The best horror book developmental editing services

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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

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

Nicole 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Former Big 5 editor with 10+ years of experience in fantasy, romance, horror, and any combination therein. Let's get cooking!

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • InterVarsity Press
  • Del Ray (Penguin Random House)
  • Self-employed

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
  • Pratt Institute

Michael 5 star rating

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

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

Amelia 5 star rating

Daytona Beach, FL, USA

125+ novels edited over 15+ years / trad. published and critically acclaimed author / generous with industry insider information

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • Shueisha English Edition
  • Locus Publications
  • Self-employed

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Kerry 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm interested in thoughtful, voice-driven manuscripts. I especially love stories that include queer characters and/or speculative elements.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, and Coming of Age.

Work experience:

  • Henry Holt & Company
  • Curtis Brown, Ltd.
  • One Story Magazine
  • JMH Scouting
  • Daniela Schlingmann Literary Scouting

Scott 5 star rating

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

Sarah 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

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

Philip 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Former managing editor at Wizards of the Coast, working for 30+ years 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

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

Ken 5 star rating

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

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

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, Medical Thriller, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • Tor Books
  • Berkley Publishing Group

Autumn 5 star rating

Trinity, FL, USA

Manuscript Assessment: $500 (up to 60k words) Development editor specializing in horror, speculative fantasy, poetry, memoir & business.

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

Paul 5 star rating

Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Editor with twenty years' experience at Tor Books and Donald Maass Literary Agency. I specialize in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

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

Work experience:

  • Donald Maass Literary Agency
  • Tor Books

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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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