The best romance book developmental editing services

Sign up for free to meet top developmental editors on Reedsy

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

Melissa 5 star rating

Phoenix, AZ, United States

Freelance editor, faculty in an MFA novel writing program, and NYT/internationally bestselling writer. Specialize: Fantasy, Romance, & YA.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Time Travel Romance, and Epic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Southern New Hampshire University

Laurie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Editor of National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalists and bestselling authors at Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Romance, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • St. Martin’s Press a division of Macmillan, USA
  • Hyperion, a division of ABC/Disney
  • HarperCollins, a division of Newscorp
  • Dutton, a division of Penguin Group USA, Pearson
  • Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS
  • Hyperion, a division of the Walt Disney Comapny
  • Rizzoli Books

Shire 5 star rating

Berkeley, CA, USA

A fiction/non-fiction editor with wide-ranging interests, I specialize in refining the elements of good writing: voice, style, and grammar.

Genres: Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Inkshares
  • Lost Roads Press
  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • New Directions

Carrie 5 star rating

Orlando, FL, USA

I work on inspirational (mind/body/spirit), as well as fiction and non-fiction for kids. Worked at Hallmark and Ripley's Believe It or Not!.

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Ripley's Believe It or Not!
  • Hallmark Cards, Inc.
  • Self-employed

Sean 5 star rating

Denton, TX, United States

Editor of bestselling, award-winning middle grade, YA, and adult books, specializing in fantasy and sci-fi. Let's make your book stand out!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Andrea Hurst and Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Hurst and Associates
  • Self-employed
  • Relay Publishing, LLC
  • The Editorial Department

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

📞 Chat with our team

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

Ronit 5 star rating

Detroit, MI, United States

20+ years in publishing including 10+ years at Penguin Random House. Literary and book club fiction and memoir.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Women's Fiction, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House Inc.
  • Random House Inc.
  • Detroit Metro Times
  • The Daily Orange (Syracuse University)

Jennifer 5 star rating

Yucaipa, California, USA

Developmental editor with over 19 years of experience specializing in Christian fiction, nonfiction, and sweet romance. Edited at Zondervan.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Zondervan/HarperCollins

Jen 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Thorough and encouraging editor of fantasy, romance, and mystery. 10+ years editing for indie authors. 3+ years at Hallmark Publishing.

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

Work experience:

  • Hallmark Publishing
  • Self-employed

Jessica 5 star rating

Sacramento, CA, USA

Experienced editor working with top publishers and bestsellers, including HTTYD and R.L. Stine. Let's make your manuscript even better!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Contemporary Romance.

Work experience:

  • Insight Editions
  • Working Partners Ltd
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Folio Literary Management
  • Upstart Crow Literary
  • Self-employed

Voracious fantasy reader turned developmental and copy editor of 10 yrs. Let's hook your readers with perfect phrases and powerful plots!

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Overstock.com
  • Utah State University Press
  • Utah State University: Writing Fellows Program
  • Supernatural Editing

Duncan 5 star rating

Raleigh, NC, USA

Developmental editor, NYT bestsellers by Grand Central, Algonquin, Hachette, contributing editor at Harper's, novelist (HarperCollins, 2027)

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Inspirational, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Algonquin Books
  • CraftBook Editorial
  • Harper's Magazine

Pam Elise 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I am a development editor with over twenty-five years of experience, specializing in guiding new authors through the editorial process.

Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Short Story, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, ELT, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Romantic Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Cambridge University Press

Tanu 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Enthusiastic developmental editor, copyeditor, and proofreader (kidlit+adult)! Previously: HarperCollins, Scholastic, Penguin Random House.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins
  • Penguin Random House, Scholastic
  • Self-employed

Lauren 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Peripatetic editor of genre and literary fiction since 2015, with clients, publishers, and imprints under Macmillan, Penguin, and Tor.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Science Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hamilton College

Jamie 5 star rating

Fort Collins, CO, USA

Developmental and copyeditor of historical and women's fiction. HarperCollins author. Plot wrangler. Happy to provide a sample edit!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Romance, Romance, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, Time Travel Romance, Historical Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • University of Northern Colorado
  • Self
  • Front Range Community College

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

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.

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.