The best developmental editors for hire near Kansas City

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Claire 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

17+ years building USA Today/NYT/Bestselling/Award-Winning careers in sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I'm thorough and kind, with short waits.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Romantic Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wordfire Press
  • The Wild Rose Press
  • Entangled Publishing

Lisha 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

I am a fiction, nonfiction, and technical editor and proofreader. I am also a traditionally published author of children's books.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Olsson
  • Self-employed

Elisabeth 5 star rating

Iowa City, IA, United States

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling editor of nonfiction and memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Nature, Travel, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, Sports & Outdoors, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • University of Iowa Press
  • University of Nebraska Press
  • Self-employed

Jon 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Professional book editor and writer with a soft spot for non-fiction. I'm also a frequent traveler and (occasional) travel writer.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Travel, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Geography, and DIY & Crafts.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Skyhorse Publishing

Shannon 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Book coach and editor with 10+ years of experience. My clients include award-winning authors and publishers. Fantasy, romance, thrillers.

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

Work experience:

  • Mid-Continent Public Library
  • Self-employed
  • Pitch Wars
  • Writers House
  • Penguin Random House

Jeanine 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Best-selling book developer, dedicated talent nurturer, and enthusiastic editor of fiction and nonfiction for ages 0 to teen.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Parenting & Families, Middle Grade, Social & Family Issues, Young Adult, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Romantic Comedy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Callisto Media
  • Parragon Books
  • Playmore Inc. Publishers
  • Parachute Publishing

Adam 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

17 years experience editing graphic novels at various publishers, as well as experience with picture books, and MA and YA novels.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Humor & Comedy, Young Adult, Action & Adventure, Picture Books, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic
  • Self-employed
  • Lee & Low

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Ashley 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

A supportive and collaborative editorial professional with 10+ years’ experience across print and digital—and a total bookworm.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Literary Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Prairie Schooner, University of Nebraska
  • History Press
  • Publishers Weekly
  • CreateSpace, an Amazon.com Company
  • Milkweed Editions
  • Yemassee Journal
  • Self-employed
  • Compose.ly
  • Turner Publishing
  • The Book Incubator

Robert 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Editor and publishing consultant based in NYC. Owned and operated a literary agency and an Indie publisher. Hardwired for storytelling.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Medical Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Mystery & Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Astor + Blue Editions
  • Robert A. and Associates Literary

Lia 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

NYC-based nonfiction editor with over a decade of experience. I specialize in business and management, self-help, spirituality, and memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, True Crime, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Callisto Media
  • Diversion Books
  • John Wiley and Sons
  • Self-employed

Carol 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Three decades as a top US nonfiction copy/line editor on business, management, leadership, tech, and design at HarperCollins and more.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Design, Technology, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Architecture.

Jen 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Thorough and encouraging editor of fantasy, romance, and mystery. 10+ years editing for indie authors. 3+ years at Hallmark Publishing.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, and Romantic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Hallmark Publishing
  • 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

Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

I'm an editor of award-winning children's books, with over twenty years of experience working on picture books, middle grade, and YA novels.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Picture Books, Social & Family Issues, Young Adult, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic
  • Freelance

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

Holly 5 star rating

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

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

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Hire the best developmental editors in Kansas City, Missouri

Every manuscript has to be edited before publication. The developmental edit is the first part of this process, and the one that most drastically changes a manuscript, as it involves extensively evaluating plot development, character arcs, pacing, and story structure. From changing the order of events to rewriting entire scenes or condensing action for a faster pace, a manuscript emerges on the other side of developmental editing as a much sharper version of itself.

A developmental editor in Kansas City will be able to use their inside understanding of publishing trends and genre tropes to advise you on the specific areas that need improvement in your own project. This is a collaborative process, where you and your editor work consider solutions to problems together, and arrive at a tighter, more controlled manuscript.

Hire a developmental editor in Kansas City today to give your book its best chance of success. Reedsy has a large selection of talented and experienced editors, all individually vetted, so why not sign up and request a free quote today?

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