The best developmental editors for hire near Kansas City

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Claire 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

16+ 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

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, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Post-Apocalyptic, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Allison 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, United States

Jack-of-all-trades editor specializing in literary fiction and academic work (journal articles, book chapters, dissertations).

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Writing & Publishing, Sports & Outdoors, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wiley

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

Howard 5 star rating

Traverse City, MI, USA

I specialize in editing fiction and nonfiction with Jewish themes, helping authors find their unique voices and craft compelling narratives.

Genres: Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Business & Management, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Alliance of Independent Authors
  • Self-employed
  • Foreword Reviews
  • Vine Leaves Press

Ann Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, United States

Over 25 years' editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher and a literary agency, specializing in commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin Books
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

Kate 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Children's book editor of multiple NYT bestsellers (PB, MG, and YA) with 10+ years of experience - let me help you optimize your story!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • Sourcebooks
  • The Bent Agency

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Corinne 5 star rating

Boyne City, MI, USA

12 years of experience and over 250 books. Best-selling authors Juliette Cross, T.S. Joyce, and John Ellsworth. Kensington and Carina Press.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Legal Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Kensington Publishing
  • Carina Press

Diane 5 star rating

Lawrence, Kansas, United States

My sweet spot is MG and YA fiction. I'll help you find your story (ornery manuscripts don't scare me!) and figure out how to tell it.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • 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.

Bev 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

NYT bestselling editor/ghost specializing in business, memoir, and self help. I help first time authors publish books that change the world

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

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

Matt 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

Literary agent with 10+ years of experience in various genres, including science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, and graphic novels.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Comics Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Tobias Literary Agency
  • David Black Agency
  • Aaron Priest Agency
  • Charles River Labs
  • Penguin Random House
  • New Leaf Literary & Media

Melissa Ann 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Former Senior Editor at Tor/Forge, edited award-winning & bestselling genre fiction for adult readers: sf/f, horror, mystery, thriller, etc.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Tor Books
  • Berkley Publishing Group

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

Christopher 5 star rating

Gallatin, United States

Accomplished editor specializing in general and Christian non-fiction. Editor of 60 published books. Here to help you tell your story!

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Philosophy, Education & Reference, Inspirational, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • B&H Academic
  • Moody Publishers
  • Lexham Press and Kirkdale Press
  • Self-employed

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

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?

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.