The best developmental editors for hire near Los Angeles

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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

William 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I have 40 years of professional experience as a writer and editor specializing in history, the arts, entertainment, and general nonfiction.

Genres: Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Philosophy, and Architecture.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • J. Paul Getty Trust
  • Time Magazine

Halley 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Experienced editor passionate about collaborating to polish your manuscript—mysteries, thrillers, and select nonfiction—to meet your goals.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Career Guides, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Wiley
  • Self-employed
  • Putnam

Rachel 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a freelance editor with extensive experience editing novels, memoirs, short stories, journalism, personal essays, and screenplays.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Darryl 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Experienced editor with an excellent editorial eye for plot, pacing, dialogue, and character development.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American Fiction, Romance, Mystery & Crime, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Biographies & Memoirs, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Kimball Publishing
  • La Salle High School
  • Orange Media Network
  • MasterClass
  • The Muse
  • Getty Publications (J. Paul Getty Museum)

Eve 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Award-winning Simon and Schuster author. Former lit agent. Polishing manuscripts to perfection for 20 years. Specialize in queries/synopses.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, True Crime, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Jill Corcoran Literary Agency (Now part of Transatlantic Agency)
  • Simon and Schuster/Simon Pulse
  • University of California (UCLA and UCSD)

Ilia 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a Developmental Editor with 10 years of experience in Romance, Mystery, and SF genres. Author of Crescent Earth - a SF murder mystery

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Creator Institute
  • Freelance

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Rebecca 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Former longtime TV studio executive and current independent producer and script consultant, I can help at any stage of your writing process.

Genres: Plays & Screenplays, Fiction, Coming of Age, Contemporary Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Mystery & Crime, Mashups, Romance, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Australians in Film
  • Warner Bros. Television
  • Stage 13 | Warner Bros. Digital Networks
  • Sundance Institute
  • UppiTV, CBS Studios overall deal

Lindsay 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Collaborative and supportive dev. editor with numerous bestsellers in women's fiction & romance at Amazon, Guideposts, and Penguin.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Amazon
  • Guideposts Books
  • Penguin

Carlyn 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Dedicated YA and Adult Contemporary, Romance, and Thriller editor. YA Author. Reader with over seven years of experience in NY publishing.

Genres: Romantic Comedy, Romance, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • CAKE Literary
  • 141 Entertainment
  • TriadaUS Agency
  • The Bent Agency
  • Self-employed

Briana 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

A developmental and copy editor with a decade of editorial experience. I have a keen eye for what makes a good fiction story flow well.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Cedar Fort Publishing and Media
  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Employee Solutions Group

John 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Writer/editor with 10 years experience editing scholarly books and journal articles in literary studies, art history, and architecture.

Genres: Architecture, Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Philosophy, Poetry, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Large museum/cultural institution in Los Angeles
  • large museum/cultural institution in Los Angeles
  • Self-employed

Auriane 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Character Therapist ✶ Author Cheerleader ✶ Traditionally Published Author ✶ English Teacher ✶ Creative Writing MFA ✶ English Lit MA

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, and Contemporary Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Elementary-High School
  • Penguin Random House

Jodi 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, United States

Editor with an MFA and a lot of energy. I love to work in memoir, fiction, and humor. My forte: lean prose that moves.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Humor & Comedy, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Cara 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

An editor & book coach, I help writers find their voice & connect with readers. I specialize in children's books, how-to, & women’s fiction.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Non-Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, Children’s Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Alicia 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Editor for romance, mystery, and book club fiction, with over 14 years of publishing experience across three of the largest publishers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • St. Martin's Press
  • Penguin Random House
  • Amazon Publishing

Jamie 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I work on memoir, self-help, business, mind/body/spirit, wellness, and literary nonfiction w/ Simon and Schuster, Wiley, Shambhala, + more.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Sex & Relationships, Business & Management, and New Age.

Work experience:

  • Rise Books/Rise Writers
  • Row House Publishing
  • Spirit Bound Press

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Hire the best developmental editors in Los Angeles, California

Hoping to join the ranks of Joan Didion, Truman Capote, and scores of other famous writers from Los Angeles? You might already be having visions of sold-out book tours and lucrative movie deals. But in order to publish such a fame-worthy title, you’ll first need an editor who can get your book in tip-top shape.

Specifically, you’ll need a developmental editor who will take a “big picture” approach to your manuscript and turn it into the best possible version of itself. This editor will work to improve the plot, characters, and prose, so your book’s structure is solid and its voice clear and compelling. Indeed, behind every bestseller is a skilled developmental editor who devoted themselves to unlocking that book’s full potential; your book deserves that same level of care and attention.

But with so many editors for hire in Los Angeles, it can be hard to find the one person who’s a perfect fit for your book. At Reedsy, we pre-screen all our professionals and accept only the top 3% of applications, so you’re guaranteed a high-quality editing job from any collaborator you might choose. Plus we list our pros according to location, so you can find an editor in Los Angeles right away. Simply sign up to start browsing through all our L.A. editors’ profiles and request quotes from your five favorite editors.

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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.