The best developmental editors for hire near Chicago

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Kathryn 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Experienced developmental book editor specializing in parenting books as well as children's PB, MG and YA fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Parenting & Families, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks, Inc.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The Purcell Literary Agency
  • Entangled Publishing
  • Author Claudia Gray

Madison 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Honest, constructive, and compassionate feedback from a full-time editor and published author. I edit kid lit, from picture books to YA.

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

Work experience:

  • Albert Whitman & Company
  • Albert Whitman & Compaby
  • C&T Publishing

Mohamad 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Ph.D level expertise with over 12 years of developmental, editing, and proofreading consulting experience.

Genres: Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Political Science & Current Affairs, Law, Writing & Publishing, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • International Network for Hate Studies

I'm a professional children's book editor with experience in trade, licensed, and educational publishing.

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

Work experience:

  • American Reading Company
  • Sterling Children's Books (now Union Square & Co.)
  • Simon Spotlight, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
  • Independent Publishers Group
  • Albert Whitman & Company

Grace 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Mystery || Fantasy || Speculative — 10+ years at Big Five and indies with NYT, USA Today, and Sunday Times bestsellers.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group)
  • Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen
  • JMH Scouting

Editor, published writer (10+ years), multilingual creative, experienced in publishing, line/developmental editing, creative coaching.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • New Harbinger Publications
  • Page Street Publishing
  • The Nasiona
  • Reckoning Press
  • Strange Horizons
  • FLAPPERHOUSE
  • Self-employed

Joe 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Thorough. Friendly. Experienced. Punctual. I'm here to help you take your writing to the next level. Free sample edits available.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree Press
  • Self-employed

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Lizzie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Nimble, warm, and energetic literary editor with 10 years' experience shepherding projects from manuscript to award-winning finished book.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Parenting & Families, Non-Fiction, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Coffee House Press
  • Transit Books
  • Self-employed

Multigenre editor with a knack for offbeat characters and juicy plots. I love indie publishing and contemporary fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Loyola University Chicago

Connor 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Hello! I'm Connor, an editor with 10+ years of editing experience, including award-winning nonfiction titles. Let’s make your book excel!

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

Work experience:

  • Moody Publishers

Stephen 5 star rating

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. No AI.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Sports & Outdoors, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Avon Books
  • Wiley
  • Amacom
  • Thomas Dunne Books

Elayne 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Fantasy author, former Tor Books editor, and speculative fiction specialist with 10+ years' experience editing SFF across age categories.

Genres: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Tor Teen, Macmillan Publishers
  • Tor Books, Macmillan Publishers
  • Alyssa Matesic Editing

Vesela 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Decades of experience with transformational and creative nonfiction spanning topics in holistic health, psychology, spirituality, and more.

Genres: Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Religion & Spirituality, Health & Wellbeing, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Association for Research and Enlightenment
  • Institute of Noetic Sciences
  • Yoga Journal

Wayt 5 star rating

Seattle, United States

Award-winning science writer, editor, and publishing consultant for high-profile media. Also produce videos, podcasts, and presentations.

Genres: Computers & Internet, Non-Fiction, Technology, Engineering, Math & Science, Physics & Chemistry, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Engineering & Materials Science, and Life Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Intellectual Ventures
  • Self-employed
  • Scientific American

Karli 5 star rating

Clarksville, TN, United States

Editor who specializes in developing manuscripts and is passionate about helping authors craft their best stories!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Christian Publishing

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

Maya 5 star rating

Charlotte, NC, United States

From the big picture to the tiniest detail, here to help you polish your craft. I work with publishers and individual authors.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed

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Hire the best developmental editors in Chicago, Illinois

The unsung sibling of the trio of edits, a developmental edit might actually be the most important type of editing that you need. Whereas a copy edit and a proofread only examines your book on a sentence level, a developmental edit focuses on the addressing "big picture" problems in your manuscript first — such as pacing, weak character development, and the strength of your themes. In short, they improve the parts of your book that could make the difference between an average book and a future bestseller.

If a developmental editor is what you're seeking, we've got you covered. Here at Reedsy, we've got the top developmental editors in the business. They've worked with such authors as George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, and Joyce Carol Oates to create their bestselling works — and now they're ready to work with you. Simply sign up to Reedsy to meet the best developmental editors in Chicago for you.

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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.

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