The best developmental editors for hire near Los Angeles

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Angela 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Editor of more than 1,000 books. I specialize in sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, horror, mystery, thriller, YA, and dystopian fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Alyson Books
  • Self-employed
  • New York Book Editors

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

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

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

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

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

Danielle 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Hello! I'm Danielle, children's book author and picture book coach, editor, and teacher. My second language is children's books.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Writers Digest University

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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

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

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

Conrad 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I am a developmental and copy editor/proofreader for Soho Press among other publishers, as well as a script reader in Los Angeles.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Erin 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Experienced writer, editor and agent with an MFA in Creative Writing. I have edited NYT bestsellers, including The Maze Runner. 15+ years

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Romance, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • The Industry
  • tNY Press
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
  • Self-employed

Jodi 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, United States

I have an MFA and a lot of energy. I work in memoir, fiction, & humor. You'll have fun & learn craft as we go. No AI "writing," please.

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

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)

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

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

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

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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

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Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.