The best horror book copy editing services

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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

Lyndsey 5 star rating

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, USA

Professional editor of horror/fantasy with over five years' experience helping authors and traditional publishers elevate their novels.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Historical Romance, Romance, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Eerie River Publishing (Indie Publishing House)
  • Turner Publishing (Established Traditional Publishing House)

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

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

Josiah 5 star rating

Louisville, KY, USA

Progression Fantasy/LitRPG-focused editor with 8 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

Kevin 5 star rating

Idaho Falls, ID, USA

Fiction writer and editor with over fifteen years in the industry. I love weird writing and anything pushing boundaries.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Eraserhead Press

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

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Academic, SFF, and RPG copyeditor and proofreader. I've edited works published by Cambridge and Harvard U. presses and Fantasy Flight Games.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Computers & Internet, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality, Epic Fantasy, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Dartmouth College
  • Self-employed

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

Lisa 5 star rating

Wyandotte, MI, USA

Fiction editor and proofreader with experience in mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal, YA, thriller, and more.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, and Post-Apocalyptic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Kensington Publishing
  • Pikko's House Editing Services
  • Booktrope Publishing
  • Pegasus Books (NY)
  • Enchanted Ink Publishing
  • Podium Entertainment
  • Severn River Publishing

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

Sara 5 star rating

Nashua, NH, USA

Flexible, fierce, efficient editor with decades of experience in editing everything from horror to science fiction to literary fiction.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Military Science Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Ascend Learning
  • Jones & Bartlett Learning
  • Self-employed

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

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, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

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

Publishing coach, multi Bram Stoker Awards® Winner+, publisher of Space and Time and Authortunities, a calendar of author opportunities.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Poetry, Anthologies, Short Story, Writing & Publishing, Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Space and Time Magazine
  • MCPL North Independence
  • Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, Florida
  • Panhandle Focus
  • Bay Beacon Newspapers, Niceville, Florida
  • Militarylifestyle.com, sponsored by Downey Publications

Benjamin 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Dedicated editor with 10+ years of experience in indie publishing, focused on guiding authors through every stage of manuscript development.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

David 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Reedsy editor specializing in SF, horror, crime, lit, and short stories. I have many repeat clients because I help you make an amazing book!

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

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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.