The best developmental editors for hire near San Diego

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Annie 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

I’m a literary agent w/ over 17 years of experience in the publishing industry. I work on a range of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Margret McBride Literary Agency
  • Zoetrope: All-Story

Lourdes 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Creative, collaborative editor, with more than 35 years of editing experience in publishing and journalism.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American Fiction, Anthologies, Cultural & Ethnic, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • University of California, San Diego
  • Newsday
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  • The Miami Herald
  • Chicago Tribune

Andrew 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, United States

Former New York trade editor of thrillers, mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, horror, and narrative and military nonfiction/history.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Entertainment.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Company Name Redacted. Please contact through Reedsy for editorial service.
  • Berkley Publishing Group, Donald I Fine, Inc, Dell, Avon and Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
  • Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency, Inc.
  • The Berkley Publishing Group

Kate 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Current associate publisher at Silver Dolphin Children's Books. 17+ years of experience. Five-star book coach from concept to publication!

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

Work experience:

  • Silver Dolphin Books, Readerlink
  • Klutz, Scholastic
  • Hameray Publishing
  • Houghton Mifflin

Nicole 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Developmental Editor & Coach | 10+ years of experience editing romance at HarperCollins, including a #1 NYT bestseller (Avail: March 2027)

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Dark Romance.

Work experience:

  • The D. E. Shaw Group
  • HarperCollins/Avon Books
  • Self-employed

Carey 5 star rating

San Rafael, CA, United States

I am an editor who loves helping authors revise and refine their work so it is clear, precise, and ready for publication.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Health & Wellbeing, Travel, Sports & Outdoors, Parenting & Families, and Design.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books
  • Self-employed

Annie 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Award-winning children's book editor. Specialties include: picture books, fantasy world building, character development, and multiple POVs.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Albert Whitman & Company
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Self-employed

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Kathy 5 star rating

San Diego, United States

Freelance copyeditor and proofreader offering 25 years of experience in scientific and educational publishing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Math & Science, Nature, Action & Adventure, Classics, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Education & Reference, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Academic Press (Elsevier Science/Harcourt)
  • Academic Press
  • Brian F. Smith and Associates (Archaeologist)
  • Converse Consultants West
  • Cajon Valley, Mountain Empire, and Palm Middle Schools
  • Self-employed

Deanne 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Professional editor with Big Five experience specializing in non-fiction, especially self-help, design, career, parenting, and cookbooks.

Genres: DIY & Crafts, Non-Fiction, Home & Garden, Inspirational, Parenting & Families, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Career Guides, and Nature.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Chronicle Books
  • Ten Speed Press
  • RPX Corporation

Staci 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Developmental & copy editor for 10+ years working with indies and NYT bestselling authors. Specializing in memoir and contemporary fiction.

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Broadleaf Books

Bridget 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Passionate, collaborative editor with 20+ years experience at Chronicle Books: nonfiction, art, design, creativity, illustrated, photography

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Photography, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Architecture, Entertainment, Nature, and Design.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books

Andrea 5 star rating

Birmingham, United States

Editor and food writer with over 10 years of experience creating cookbooks on a wide range of cooking subjects.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Time Inc Books

Sabine 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

After more than 20 years as a newspaper writer/editor, I can make your book on food, drink, travel, and interior design come to life.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cox Enterprises
  • McClatchy
  • Self-employed

Molly 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Editor specializing in memoirs and nonfiction, as well as cookbooks. I give detailed edits that honor your voice while elevating your work.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, DIY & Crafts, and Home & Garden.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Edible Communities
  • Various

Grace 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Travel and textbooks are my specialties. An excellent developmental editor, I will think about your work from the perspective of a reader.

Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, Sociology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Moon Travel (Hachette Book Group)
  • Westview Press

Holly 5 star rating

Springfield, United States

Experienced fiction editor, formerly with Samhain Publishing. I specialize in romance and other genre fiction.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing, Ltd
  • Self-employed
  • Mundania Press
  • Lyrical Press

Gregory 5 star rating

San Antonio, TX, USA

I am an experienced nonfiction editor specializing in art publications, academic titles, educational materials, and self-help/trade books.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Photography, History, Education & Reference, Architecture, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Hire the best developmental editors in San Diego, California

You may be asking, what’s a developmental editor and why should I hire one? While most editors are known for correcting grammar and punctuation, these editors will work with you to fix up everything from the structure of your story to plot holes and characterization — all while keeping you positive and motivated. They may suggest re-writes or recommend which “darlings” to kill off, as William Faulkner once so famously put it.

Finding the right developmental editor is hard because it depends on trust. It’s not a teacher-student relationship, but more like a co-working situation in which you improvise and feed off each other’s chemistry and excitement for the work. At Reedsy, you can submit offers to up to 5 developmental editors at once and interview them all to be sure you’ve found the right fit. To get started, sign up for a free account today.

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