The best cookbook book developmental editing services

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Abigail 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Nonfiction editor for 20-plus years, transforming raw concepts into polished books on lifestyle, cooking, health, how-to, and more.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Fashion & Textiles, and Photography.

Work experience:

  • (Independent)
  • Watson-Guptill Publications, an Imprint of the Crown Publishing Group
  • Brioni
  • Universe Publishing, a Division of Rizzoli International Publications

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

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

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!

Kimberly 5 star rating

Montvale, NJ, USA

Full time editorial freelancer (and former managing editor) working as a proofreader, copyeditor, development editor, and project manager.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Thriller & Suspense, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Sterling Publishing
  • John Wiley and Sons
  • BenBella Books

Perrin 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Cookbooks are my specialty—books I have edited have won or been finalists for James Beard, IACP, and Gourmand awards.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Economics, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Agate Publishing
  • Self-employed

Ava 5 star rating

Colbert, WA, USA

A patient, nurturing, painstakingly detailed book editor with more than 20 years of experience helping authors seasoned and new.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Children’s Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Technology, Sociology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Architecture, and Design.

Work experience:

  • self-employed
  • John Wiley & Sons

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Lisa 5 star rating

Berkley, MI, United States

Every sentence matters! My passion is helping your words shine, whether you're at the beginning of your project or you need a final polish.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Travel, Home & Garden, Career Guides, Fantasy, Fiction, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Stephanie 5 star rating

Bellingham, WA, USA

Thoughtful, detail-oriented editor with more than 15 years of experience in the publishing industry, specializing in nonfiction.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Calendars, Children’s Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, History, Biographies & Memoirs, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Quarto Group
  • Plural Publishing, Inc.

Salwa 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I am an executive-level editor with 20+ years of experience in narrative non-fiction specializing in how-to books.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Home & Garden, Parenting & Families, Travel, Agriculture, Health & Wellbeing, and Fashion & Textiles.

Work experience:

  • Callisto Media
  • Fodor's Travel

Experienced nonfiction editor and proofreader specializing in cooking/lifestyle books, including several James Beard and IACP Award winners.

Genres: Career Guides, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Weddings, Business & Management, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

West 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Copyedits and proofreads books on cookery, wellness, and science and math. Production editor for scientific journals at Cell Press by day.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Cell Press
  • Penguin Random House - DK
  • The Experiment

Dan 5 star rating

Cleveland, OH, USA

Professional editor with over a decade of experience at W. W. Norton, FSG, and top-tier indies.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Nature, Travel, Historical Fiction, Fiction, and Comics & Graphic Novels.

Work experience:

  • W. W. Norton & Company
  • The Overlook Press
  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Self-employed
  • Belt Publishing
  • Indiana University Press

Tim 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I work in the food and drink space, with heavy crossover into self-help and fantasy. I like to think of myself as specializing in escapes.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Media Lab Books

Amy 5 star rating

Fairfield, CT, USA

I am a food writer, editor, and proofreader with 25+ years' experience in print and digital, and specialize in recipe editing and cookbooks.

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

Work experience:

  • Abrams Books
  • The Quarto Group NYC
  • The Quarto Group

Katie 5 star rating

Wrightsville, PA, USA

Proofreader and copy editor that specializes in knit/crochet, quilting/sewing, lettering, pyrography, and DIY crafts.

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

Work experience:

  • Fox Chapel Publishing
  • Self-employed
  • Palmetto GBA

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

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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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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.

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Reedsy | Developmental editing — find the gem | 2024-09

Find the gem in your early draft

The best developmental editors in the industry are on Reedsy. Come meet them.