The best horror book copy editing services

Sign up for free to meet top copy editors on Reedsy

Michael 5 star rating

St. Louis, MO, United States

Editor of award-winning literature and NYT bestsellers, with 13 years' experience at Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and Hachette.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Action & Adventure, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • The Laryngoscope Journal
  • Self-employed
  • Graphic World, Inc
  • Penguin Random House

Renee 5 star rating

Buxton, ME, United States

Passionate editor of award-winning indie novels, with a specialty in adult dark fiction, spec. fic., horror, and psychological thrillers.

Genres: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Middle Grade, Children's, Coming of Age, Poetry, Post-Apocalyptic, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Crystal Lake Publishing
  • Sebago Education Alliance
  • Allhorror.net
  • HorrorMovieReviews.com
  • Self-employed

Matt. 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Best-selling/award-winning editor specializing in genre fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy) and sequential art narrative (yup, comics.)

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Fantasy, Plays & Screenplays, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment
  • Heroic Signatures
  • Encyclopocalypse Publications
  • Northampton Community College

Sean 5 star rating

Hanson, KY, USA

Proofreader/editor for 11+ years, reader for 40+, and as a lifelong fan, horror is my go-to genre.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Literary Fiction, and Anthologies.

Work experience:

  • JournalStone/Trepidatio
  • Bizarro Pulp Press
  • Raw Dog Screaming Press

Angela 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Editor of more than 800 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

Josiah 5 star rating

Louisville, KY, USA

Epic Fantasy/LitRPG-focused editor with 9 years' experience and 500 novels under my belt. Do you want to grow? Let's talk.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming & LitRPG, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Erin 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

A former Scholastic editor with over a decade of experience, who loves kidlit and delights in text.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic Inc.
  • Self-employed
  • Viable Paradise

📞 Chat with our team

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

Amanda 5 star rating

Charlottesville, VA, USA

Independent press cofounder, experienced editor, insightful reader. Edits literary and genre fiction at all stages of development.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Independent Press
  • C&R Press
  • Virginia Tech
  • Freelance

Karen J. 5 star rating

Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Professor of English with over 15 years experience mentoring writers, one book, three edited collections, and 40+ other publications.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Northern Arizona University

David 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

20+ years of editing and publishing expertise to elevate your manuscript with clarity and craft while preserving your authentic voice.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, Space Opera, Science Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Hearst Business Media
  • Sleeping Giant

Kerry 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm interested in thoughtful, voice-driven manuscripts. I especially love stories that include queer characters and/or speculative elements.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, and Coming of Age.

Work experience:

  • Henry Holt & Company
  • Curtis Brown, Ltd.
  • One Story Magazine
  • JMH Scouting

Chris 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I am an expert in genre fiction, with years of experience evaluating short fiction. I want your wildest stories to find a published home.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Clarkesworld Magazine
  • Geekadelphia

Isabella 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Experienced freelance editor specializing in SFF, horror, and speculative fiction for Adults and YA. Formerly with S&S.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster, Touchstone/Atria
  • Self-employed

Taz 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor at Soho Press, working on literary crime and horror fiction. Let's tell the story you've always wanted to tell!

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Soho Press

Elizabeth 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

20+ year proofreader and copyeditor, incl. Disney Publishing and Hallmark Books. Fantasy, sci-fi, mystery/thriller, horror (Adult, MG, YA).

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Epic Fantasy, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Horror, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Disney Publishing Worldwide
  • Freelance
  • Renaissance Literary & Talent
  • Luna Station Quarterly
  • NBCUniversal, Inc.
  • Dreamspinner Press
  • eLance
  • Alpha Pictures
  • Hallmark Books
  • Self-employed

Jeff 5 star rating

Clifton Park, NY, USA

Author of EAT BRAINS LOVE and UNDEAD WITH BENEFITS (Harper Teen). Freelance editor and consultant.

Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Action & Adventure, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best horror copy editors

Imagine reading a tense horror story, knowing that a terrifying revelation is on the way, and then on the way encountering a ridiculous typo, or realizing the protagonist’s name is all of a sudden completely different. Takes you out of the experience, doesn’t it?

For your readers not to be distracted by anything and lean wholeheartedly into your spine-chilling story, you’ll need to hire a horror copy editor. Far from simply spotting simple spelling mistakes, copy editors can work with you to even out the tone of your writing, maximize suspense, and reword any sentences that subtract from the horror experience because of poor syntax or vagueness.

The horror copy editors for hire here on Reedsy have all been carefully vetted, so you can trust that they’ve got the necessary skills and experience to help your manuscript truly bare its teeth.

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.