The best horror book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

Angela 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Editor of more than 800 books. I specialize in sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, horror, mystery, thriller, YA, and dystopian fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Alyson Books
  • Self-employed

Rob 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Bestselling mystery/thriller author with a love for working with other writers and a keen eye for storytelling mechanics.

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

Work experience:

  • MysteriousPress.com
  • Self
  • Seton Hill University

Erin 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

A former Scholastic editor with over a decade of experience, who loves kidlit and delights in text.

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

Work experience:

  • Scholastic Inc.
  • Self-employed
  • Viable Paradise

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

Marla 5 star rating

Portland, OR, USA

I am a comic book and fiction/nonfiction editor with almost ten years in the comic industry, specializing in horror and action stories.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Comics & Graphic Novels, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Mad Cave Studios
  • TKO Studios
  • Image Comics

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

Taz 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor at Soho Press, working on literary crime and horror fiction. Let's tell the story you've always wanted to tell!

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Soho Press

📞 Chat with our team

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

James 5 star rating

Fort Collins, CO, USA

Developmental editor/writing coach specializing in genre fiction and comics; trad. and self-published author; new writers welcome.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Middle Grade, Children's, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Jeppesen/Boeing

Adrienne 5 star rating

West Hartford, CT, USA

Former Amazon Publishing editor w/15 yrs experience, specializing in SFF and nonfiction pop culture. Query review, assessments, dev editing.

Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Entertainment, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Insight Editions
  • Amazon Publishing
  • Trident Media Group

Jamie 5 star rating

Yonkers, NY, USA

I am an experienced Senior Editor/Proofreader specializing in comic books, graphic novels, young adult literature, and children's fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Children's, Short Story, Anthologies, Coming of Age, Humor & Comedy, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

Parisa 5 star rating

Brooklyn, NY, United States

Former Simon and Schuster editor with 15+ years of experience, specializing in all fiction genres. I’d love to help get your MS in shape!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self Employed
  • Simon & Schuster

Kevin 5 star rating

Idaho Falls, ID, USA

Fiction writer and editor with nearly twenty years in the industry. I love weird writing and pushing boundaries. Don't send me AI stuff.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Eraserhead Press

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

Chris 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I am an expert in genre fiction, with years of experience evaluating short fiction. I want your wildest stories to find a published home.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Clarkesworld Magazine
  • Geekadelphia

Philip 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Former managing editor at Wizards of the Coast, working extensively in fantasy, SF, horror, thriller, literary, and narrative non-fiction.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, Space Opera, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Wizards of the Coast
  • Self-employed

Rachel 5 star rating

Albuquerque, NM, USA

I am a writer, a life-long educator, and an editor who works to help other writers find their voice.

Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Narrative Magazine
  • Antioch Review
  • Antioch College

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

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

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.

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.