The best developmental editors for hire near Los Angeles

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Jesse 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Editor with a decade's experience working with best-selling and award-winning authors at Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Europa Editions.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, African American Fiction, Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Art, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Self-employed
  • NationBuilder
  • NY Book Editors
  • Europa Editions

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

Jackson 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Literary agent & development editor specializing in psychological suspense, thrillers, and character-driven fiction with cinematic edge.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, African American Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Technothriller, Thriller & Suspense, Social & Family Issues, Young Adult, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • The Story Factory
  • EuropaCorp
  • ICM Partners (CAA)
  • Self-employed

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

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

Chelsea 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I specialize in science fiction, fantasy, romance, and Black/African American lived experiences. I am also a master of humor and dialogue.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Bent Agency

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

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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

Rebecca 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

MAD Magazine editor and UCLA Writers' Program developmental editing instructor with 9 years of professional editing experience.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Young Adult, Humor & Comedy, Short Story, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Travel, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • UCLA Extension Writers' Program
  • Pocket Comics
  • MAD Magazine at DC Comics
  • TripAdvisor's WhatToPack.com
  • Zagat
  • Bettina Schrewe Literary Scouting

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

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

Emma 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Dedicated, creative editor with an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and years of experience at a top New York City literary agency.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • McCormick Literary
  • The Iowa Writers' Workshop
  • Atheneum (a division of Simon & Schuster)

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

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

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

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

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)

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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 2

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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.