The best education & reference book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Home > United States > Developmental Editors > Education & Reference

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

Gabriella 5 star rating

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Nonfiction editor specializing in working with entrepreneurs, scholars, students, educators, and museum professionals.

Genres: Sociology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Art, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree
  • Self-employed
  • Harvard University
  • Forbes Books/Advantage Media
  • Forbes Books

Sarah 5 star rating

Bainbridge Island, WA, USA

Efficient, thorough, and highly experienced editor with freelance and in-house background in educational publishing.

Genres: Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Career Guides, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Proof Positive/Farrowlyne Associates

Madeleine 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I have nine years of professional experience with presses and universities. I can help you polish your work into something spectacular!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Red Hen Press
  • Mills College
  • Scripps College
  • Snowflake

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

Adria 5 star rating

Orlando, FL, USA

Former McGraw-Hill editor with 15+ years editing memoir, narrative nonfiction, education, travel, and expert-driven books.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Career Guides, Children’s Non-Fiction, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Education & Reference, Nature, Parenting & Families, and Travel.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Florida Institute of Technology

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

📞 Chat with our team

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

Ellen 5 star rating

Estero, FL, USA

I am an editor with decades of experience developing books for the education market. My special interest is editing children's books.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Literary Fiction, Short Story, Themes & Motifs, Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Anthologies.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Scott, Foresman and Company

Natalie 5 star rating

Lexington, KY, USA

A former university press editor, I specialize in crossover and academic nonfiction.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sociology, Entertainment, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • University Press of Kentucky
  • University of Nebraska Press

Mary 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Scholarly publishing professional with 20+ years' experience editing medical journals and textbooks. Advanced degree in Creative Writing.

Genres: Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Math & Science, Non-Fiction, Parenting & Families, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
  • Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
  • Knowledgeworks Global Editorial
  • American Association for Cancer Research

Marcia 5 star rating

Plymouth, NH, USA

As an experienced story-focused editor and published author, I help bring out your voice and make your writing the best it can be.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Parenting & Families, and Art.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Plymouth State University

Nicole 5 star rating

St. Louis, MO, USA

Thorough, collaborative, experienced. I specialize in developmental and substantive editing of non-fiction, educational, and tech material.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Health & Wellbeing, Engineering, Math & Science, Life Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Technology, and Computers & Internet.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • O'Reilly Media
  • Pearson

Evan 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Professional editor of 10+ years. MFA writing faculty. Award-winning children's book author. I love stories that spark curiosity and wonder.

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

Work experience:

  • Workman Publishing
  • Self-employed
  • Vermont College of Fine Arts

Robert 5 star rating

Freehold, NJ, USA

I provide a complete range of editorial and editing services from full-length texts to short magazine articles and columns.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Engineering, Math & Science, Engineering & Materials Science, and Career Guides.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Holly 5 star rating

Washington D.C., DC, USA

I help people make great ideas into exciting products. Editor with 10+ years of non-fiction editing and project-managing at Macmillan.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, ELT, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Children’s Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Macmillan Education

Karrin 5 star rating

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, United States

Editorial professional for 12+ years, specializing in educational content and personal nonfiction. You write. I polish. You shine.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Weber Shandwick
  • Bedford/St. Martin's
  • AuntMinnie.com

Aaron 5 star rating

Ridgefield, WA, USA

Development editor, copy editor, proofreader, writer. Ten years' experience with major publishers of education and ELT content.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, ELT, Anthologies, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Freelance

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best education and reference developmental editors

Concluding the final pages of your education or reference book manuscript alone is a feat of its own. So, where to now? While you’re surely an expert in your field, it’s difficult to step back and view the ‘big picture’ aspects of your work — when you already know what you’re talking about it can be especially difficult to view through the eyes of a beginner. Luckily, there’s an easy way to get around this: hire an educational reference developmental editor. These professionals specialize in looking at the wider picture and identifying problems with your structure, content, and overall readability.

You’ll need an expert with strong experience, especially if they’re suggesting large revisions. Head over to the Reedsy Marketplace if you want the best: we accept only the top 3% of professional applications, so you can trust that your education and reference editor has the right expertise. Sign up for free to connect with them 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.