The best history book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Meticulous copy and developmental editor of nonfiction, equipped with diverse industry experience and a masters in Publishing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Sociology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Emily 5 star rating

New York, United States

Bestselling nonfiction book editor. Formerly at Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and Callisto Media.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, True Crime, Political Science & Current Affairs, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, and Sports & Outdoors.

Work experience:

  • Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, Macmillan
  • Portfolio/Sentinel/Current, Penguin Random House

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

Glenn 5 star rating

Colorado Springs, CO, United States

Experienced editor for university presses (MIT, Harvard, etc.) and scholars (Princeton, U of Toronto, etc.); published award-winning books.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sociology, History, Law, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Frederick News-Post
  • Capital News Service (Washington, D.C.)
  • American Journalism Review

Christopher 5 star rating

Gallatin, United States

Accomplished editor specializing in general and Christian non-fiction. Editor of 60 published books. Here to help you tell your story!

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Philosophy, Education & Reference, Inspirational, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • B&H Academic
  • Moody Publishers
  • Lexham Press and Kirkdale Press
  • Self-employed

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

Julia 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, United States

NYT-bestselling author, book reviewer, and editor. I've helped dozens of clients get published in small and large presses. I love what I do.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Los Angeles Times
  • El Financiero de Mexico
  • Wired News
  • The New York Times
  • Stanford University

📞 Chat with our team

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

Erin L. 5 star rating

Seattle, Washington, United States

24+ awards in writing and editing • 30+ books edited • Specialties include nonfiction and poetry • Ph.D. student, lit and creative writing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Poetry, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Nature, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cavendish Square, Wiley, & other publishers
  • Open Books: A Poem Emporium
  • Killer Visual Strategies
  • Various magazines
  • The Kentucky Standard
  • Sarabande Books
  • Entre Ríos Books

Jesse 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Editor with a decade's experience working with best-selling and award-winning authors at Farrar, Straus & Giroux and Europa Editions.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, African American Fiction, Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Art, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Self-employed
  • NationBuilder
  • NY Book Editors
  • Europa Editions

Brooke 5 star rating

Denver, United States

Experienced (9 years in-house, 19 years freelance), nonfiction editor specializing in assessments, development editing, and copy editing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Music, Philosophy, Entertainment, Parenting & Families, Biographies & Memoirs, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Chicago Review Press
  • Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • Westview Press in the Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • Self-employed

Ishan 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I am a developmental editor specializing in political nonfiction with a background in indie publishing, academic publishing and magazines.

Genres: Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, History, Philosophy, and Sociology.

Work experience:

  • The New Press
  • Vera Institute of Justice
  • Oxford University Press

Donald 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Experienced, committed, award-winning editor who's patient and sensitive to the needs particular to you and your book.

Genres: African American Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Political Science & Current Affairs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Alyson Books

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

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)

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

Laird 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor with 8+ years of experience (5+ @ Farrar, Straus and Giroux [FSG]), expertise in award-winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Center for an Urban Future

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

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best history developmental editors

It takes time and patience to put together the research and understanding that writing a history book requires. That’s why it’s important to invest in an editor, or a team of editors, before you send it to the press — so your hard work isn’t overshadowed by avoidable issues.

We recommend hiring a developmental editor who specializes in history books. Just like a historian analyzing old journals to piece together events of the past, a developmental editor will step back and view your book as a whole. They’ll identify problems in your structure and argument and suggest changes to polish your work.

Before you hire a history developmental editor you’ll want to trust their expertise. That’s why we’ve curated a community of the top editors in the industry. They have years working with the Big 5 under their belts, and strong portfolios developed through a passion for their work. You could work with them next — join us to connect for free.

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.