The best developmental editors for hire near Philadelphia

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Eric 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Eric is a literary agent and Young Adult author who has worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling books.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Young Adult, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • P.S. Literary
  • Arcadia University
  • Neighborhood Literary

Chris 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I am an expert in genre fiction, with years of experience evaluating short fiction. I want your wildest stories to find a published home.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Clarkesworld Magazine
  • Geekadelphia

Christine 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Copy editor and proofreader for books on fitness and health, from training to memoir. I want to help your book be the best it can be.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Sports & Outdoors.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society

Shannon 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Book editor with 30 years' experience transforming important ideas and stories into award-winning, bestselling books

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wharton School Press

Jessica 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I've edited 50+ nonfiction books for Big 5 publishers, focusing on entertainment/pop-culture, sports, humor, and memoir. Let's collaborate!

Genres: Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Biographies & Memoirs, Sports & Outdoors, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Hachette Book Group / Running Press
  • Rodale Books

Susan 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I'm a highly experienced editor and writer specializing in books for children and teens.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Short Story, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Little Fox, Inc
  • Editorial Services boutique
  • Bantam Doubleday Dell
  • Simon & Schuster
  • New American Library

Meg 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

With an MFA in CWR, an MA in publishing, and 3 years experience in a publishing house, I'm excited to use my skills to help craft your WIP!

Genres: True Crime, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Historical Fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, and Social & Family Issues.

Work experience:

  • Casemate Group
  • Barnes and Noble
  • Reedsy

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Rose 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Book doctor, editor, researcher. I love romance and historical fiction! (Areas of expertise: Regency, queer, Revolutionary War, Jewish.)

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, and LGBTQ Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Larissa 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Queer Latine book editor, literary agent, and authenticity reader w/ a decade of experience helping make literary and genre fiction shine.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Coming of Age, Women's Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Dottir Press
  • Self-employed
  • Tessera Editorial
  • Hub City Press
  • Jill Grinberg Literary Management
  • Azantian Literary Agency

Julia 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

7+ years experience teaching writing and editing client manuscripts. I'm also the author of the YA novel THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Story, Contemporary Fiction, and LGBTQ Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Author Accelerator
  • Blue Stoop

Benjamin 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Passionate editor with 10+ years of experience in publishing, focused on guiding authors through every stage of manuscript development.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Brittany 5 star rating

Rye, United States

Experienced cookbook editor and proofreader with a background in nonfiction publishing.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Nature, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Cider Mill Press Book Publishers
  • Book Passage Bookstore
  • Saint Mary's College of California
  • MARY: A Journal of New Writing
  • The Music Hall

Georgette 5 star rating

Carmel, IN, United States

I'm a freelance editor and proofreader who's committed to helping authors produce the best work possible for their audiences.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Scholastic Reading Counts!

Katherine 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Seasoned novel editor with a passion for powerful storytelling. I'll help polish your plot, deepen your characters, and elevate every page.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Kathryn 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Experienced developmental book editor specializing in parenting books as well as children's PB, MG and YA fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Parenting & Families, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks, Inc.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The Purcell Literary Agency
  • Entangled Publishing
  • Author Claudia Gray

Mark 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I'm a professional editor, writer, and poet. Assisting others with their writing and creative endeavors is extremely meaningful to me.

Genres: Poetry and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Schuylkill Valley Journal
  • Cleaver Magazine

Sandra 5 star rating

Omaha, United States

Skilled nonfiction book editor and book coach in business, true crime, self-help. Get from idea to published. I love first-time authors.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Southeast Community College
  • Self-employed
  • Metropolitan Community College

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best developmental editors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Once you’re done with your manuscript, you’ll probably be looking for ways to fine-tune it. You want a partner who will help you strengthen your book’s structure and content — and that is why you need to hire a developmental editor.

A developmental editor will look through your manuscript and identify its greatest strengths and weaknesses. They will then create a blueprint on how to fix up your manuscript, starting from the ground up. This may include ideas on how to improve your plot, characters, conflict, and more. Basically, a developmental editor knows how to make your book reader-worthy, and will ensure that your book flows well from beginning to end.

This is a highly specialized skill, as these professionals will give you specific, detailed instruction on how to enhance your work. Therefore, you will need to hire only the most skilled developmental editors. Luckily, we have the best developmental editors in Philadelphia at your fingertips at Reedsy. Sign up today and be on your way to creating a masterpiece.

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.