The best developmental editors for hire near Los Angeles

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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

Jay 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I’m passionate about words and sentences and well-told stories. Helping manuscripts find their fullest potential is one of my greatest joys

Genres: Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Coming of Age, Science Fiction, and Cultural & Ethnic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Gabriel 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Children's editor with 10+ years experience. Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA.

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

Work experience:

  • Little Passports, Inc.
  • Teacher Created Materials
  • BEGiN

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)

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

Brian 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a book editor, writing coach, and publishing consultant with over 25 years of experience at major publishing houses

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

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Hannah 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Traditionally Published Author * Former Senior Literary Agent * 10 years editing and selling highly reviewed and bestselling books.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and LGBTQ Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • KT Literary
  • Trident Media Group

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

Michael 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

New York Times Bestselling fiction editor with fifteen years of publishing industry experience, specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Technothriller, Historical Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Skybound Entertainment
  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed

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)

Jackson 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a development editor and book doctor who primarily handles commercial fiction, thrillers, speculative fiction, and social commentaries.

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)
  • INKWORKS

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

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

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

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

David 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Reedsy editor specializing in SF, horror, crime, lit, and short stories. I have many repeat clients because I help you make an amazing book!

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

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Hearst Business Media
  • Sleeping Giant

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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.

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