The best developmental editors for hire near Los Angeles

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Lee 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Hello! I’m an Emmy-winning TV and Feature Film writer with over twenty years of experience and I'm excited to help make your writing shine.

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Music, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • E! Entertainment
  • Discovery
  • Hulu
  • Amazon

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

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

David 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Developmental & Copy Editor for Literary, Horror, SF, and Cross-Genre Fiction | 100+ 5★ Reviews

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, Literary Fiction, Space Opera, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Hearst Business Media
  • Sleeping Giant

Marisa 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Book coach and developmental editor • 30 years in publishing • Self-help, wellness, psychology • Book proposals • First-time authors • BIPOC

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Parenting & Families, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Children’s Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, and Sex & Relationships.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • BabyCenter.com
  • New Harbinger Publications
  • Weldon Owen
  • Chronicle Books
  • Avalon Travel Publishing (Hatchette Book Group)
  • Seal Press (Hatchette Book Group)

Lauren 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Collaborative former Big 5 editor specializing in biography/memoir, mind/body/spirit, self-help, and women's fiction. Let's work together!

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Women's Fiction, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Hachette Books
  • Tiller Press (S&S/Simon Element)

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

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Maithy 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Editor of children's literature. I was the associate editor of the brand behind the best-selling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.

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

Work experience:

  • Rebel Girls
  • Underdog Bookstore
  • Scholastic Book Fairs

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

Brian 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I’m a book editor and ghostwriter, formerly an editor at W.W. Norton and Wiley. I focus nonfiction books, particularly memoirs and business.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Classics, Fiction, Nature, Entertainment, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • John Wiley & Sons
  • W. W. Norton
  • Self-employed

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

Amy 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a bestselling author who loves working with other writers to level up their manuscripts (or query letters). Honest but a cheerleader!

Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Kaitlin 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

A seasoned television executive bringing story development skills to a new space.

Genres: Plays & Screenplays, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Short Story, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Medical Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • WV Entertainment
  • Blondie Girl Productions
  • CBS

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

Erik 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

From the minutiae of copy editing to the development of craft and style, I will help take your writing to the next level.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Short Story, Writing & Publishing, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Madeleine 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I have nine years of professional experience with presses and universities. I can help you polish your work into something spectacular!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Red Hen Press
  • Mills College
  • Scripps College
  • Snowflake

Ashley 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

An editor with over ten years experience in prose and video games. When not reading or writing, she's skating or hunting for a good mead.

Genres: Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Electronic Arts
  • Self-employed

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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.

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.