The best cozy mysteries book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Stacey 5 star rating

Arvada, CO, USA

Twenty+ years editing cozies, mysteries, sci fis, and more. I edit more than I'm paid for! Gentle, professional, detailed for your success.

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Wendy 5 star rating

Lowell, MA, USA

Skilled developmental and copy editor specializing in middle grade and YA, especially the dark stories. *No AI.* Let's roll up our sleeves!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Vanessa 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

15+ years as an enthusiastic editor, helping authors polish prose, sharpen storytelling, and prepare manuscripts for successful publication.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Historical Mysteries, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Military Science Fiction, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Indie Owl Press
  • SAGA Egmont
  • The Louisville Review
  • Dzanc Books
  • Self-employed

Melissa 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Collaborative developmental editing from a publishing professional of 7+ years

Genres: Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Thriller & Suspense, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Crooked Lane Books

Ashley 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

A supportive and collaborative editorial professional with 10+ years’ experience across print and digital—and a total bookworm.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Literary Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Prairie Schooner, University of Nebraska
  • History Press
  • Publishers Weekly
  • CreateSpace, an Amazon.com Company
  • Milkweed Editions
  • Yemassee Journal
  • Self-employed
  • Compose.ly
  • Turner Publishing
  • The Book Incubator

David 5 star rating

Richmond, VA, USA

Editor of 500+ books for bestsellers including Hugh Howey (Silo), AG Riddle, Anne Frasier, Nick Cole & more.

Genres: Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Technothriller, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Contemporary Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Space Opera, and Post-Apocalyptic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • WarGate Books

Full-time editor and author coach, specializing in memoirs, nonfiction and fiction, esp. Christian contemporary and historical

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Redemption Press
  • Kregel
  • Our Daily Bread

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Jen 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Thorough and encouraging editor of fantasy, romance, and mystery. 10+ years editing for indie authors. 3+ years at Hallmark Publishing.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Hallmark Publishing
  • Self-employed

Rebecca 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Fiction editor. Previously HarperCollins, David Higham Books, Amazon Studios. Offering editorial assessments, developmental edits, and more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Literary Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Amazon Studios
  • John Cabot University and British School Group
  • David Higham Associates
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Self-employed

Faith 5 star rating

Lebanon, NJ, USA

Insightful, collaborative editing from an award-winning NYC editor with over 20 years experience, formerly of Penguin Random House.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Historical Mysteries.

Work experience:

  • Berkley Publishing Group - Penguin Group USA
  • Avalon Books
  • Cambridge University Press
  • Severn House
  • Crooked Lane Books
  • Self-employed

Shire 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, USA

A fiction/non-fiction editor with wide-ranging interests, I specialize in refining the elements of good writing: voice, style, and grammar.

Genres: Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Inkshares
  • Lost Roads Press
  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • New Directions

Steve 5 star rating

South Orange, New Jersey, USA

Former agent and developmental editor specializing in Thrillers and Mysteries. Will get you ready for publication!

Genres: Legal Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Cozy Mysteries, Psychological Thriller, and Espionage.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Ann Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, United States

Over 25 years' editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher and a literary agency, specializing in commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin Books
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

Rozi 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Too many words? Not enough? A subplot that wandered off like a Roomba? I refine structure & polish prose—esp. fantasy/romantasy. | PRH alum

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Time Inc.
  • Penguin Random House
  • The Developmental
  • EFA

Martin Roy 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Professional editor and national award-winning author with a wide range of experience in fiction and nonfiction publishing.

Genres: Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Cozy Mysteries, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Naval Health Research Center
  • San Diego Business Journal
  • San Diego Magazine
  • The Log Newspapers
  • Palm Springs Desert Sun

I edit fiction and nonfiction. Anne Perry, Caroline Leavitt, Robb Forman Dew are among my clients. I do not edit sci-fi or fantasy novels.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Historical Mysteries, and Anthologies.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Caryn 5 star rating

Elmhurst, IL, USA

An award-winning editor helping writers craft stories of faith (and doubt!) that move readers toward hope and action.

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Picture Books, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Christianity Today

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best cozy mystery developmental editors

Finished putting pen to paper for the first manuscript of your cozy mystery book? You might want to consider sleuthing out a developmental editor next. A cozy mystery developmental editor can see your work in the same way a detective fresh on the case might see a problem better than a DC who’s worked on it for years — free of bias.

These literary investigators step back and analyze the big picture to identify problems in your structure, characterization, and pacing. This can even lead to intensive rewrites, so you’ll want to be sure your cozy mystery developmental editor has professional experience and knowledge of cozy mystery books to back up their proposals. At Reedsy, we assure that quality. All of our professionals are vetted thoroughly, we only accept the strongest portfolios. So, why wait? Sign up for free to connect today.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

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.

Work with the best editors in the industry

Sign up to request quotes from editors who shape bestsellers.