The best children's book developmental editing services

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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!

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

Rebecca 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

With 10+ years of experience working at NYC publishers, I've edited 100s of books across genres. Thorough, candid, and easy to work with!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Disney Publishing Worldwide
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed
  • Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Education

Angela 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Editor of more than 800 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

Erik 5 star rating

Minneapolis, MN, United States

Editor with years of in-house experience. Founder of a literary agency. Writer. Host of Print Run Podcast.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Career Guides, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Nature, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Sports & Outdoors, Life Sciences, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Red Sofa Literary Agency
  • Self-employed
  • The Overlook Press
  • Oxford University Press
  • Headwater Literary Management

Eliza 5 star rating

Maplewood, NJ, United States

I'm a detail-oriented editor, specializing in children's nonfiction, with 10 years of experience at publishing houses and literary agencies

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Diversion Books
  • Self-employed
  • Leigh Feldman Literary
  • The Bent Agency
  • Callisto Media
  • Rebel Girls

Gene 5 star rating

Houston, United States

Creative, experienced editor of novels, children's books, and poetry. Let's prepare your manuscript for publication together.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Poetry, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Uptown Stories
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Scholastic
  • HarperEntertainment
  • Daniel Weiss Associates/17th Street Productions
  • Denver Quarterly
  • San Jacinto College South

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Rennie 5 star rating

Baltimore, MD, USA

Passionate editor, collaborator, and award-winning author; 17 years experience in kids' books + non-fiction with publishers big and small

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Contemporary Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • People and People.com
  • The Plaid Horse

Ben 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Literary agent of bestselling and award-winning books such as the 2025 Printz Award-winner BROWNSTONE. Available for dev edits and coaching.

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

Work experience:

  • JABberwocky Literary Agency
  • L. Perkins Agency
  • Amazon Books | KDP
  • Amazon Books | Amazon Book Review
  • Self-employed

Lori 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

Published author of six novels including ROMANTIC FRICTION (Harper Collins, 2025). Query and fiction specialist. Grub Street instructor.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Charlesbridge Publishing
  • Grub Street

Erin 5 star rating

Framingham, MA, USA

20+ years of experience guiding picture book, middle grade, and YA authors. I'm a professor, author, and your creative cheerleader.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Contemporary Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, and Coming of Age.

Work experience:

  • Montserrat College of Art
  • The Highlights Foundation
  • The Wrtiers' Loft

Jim 5 star rating

Perry Hall, MD, United States

Crafting a work of fiction is a gloriously arduous process. With over twenty years of experience at one of the big NYC houses, I can help.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Coming of Age, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Random House

Alison 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor with years of experience in contemporary fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy. I especially love working on middle grade and YA books.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ Fiction, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • ABRAMS
  • Scholastic
  • Sourcebooks
  • Astra

Erin 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

A former Scholastic editor with over a decade of experience, who loves kidlit and delights in text.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic Inc.
  • Self-employed
  • Viable Paradise

Wesley 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor with an eye for market viability and a positive attitude. I'd be thrilled to read, edit, or help you develop your adult/kids' book!

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Bushwick Daily
  • Self-employed

Olivia 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Professional editor with eight years of experience in MG and YA at Scholastic and HarperCollins—and a passion for kidlit!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, and Coming of Age.

Work experience:

  • Writers House
  • Scholastic Press
  • Inkyard Press

Emily 5 star rating

Salina, KS, USA

Copy editor with ten years of experience editing religious books, memoirs, academic texts, and children's books for two major publishers

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Education & Reference, Health & Wellbeing, Humanities & Social Sciences, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Concordia Publishing House
  • Rowman & Littlefield

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Hire the best children's book developmental editors

Congratulations! You’ve finished writing your children’s book, and wrapped it up by typing “THE END”! Now the real challenge starts: editing everything that you’ve written.

The editing process always begins with the developmental edit, which is a thorough review of your story’s “big picture,” from its structure to its characters to its pace. This is arguably the most important stage of editing — which is why you may want to consider hiring a children’s book developmental editor. These developmental editors have the experience and knowledge to make sure that your story is structurally sound and wonderfully readable by the time it hits the shelves.

Looking for the best children’s book developmental editors? You’re in the right place. Simply sign up for a free account on Reedsy today, and start browsing the portfolios of hundreds of developmental editors for children’s books around the world in a matter of seconds.

How it works

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Apply filters

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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.