The best developmental editors for hire near Austin

Hire the best developmental editors in Austin, Texas Writing a book is an enormous accomplishment, but it's only the first step if you're looking to see it on the shelves one day. Before you can start looking at publishing options, you're going to need to make sure that your book is the best version of itself. And if you're deep in the heart of Texas, the best way to do that is with the trained eyes of a developmental editor right here in Austin. After months (or even years) of looking at the same book, it's easy for you as the writer to start missing details. A developmental editor is a fresh perspective your story needs to reach its full potential. They'll read through and assess your whole manuscript, looking at plot arcs, character development, voice, and more, and guide you through all the necessary steps you'll want to consider to address the issues. But don't worry — they're not going to take away any of you from the story. Developmental editors work hard to make sure that your book stays true to your vision, while offering a guiding hand toward strengthening the parts that might need shoring up. And if you want to find a great developmental editor here in Austin, look no further. Reedsy has gathered all the best industry professionals, vetting each one to ensure they have the experience needed to bring your story to life. Thousands of authors have already met their dream editor on Reedsy; why not sign up for free and meet yours today?

17+ Best Developmental Editors for Hire near Austin

Leila

Austin, TX, USA

12+ years experience in children's and YA book publishing as an editor at Penguin Random House and author of critically-acclaimed novels.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

Penguin Random House
Macmillan, Chronicle, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, etc.
BookPeople

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Dena

Austin, TX, USA

Award-winning editor, writer, lover of em-dashes.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Coming of Age, Education & Reference, Health & Wellbeing, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

University of Texas at Austin
Self-employed
deBeaumont Foundation

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Aja

Austin, United States

Making sure your prose sings, your facts and story are straight, and your unique voice shines through.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Music, Entertainment, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

Simon & Schuster
on my porch, at a coffee shop, in far-flung places . . .

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Elise

Austin, TX, USA

Helped 355 authors/founders turn dream books into reality. Including a NYTimes Bestseller and a book to film with 1.3M views

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

Northern Illinois University
WxD
Editing Agency For NYTimes Bestselling Authors
Publishing Cohort and Seminar
How To Disappoint Your Mom

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Jessica Lee

Austin, TX, USA

I'm an award-winning author with over 50 publications (from early readers to young adult) with 17 years of editing experience.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Coming of Age, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

Institute of Children's Literature
St. Edward's University
self-employed

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Jana

Austin, TX, USA

Writer and editor with 10+ years of freelance experience specializing in Christian non-fiction and Bible studies.

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

Work experience:

B&H Publishing
Freelance

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Holly

Springfield, United States

Experienced fiction editor, formerly with Samhain Publishing. I specialize in romance and other genre fiction.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Self-employed
Mundania Press
Lyrical Press

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Sarah

Austin, Texas, USA

Twenty years specializing in literary, LGBTQIA+, multicultural, and spec-fic novels. My clients get deals with Big Five publishers.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Carnegie Mellon University Press
Editorial Freelancers Association

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Andrea

Birmingham, United States

Editor and food writer with over 10 years of experience creating cookbooks on a wide range of cooking subjects.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Time Inc Books

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Chris

Austin, TX, USA

I specialize in books for kids — fiction and nonfiction alike. You don't have to be Willie Nelson to get me involved, but it worked for him.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

The Reference Press/Hoover's, Inc./Dun & Bradstreet
Self-employed

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Nora

United States

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.

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Stephen

Maplewood, United States

Top editor for 30+ years, novelist, sf/f story writer, poet. Specializes in NF and SF/F. I'll help you write a book you're proud of.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Sports & Outdoors, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

Avon Books
Wiley
Amacom
Thomas Dunne Books

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Kathy

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

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Geoffrey

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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Steven

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

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Carmen

Austin, Texas, USA

NEA speaker. Published author. I've put NYTimes bestselling authors and Amazon #1 bestsellers through my self-help and memoir boot camp.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Northern Illinois University
National Endowment of the Arts

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Kate

Baltimore, United States

Former S&S editor w/20 years of experience editing NYT bestselling & award-winning authors such as Nova Ren Suma & Kekla Magoon.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Romantic Comedy, New Adult, Young Adult, Romantic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Simon & Schuster Children's Books

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