The best developmental editors for hire near Berkeley

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Zack 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, USA

Zack is a widely published writer and experienced editor. He has helped authors polish their work for more than two decades.

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Poetry, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Oppenheimer Investigations Group
  • Notre Dame de Namur University
  • Cornerstone Research
  • Various Master of Fine Arts Programs

Julia 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, United States

NYT-bestselling author, book reviewer, and editor. I've helped dozens of clients get published in small and large presses. I love what I do!

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Education & Reference, Literary Fiction, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Los Angeles Times
  • El Financiero de Mexico
  • Wired News
  • The New York Times
  • Stanford University

Shire 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, USA

A fiction/non-fiction editor with wide-ranging interests, I specialize in refining the elements of good writing: voice, style, and grammar.

Genres: Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Inkshares
  • Lost Roads Press
  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • New Directions

Nikki 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, USA

Book editor with 10+ years experience in acquisitions /developmental editing. Areas of expertise: travel; hiking/outdoor recreation.

Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Sports & Outdoors, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Avalon Travel/Hachette Book Group
  • Westview Press

Brooke 5 star rating

Denver, United States

Experienced (9 years in-house, 20 years freelance), nonfiction editor specializing in assessments, development editing, and copy editing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Music, Entertainment, Parenting & Families, Biographies & Memoirs, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Chicago Review Press
  • Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • Westview Press in the Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • Self-employed

Andrea 5 star rating

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

Peggy 5 star rating

Philadelphia, United States

Cookbook/nonfiction editor, writer & project manager w/ 20+ yrs in publishing. Also offering recipe development and testing.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self Employed
  • Clarkson Potter/Random House

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Jessica 5 star rating

Jacksonville, United States

Award-winning freelance editor Jessica provides practical, marketable revision advice to clients on all six habitable continents.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Historical Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Women's Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Writers House
  • St. Martin's Press
  • Fox Literary LLC
  • Self-employed

Ross 5 star rating

Baltimore, MD, United States

Helping writers make BAD things happen to imaginary people for 20+ years. Thriller, crime, horror, historical, mystery, sci-fi & fantasy.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Legal Thriller, and Horror.

Work experience:

  • University of Maryland, College Park
  • Towson Univeristy
  • Gotham Writing Workshop, New York City
  • Self-employed
  • University of Maryland College Park

Jenn 5 star rating

Leawood, KS, United States

I am an award-winning author and editor of books for children and young adults. I specialize in humor, fantasy, and scifi.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Picture Books, Children's, Action & Adventure, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Nevin 5 star rating

Portland, OR, United States

My goal is to guide writers to their best work, to coach them in eloquence and clarity, to lead them to their best stories and storytelling.

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

Work experience:

  • Scholastic
  • Penguin Random House
  • Government Technology magazine
  • Self-employed
  • Green Bean Books
  • Portland State University

Tracy 5 star rating

Baltimore, MD, United States

Passionate about helping writers realize their visions. I love picture books (especially rhyme!), young adult, fantasy, memoir, and more.

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

Work experience:

  • Agent Carrie Pestritto (formerly of Prospect Agency, now with LDLA)
  • Marketing Agency
  • University of Baltimore
  • SCBWI MD/DE/WV
  • Self-employed

Anne 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, United States

I'm a former LGBTQ+ Editor in Chief with a film background and years of success nurturing star writers and beginners. Let's tell your story!

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Historical Fiction, Inspirational, and Entertainment.

Work experience:

  • The Advocate
  • Senior Arts & Entertainment Editor
  • Well Again
  • self
  • Self-employed

Maria 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, United States

Insightful, inspiring Developmental Editor of 25+ years specializing in Historical fiction, Self-Help, Spec fiction. Tailored-to-you edits.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Post-Apocalyptic, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Laurie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor of National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalists and bestselling authors at Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Romance, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • St. Martin’s Press a division of Macmillan, USA
  • Hyperion, a division of ABC/Disney
  • HarperCollins, a division of Newscorp
  • Dutton, a division of Penguin Group USA, Pearson
  • Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS
  • Hyperion, a division of the Walt Disney Comapny
  • Rizzoli Books

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.

Eliza 5 star rating

Maplewood, NJ, United States

I'm a detail-oriented editor, specializing in children's nonfiction, with 10 years of experience at publishing houses and literary agencies

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Diversion Books
  • Self-employed
  • Leigh Feldman Literary
  • The Bent Agency
  • Callisto Media
  • Rebel Girls

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Hire the best developmental editors in Berkeley

A developmental editor will play a significant role in shaping the “big picture” of your book and work with you to perfect the themes, characters, and plot of your story. As such, it’s critical to find an editor who’s experienced in your specific genre and knows the publishing industry inside-out. Just as importantly, you’ll want to find a developmental editor who can match your communication and writing style, and can deliver feedback effectively and efficiently. Editor-author relationships are imperative to the success of your book.

If your looking for the perfect editing partner, search no further: the best developmental editors in Berkeley (and the world) are on Reedsy. We vet all of our publishing professionals rigorously to make sure that they meet your standards. Our developmental editors offer constructive critique and the skills needed to make your manuscript the best that it can be. Find your development editor in Berkeley today — just sign up for free to get a quote today.

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