The best horror book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

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

James 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Developmental editor with wide ranging experience in genres from middle grade to adult, including books by NY Times best sellers.

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

Work experience:

  • Promethean - The City College of New York's Literary Journal
  • The Bent Agency

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

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

Gabriela 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Author/editor for middle grade, young adult novels, and graphic novels. I specialize in thrillers, horror, and fantasy.

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

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-Employed

Kirsten 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I am an award-winning novelist who teaches at Yale Writers' Workshop, with 25 years experience as a writing coach and developmental editor.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, and Mashups.

Work experience:

  • Yale Writers' Workshop
  • Self-employed
  • Self employed

Sara 5 star rating

Nashua, NH, USA

Flexible, fierce, efficient editor with decades of experience in editing everything from horror to science fiction to literary fiction.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Military Science Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Ascend Learning
  • Jones & Bartlett Learning
  • Self-employed

📞 Chat with our team

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

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, Action & Adventure, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Eraserhead Press

Harrison 5 star rating

Washington D.C., DC, USA

The world's most thorough content editor. Expert in fiction and memoir. More than 80 books and 60 authors guided toward publication.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Humor & Comedy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Freelance Editorial Boutique
  • Really Good Editing
  • Bancroft Press

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

Mischa 5 star rating

Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Fiction editor of 15+ years, trusted by bestselling authors. Highly selective, meticulous in approach, devoted to preserving your voice.

Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Medical Thriller, Technothriller, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Leticia 5 star rating

The Woodlands, TX, USA

I am an Editor-at-Large for Kensington Publishing Corp. and founder of a literary agency that champions culturally diverse voices.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, True Crime, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Kensington Publishing Corp.
  • Dafina/Kensington Publishing Corp.
  • Self-employed
  • Ascendant Entertainment

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

Meg 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Experienced and passionate academic and fiction editor who has helped authors publish books with Oxford UP, Cambridge UP, etc.

Genres: Photography, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Humanities & Social Sciences, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Conjunctions Magazine
  • Manhattan College
  • Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal
  • Self-employed

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

Matt 5 star rating

Evanston, IL, USA

NYC-trained editor (Doubleday) specializing in manuscript assessments and developmental editing for crime/mystery, and daring genre fiction.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction, True Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Doubleday & Co.
  • The Carol Mann Agency

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.

Work with the best editors in the industry

Sign up to request quotes from editors who shape bestsellers.