The best copy editors for hire in the United States

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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

Sandra 5 star rating

Omaha, United States

Skilled nonfiction book editor in business/leadership, true crime, selected memoirs. Get from idea to published. I love first-time authors.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Southeast Community College
  • Self-employed
  • Metropolitan Community College

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

Maleah 5 star rating

Nashville, United States

Former Thomas Nelson editor with 23 years experience in Christian non-fiction, study products, and Bibles.

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins Christian Publishers)
  • Thomas Nelson

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

Sarah 5 star rating

Saint Paul, United States

Meticulous copyeditor with 19 years of experience helping independent authors polish their sci-fi manuscripts.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Geoffrey 5 star rating

D.C., DC, United States

20 years experience editing nonfiction books for publishers (Thomas Nelson and Running Press). I love helping authors tell their story.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Running Press
  • Self-employed
  • Thomas Nelson Publishers

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Doug 5 star rating

Lago Vista, United States

Extensive experience with constructive editing and detailed proofreading for Manning Publications and interested in broader range of titles.

Genres: Computers & Internet, Non-Fiction, and Technology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Countrywide Financial (now Bank of America)
  • IBM Global Services
  • Countrywide Home Loans (now Bank of America)
  • IBM Advanced Technical Support
  • IBM
  • US Air Force

Erin L. 5 star rating

Seattle, Washington, United States

24+ awards in writing and editing • 30+ books edited • Specialties include nonfiction and poetry • Ph.D. student, lit and creative writing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Poetry, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Nature, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cavendish Square, Wiley, & other publishers
  • Open Books: A Poem Emporium
  • Killer Visual Strategies
  • Various magazines
  • The Kentucky Standard
  • Sarabande Books
  • Entre Ríos Books

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

Eva 5 star rating

San Marcos, United States

Twenty-five years of experience as a copy / line editor, primarily in science, for university, museum, and association presses.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Nature, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Life Sciences, Geography, Writing & Publishing, and Biographies & Memoirs.

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

Angela 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Editor of more than 1,000 books. I specialize in sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, horror, mystery, thriller, YA, and dystopian fiction.

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

Work experience:

  • Alyson Books
  • Self-employed
  • New York Book Editors

Lisa 5 star rating

Nashville, United States

I'm a twenty-year veteran in Christian publishing, specializing in gift/coffee table books, devotionals, and trade books.

Genres: Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Thomas Nelson Publishers (Harper Collins)

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

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

Marah 5 star rating

Washington, DC, United States

Incisive editor and collaborative, results-oriented project manager of health, food, and lifestyle books

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks
  • Scribner

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Hire the best copy editors in the United States

Even if you don’t think you need to hire a copy editor, you’d be surprised by how much difference this type of editing can make.

Copy editing isn’t the same as proofreading: it involves an editor examining your work and asking questions about the way you use language throughout the text. Does it flow well? Does your tone maintain consistency? Does your narrative voice change, and are you using specific words that don't align with it? They’ll also look at your writing on a sentence level, making suggestions on clarity and syntax, and correcting spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and awkward turns of phrase. Overall, a freelance copy editor will smooth out all details relating to style to bring your book, fiction or nonfiction, as close to perfect as possible.

For many writers, their copy editor is the most important collaborator they have in the pre-publication process. So why settle for anyone less than impeccable? Here on Reedsy, you’ll find the best copy editors for hire in the United States and around the world. Our copy editors for hire have worked with authors like Meg Wolitzer and Tana French, molding their novels into masterpieces — and they use their training and editing experience to do the same for you. Our editors have experience copy editing a large variety of genres, and have worked with some of the most prolific publishing companies.

Simply sign up and you can start browsing their profiles and reading reviews from clients who've used their copy editing services before. You can request quotes or ask for more information about their copy editing services today.

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