The best children's book developmental editing services

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Steven 5 star rating

Vermont, United States

Intuitive, expert editor with 30 yrs experience teaching fiction writing at a major university. Well-published, knowledgeable, honest, kind.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Miami University, Oxford, OH
  • Colby College, Waterville,ME
  • Self-employed

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

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

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor experienced in creative development, visual storytelling, and licensed publishing. I solve problems.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Anthologies, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • DC Entertainment
  • Self-employed
  • Little Bee Books

Sean 5 star rating

Denton, TX, United States

Editor of bestselling, award-winning middle grade, YA, and adult books, specializing in fantasy and sci-fi. Let's make your book stand out!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Andrea Hurst and Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Hurst and Associates
  • Self-employed
  • Relay Publishing, LLC
  • The Editorial Department

Julie 5 star rating

New York, United States

I'm an editor with nearly two decades of experience in publishing, most recently at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Dystopian.

Work experience:

  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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

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Estelle 5 star rating

New York, United States

Agent/Senior Content Development Editor at one of New York's top agencies, specializing in YA, MG, picture books, and women's literature.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Coming of Age, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Folio Literary Management
  • Self-employed

Laurie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor of National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalists and bestselling authors at Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Romance, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • St. Martin’s Press a division of Macmillan, USA
  • Hyperion, a division of ABC/Disney
  • HarperCollins, a division of Newscorp
  • Dutton, a division of Penguin Group USA, Pearson
  • Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS
  • Hyperion, a division of the Walt Disney Comapny
  • Rizzoli Books

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

P. J. 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Professional editor w/ 17 years experience. Love sci-fi/fantasy! Best-selling/award-winning author of 50+ books. Let's make your book shine!

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

George 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

Highly experienced editor specializing in sci-fi and fantasy across all ages. Published author with HarperCollins. Let's level up your book!

Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, New Adult, and Middle Grade.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Angelella Editorial
  • HarperCollins

Mel 5 star rating

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Former editor with American Girl. Current young adult author with Knopf. Forever lover of dairy-free ice cream 🍦

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

Work experience:

  • American Girl
  • Self-employed

Miriam 5 star rating

Houston, TX, USA

I have a passion for effective communication in science, health, and nonfiction. Editor in the Life Sciences (BELS), RN, published writer.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Children’s Non-Fiction, Nature, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Lone Star College
  • Self-employed

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

Lee 5 star rating

Sacramento, CA, USA

I am comics. I am thematic storytelling. I am writing and editing with intention. I am the process that helps creators achieve their goals.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Humor & Comedy, and Themes & Motifs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Latine editor at Charlesbridge; specializing in children's books, from picture books to YA, and Spanish/bilingual books.

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

Work experience:

  • Charlesbridge Publishing
  • U.S. Air Force Reserve
  • U.S. Air Force
  • Reedsy
  • University of Puerto Rico Elementary School

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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.