The best developmental editors for hire near Kansas City

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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

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

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

Eli 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

5+ years experience at Tor/Tordotcom editing award-winning SF/F novels, novellas, & short stories

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Short Story, Space Opera, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Tor Publishing Group
  • Reactor (formerly Tor.com)
  • The New Press
  • Ooligan Press
  • Orbit

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

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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Griffin 5 star rating

Park City, UT, USA

Book Editor | Fiction Developmental Editor | Copyediting and Proofreading Services.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller & Suspense, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

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.

Howard 5 star rating

Traverse City, MI, USA

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

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

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

Kathy 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Former children’s book publisher at PRH, hands-on editor of 3 Newbery Honors, 2 Printz Honors, and several NYT bestsellers.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, LGBTQ Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House imprint
  • Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
  • 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

Lori 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

I specialize in commercial, adult fiction with a literary bent, and narrative nonfiction. Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree, 2024.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • A3 Artists Agency
  • Innovative Artists Agency
  • Henry Holt / Andy Cohen Books
  • Self-Employeed
  • Crown (Fiction Division)
  • Crown (Fiction)

Ben 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Book coach and developmental editor for budding and award-winning historians, biographers, and journalists. Book proposals are my passion.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Law, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Sociology.

Work experience:

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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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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