The best cookbook book developmental editing services

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Julia 5 star rating

Charleston, SC, United States

Line and copy editor, with content capabilities. I have the most experience in nonfiction, but my favorite edits are middle grade and YA.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • The History Press
  • Newgen KnowledgeWorks
  • Amnet

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

Maya 5 star rating

Charlotte, NC, United States

From the big picture to the tiniest detail, here to help you polish your craft. I work with publishers and individual authors.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed

Marah 5 star rating

Washington, DC, United States

Incisive editor and collaborative, results-oriented project manager of health, food, and lifestyle books

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Simon & Schuster Trade Paperbacks
  • Scribner

Adaobi 5 star rating

Bronx, NY, United States

I offer services in proofreading and copyediting for all genres, developmental editing of nonfiction, and project management.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Technology, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Manuscript Coordinator
  • Self-employed
  • Hachette Book Group
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Apress
  • Project Lead The Way

Lisa 5 star rating

Oakland, CA, USA

Editor/indexer (20y+) of award-winning nonfiction for major, indie, academic, and nonprofit publishers (e.g., Getty, NPS, Chronicle, PRH).

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Nature, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Music.

Work experience:

  • Heyday
  • Self-employed

Melanie 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Development editor, writer, and proofreader specializing in general nonfiction, cookbooks, lifestyle, wellness, crafts, and education.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Home & Garden, Education & Reference, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Callisto Media
  • Macmillan Learning
  • Page Street Publishing Company

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Cheryl 5 star rating

Brattleboro, VT, USA

Experienced editor and former pastry chef who knows what makes recipes work. Expertise includes cooking, nutrition, wellness, and DIY books.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Natural Health magazine

Thea 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Big 5 publishing house editor specializing in fiction, mystery/thriller, cookbooks, self help, design and lifestyle.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Hachette Book Group
  • SKLA
  • Penguin Random House

Sally 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Thoughtful and compassionate book editor with more than a decade of experience in publishing. Specialties include self-help and health.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, New Age, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Hay House

Julie 5 star rating

Greenwich, CT, USA

I have edited hundreds of books over a decade at Skyhorse Publishing. I take a thorough approach and pride myself on attention to detail.

Genres: Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Management, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, True Crime, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, and History.

Work experience:

  • Skyhorse Publishing
  • Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Anna 5 star rating

Winston-Salem, NC, USA

An editor for nonfiction and literary fiction, I specialize in memoir, travel, historical fiction, fantasy and thrillers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Travel, Thriller & Suspense, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • John F. Blair, Publisher
  • Lookout Books
  • Self-employed
  • Barefoot Books
  • Dialogist Journal
  • Ecotone Journal
  • The Porch Writers' Collective
  • Tennessee Humanities' Tennessee Young Writers Workshop

Maxwell P. 5 star rating

Washington D.C., DC, USA

Nonfiction lit agent spanning food, science, history, memoir, social issues, and more. Former Oxford UP editor. 3x James Beard Award winner.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Technology, Travel, True Crime, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Oxford University Press

Molly 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Senior editor specializing in non-fiction books focusing on Food and Drink, Personal Development, Popular Culture and Health and Wellness.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Entertainment, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Sex & Relationships.

Work experience:

  • Hardie Grant
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Erin 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

A highly creative project editor of illustrated books—cookbooks, self-help, DIY, pop culture, lifestyle, graphic novels, and more.

Genres: Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, DIY & Crafts, and Entertainment.

Work experience:

  • The Quarto Group
  • One Peace Books
  • Quirk Packaging
  • Penguin Random House

Philip 5 star rating

Denver, CO, USA

The How-To Guru. If your book teaches readers how to do something, I can help — with editing, rewriting, images, and technical review.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Ultimate Electronics
  • Creative Publishing International
  • ehow.com

Amy 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

I'm a writer who specializes in food and travel content. I've edited books, written books as well as copy for web, packaging and blogs.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Hire the best cookbook developmental editors

Just finishing up your cookbook and wondering about hiring a developmental editor? By now, you’ll have probably spent a long time perfecting recipes — so you’ll know the importance of ensuring every ingredient is combined in the right order, at the right speed, and in the right amount. It’s just the same with books but, like with a recipe you’ve loved since childhood, it’s hard to be objective about big picture issues when you’ve spent time with it.

A cookbook developmental editor is like your supportive sous-chef and your biggest critic all in one, analyzing the wider picture and suggesting fixes for your structure, layout, and your recipe introductions.

That said, you’ll need an expert with a strong portfolio to back up their criticisms: here at Reedsy, we only accept the top 3% of professionals, so you can trust your editor’s skills. Sign up for free to connect today.

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