel

Natalie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I bring thoughtful, thorough, and professional edits and feedback to copyediting or proofreading lifestyle and business projects.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Educational Publisher
  • Science Connected Magazine

Perrin 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Cookbooks are my specialty—books I have edited have won or been finalists for James Beard, IACP, and Gourmand awards.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Economics, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Agate Publishing
  • Self-employed

Alex 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Children's book editor with experience in editing and content creation, passionate about championing people's stories—and writing her own.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Holiday, LGBTQ Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Sex & Relationships.

Work experience:

  • Independent Publisher
  • Albert Whitman & Company

Travis 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

A seasoned editor and book coach, Travis has helped acclaimed authors, elite athletes, and emerging voices connect with readers worldwide.

Genres: Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Inspirational, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Beijing Language and Culture University
  • Sports Publishing LLC
  • TrueHoop

Kate 5 star rating

Cleveland, OH, United States

Versatile, collaborative nonfiction editor with a master's degree in creative writing and seven years' experience editing education books.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
  • Solution Tree Press

Steven 5 star rating

Vermont, United States

Intuitive, expert editor with 30 yrs experience teaching fiction writing at a major university. Well-published, knowledgeable, honest, kind.

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

Work experience:

  • Miami University, Oxford, OH
  • Colby College, Waterville,ME
  • Self-employed

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best copy editors in Chicago, Illinois

As you might expect of the home of "The World's Greatest Newspaper," you can find some of the country's finest copy editors in Chicago. And if you're looking for the crème de la crème of Chicago copy editors, there's no better place to start than the Reedsy Marketplace.

With thousands of editors from across the world (including Illinois), Reedsy is home to only the most experienced and talented publishing freelancers. Many of them have worked for major presses and can help you copy edit your novels, memoirs, nonfiction books — or anything else you have that needs editing.

If you need a copy editor that's well-versed in The Chicago Manual of Style, why would you look anywhere else? Sign up for a free Reedsy account and meet them 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.