The best horror book developmental editing services

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Amanda 5 star rating

Charlottesville, VA, USA

Independent press cofounder, experienced editor, insightful reader. Edits literary and genre fiction at all stages of development.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Independent Press
  • C&R Press
  • Virginia Tech
  • Freelance

Karen J. 5 star rating

Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Professor of English with over 15 years experience mentoring writers, one book, three edited collections, and 40+ other publications.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Northern Arizona University

Isabella 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Experienced freelance editor specializing in SFF, horror, and speculative fiction for Adults and YA. Formerly with S&S.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster, Touchstone/Atria
  • Self-employed

Tiara 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm an editor at a Big 5 publisher with over 10 years of industry experience working on picture books, middle grade, YA, and romance novels.

Genres: African American Fiction, Fiction, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books, Romance, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • HarperCollins
  • Macmillan

Josiah 5 star rating

Louisville, KY, USA

Epic Fantasy/LitRPG-focused editor with 9 years' experience and 500 novels under my belt. Do you want to grow? Let's talk.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming & LitRPG, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

John G. 5 star rating

Charlotte, NC, USA

John has written over 40 novels of his own and edited well over 100 novels ranging from debut authors to NY Times bestsellers.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Paranormal Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Oren 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm an editor for a wide range of books across many genres, including NYT and WSJ bestsellers, sci-fi/fantasy/horror novels, and more.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Mystery & Crime, Young Adult, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
  • Self-employed

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Jennifer 5 star rating

Cape Coral, FL, USA

I'm an editor and writing coach specializing in Suspense/Thrillers, Crime, Horror, Paranormals, SFF, Women's Fiction, Romance, and Memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Mashups, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Horror.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Duquesne University Writing Center
  • Duquesne University
  • Clemson University

Madeline 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Experienced developmental editor and published author specializing in literary, horror, and suspense novels

Genres: Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Horror, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • various

Olivia 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Developmental editor offering thoughtful, creative collaboration. Specializes in thrillers, suspense, and all things speculative.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, and Romantic Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Publishing Company
  • C&R Press
  • Otis Books
  • Freelance

Lindsay 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Freelance editor specializing in YA, SFF, and query packages. Former literary agent with 20 years of experience in NYC publishing.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Middle Grade, Children's, Science Fiction, Young Adult, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Sanford J. Greenburger Associates

Beth 5 star rating

Maineville, United States

Seasoned editor and proofreader with more than 20 years of experience in multiple genres. I have worked with several best-selling authors!

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Science Fiction, and Dystopian.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed

Jeff 5 star rating

Clifton Park, NY, USA

Author of EAT BRAINS LOVE and UNDEAD WITH BENEFITS (Harper Teen). Freelance editor and consultant.

Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Action & Adventure, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Paula 5 star rating

Akron, Ohio, USA

I'm an experienced, award-winning editor of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. I'd like to help you make your novel the best it can be.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Prime Books
  • Juno Books / Simon & Schuester

Melissa Ann 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Former Senior Editor at Tor/Forge, edits award-winning & bestselling genre fiction for adult readers: sf/f, horror, mystery, thriller, etc.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Mystery & Crime, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Medical Thriller.

Work experience:

  • Tor Books
  • Berkley Publishing Group

David 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Developmental & Copy Editor for Literary, Horror, SF, and Cross-Genre Fiction | 100+ 5★ Reviews

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, Literary Fiction, Space Opera, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Hearst Business Media
  • Sleeping Giant

Sarah 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Full Manuscript Assessments and Developmental Editing for YA and Adult Fiction ***Currently scheduling for 2026***

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Bradford Literary Agency
  • Curtis Brown, Ltd.

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Hire the best horror developmental editors

Do you know what’ll send a shiver down your spine more than any horror book? Avoidable mistakes tainting readers’ views of your work and distracting from the story you want to tell. If you felt the hairs on the back of your neck rise at the thought, don’t worry. There’s a way to save yourself: hire a horror book developmental editor.

They’ll analyze your horror book to identify (and fix) issues with your pacing, structure, and character building. While changing large aspects of something you’ve spent hours working on might haunt you at first at first, these large-scale rewrites are a literary life saver.

You’ll want to hire a developmental editor with specialism in horror books, who won’t be spooked by genre nuances — and we’ve got your back. The Reedsy Marketplace is home to the top editors in the industry, who’ve worked with bestselling horror authors like Stephen King, so you can always trust their expertise. What are you afraid of? Join us and connect with them today.

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