17+ Best horror developmental editors for hire in the United States

Ross

Baltimore, MD, United States

Editor w/20+ yrs exp committed to nurturing authors' voices, refining narrative vision and elevating storytelling with empathy and precision

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Coming of Age, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, and Legal Thriller.

Work experience:

University of Maryland, College Park
Towson Univeristy
Gotham Writing Workshop, New York City
Self-employed
University of Maryland College Park

Matt.

New York City, NY, USA

Best-selling/award-winning editor specializing in genre fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy) and sequential art narrative (yup, comics.)

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Fantasy, Plays & Screenplays, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment
Heroic Signatures
Encyclopocalypse Publications

James

Fort Collins, CO, USA

Developmental editor/writing coach specializing in genre fiction; trad. and self-published author; enjoys collaborating with new writers.

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

T.S.

New York City, NY, USA

A NYT bestselling and award-winning editor of children's and YA/teen fiction with 16 years of experience at Top 5 publishing imprints.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

Azantian Literary Agency
Jimmy Patterson Books/Little, Brown (Hachette Book Group)
Inkyard Press/Harlequin Teen (Harper Collins)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group)

Shelly

New York, NY, USA

Hi there! I'm a Honduran-American book editor with nearly seven years of experience working at both trade publishers and a book packager.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, New Adult, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

Cake Creative & Electric Postcard
Scholastic
Chooseco

Beth

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

Anja

Long Beach, NY, USA

25 years' experience editing nonfiction—including food/drink, memoirs, history, wellness—and fiction. Efficient, timely, and professional.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, DIY & Crafts, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

Tiller Press/Simon & Schuster
Time Inc. Books/Oxmoor House
Kyle Books/Quarto Books
DK Publishing Inc./Penguin Random House
Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins
Self-employed

Michael

Los Angeles, CA, USA

New York Times Bestselling fiction editor with fifteen years of publishing industry experience, specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Technothriller, Historical Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

Skybound Entertainment
Penguin Random House
Self-employed

Erin

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

Josiah

Louisville, KY, USA

Progression Fantasy/LitRPG-focused editor with 8 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

Scott

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Developmental and copy editor specializing in speculative fiction. I love helping writers bring their imaginative worlds to life!

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Space Opera, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

Outland Entertainment

Lisha

Kansas City, MO, USA

I am a fiction, nonfiction, and technical editor and proofreader. I am also a traditionally published author of children's books.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

Olsson
Self-employed

Angela

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

Wes

New York, NY, USA

Mystery/thriller/horror enthusiast and accomplished Executive Editor with 15 years' experience in the book industry. Keep me turning pages!

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Espionage, Literary Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

Grand Central Publishing
Little, Brown/Mulholland Books
Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

Autumn

Trinity, FL, USA

Development editor specializing in horror, speculative fantasy, poetry, memoir, and (oddly) business books.

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, DIY & Crafts, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Random House
Inkwell
Tomasino Agency

Ken

New York, NY, USA

Experienced ms. editor who has worked with NYT bestselling authors of thrillers and romance. I'm also a published author and ghostwriter.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Technothriller, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Legal Thriller, and Horror.

Work experience:

Self-employed

Jillian

Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Random House editor of prize-winning literary fiction, bestselling commercial fiction, and narrative nonfiction. Affordable and friendly!

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

Work experience: