The best romance book developmental editing services

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Joanna 5 star rating

Oak Park, IL, United States

Seasoned publishing industry professional with agency experience and a keen eye for detail who embraces all aspects of the editorial process

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

Work experience:

  • Browne & Miller Literary Associates
  • The Parlor
  • Literary Agency

Ann Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, United States

Over 25 years' editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher and a literary agency, specializing in commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Harlequin Books
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

Megan 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

A 20 year veteran of the publishing industry, Megan spent a decade at Simon & Schuster and has acquired and edited many bestsellers.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • Freelance

Megan 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Former Kensington editor with 17 years' experience, specializing in romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, & YA. Let's make your project shine!

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, and Historical Romance.

Work experience:

  • Kensington Publishing
  • Harlequin
  • Kaplan
  • Self-employed

Tera 5 star rating

South Bend, United States

Editor with 10+ years of experience specializing in developmental edits and copy editing, with a focus on romance and all romance subgenres.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, LGBTQ Fiction, Women's Fiction, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Entangled Publishing
  • Samhain Publishing
  • Kensington Lyrical
  • 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

Hillary 5 star rating

New Haven, CT, USA

Freelance editor specializing in fantasy, sci-fi, YA/NA, and romance. 5+ years editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher in NYC.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal Romance, Romance, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Orbit Books at Hachette Book Group
  • BookPeople
  • Self-employed

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Ben 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

Literary agent of bestselling and award-winning books such as the 2025 Printz Award-winner BROWNSTONE. Available for dev edits and coaching.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Middle Grade Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • JABberwocky Literary Agency
  • L. Perkins Agency
  • Amazon Books | KDP
  • Amazon Books | Amazon Book Review
  • Self-employed

Ilia 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm a Developmental Editor with 10 years of experience in Romance, Mystery, and SF genres. Author of Crescent Earth - a SF murder mystery

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Creator Institute
  • Freelance

Heather 5 star rating

Loveland, OH, USA

I am an editor specializing in romance of all subgenres, including Contemporary, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy. Worked at Tor/Forge, Macmillan.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Suspense, Dark Romance, and Romantic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing
  • Tor Books
  • Ellora's Cave Publishing
  • Self-employed

Laurie 5 star rating

Charleston, SC, USA

A professional non-fiction editor for over 7 years, I also have experience in law enforcement. True crime, mystery, and romance welcome!

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Romance, True Crime, Non-Fiction, and Contemporary Romance.

Work experience:

  • Arcadia Publishing and The History Press

Caroline 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

15 years in NYC + indie publishing. Editor of multiple #1 indie bestsellers. Substantive editorial guidance. Friendly, collaborative style.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Romantic Comedy.

Work experience:

  • EverAfter Romance
  • Grand Central Publishing
  • Harlequin
  • Siren-BookStrand

Eric 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Eric is a literary agent and Young Adult author who has worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling books.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Young Adult, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • P.S. Literary
  • Arcadia University
  • Neighborhood Literary

Maia 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Developmental editor with 10+ years of professional experience in romance. LGBTQIA+, first-time authors, all heat levels welcome!

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Romantic Suspense, and Romantic Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Pegasus Books
  • Radish Fiction
  • Various
  • Yonder Fiction

Kaitlin 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

A seasoned television executive bringing story development skills to a new space.

Genres: Plays & Screenplays, Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Short Story, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Medical Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • WV Entertainment
  • Blondie Girl Productions
  • CBS

Jennifer 5 star rating

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Children's Editor specializing in Picture Books, Chapter Books, MG and YA. At Scholastic, I edited The Hunger Games! Stories are my passion.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Middle Grade Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Scholastic
  • Self-employed
  • Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Nina 5 star rating

Madison, WI, USA

New York Times bestselling author & professional editor. 25+ yrs of fiction expertise with major publishers. Passionate about storytelling.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Historical Romance, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, and Romantic Suspense.

Work experience:

  • American Girl
  • Chronicle Books
  • Harlequin Books and Samhain Publishing
  • Snow Queen Publishing & Editing

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Hire the best romance developmental editors

So you’ve outlined your characters, written a couple of drafts, and finally have a manuscript, complete with a happy ending? To make sure that everything is jiving in your newest romance title, hire a romance developmental editor who can help you sort out your narrative structure, fill any plot holes, and make sure there’s chemistry between your characters.

The editors at Reedsy have years of experience working with indie authors and in traditional publishing alike. With a finger on the pulse, they keep up with current trends and demands of the market. Sign up for a free account today to browse and shortlist editors — some of whom have worked with popular romance authors like Jill Mansell and Cecilia Ahern, to name just a couple.

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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.

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Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.