The best self help book developmental editing services

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Arnie 5 star rating

Kihei, HI, United States

I edit books on psychology, spirituality, social justice, and wellness. I've worked with Thich Nhat Hanh, Joanna Macy, and Jack Kornfield.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Buddhism, Religion & Spirituality, Biographies & Memoirs, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and New Age.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Koa Books
  • Parallax Press
  • Whole Earth Bookstore

Stephanie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Former HarperCollins Publishers and Delacorte Press acquisitions editor, specializing in mind-body-spirit. Award-winning indie clients.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Delacorte Press, Bantam Doubleday Dell
  • Self-employed

Lila 5 star rating

New York, United States

I specialize in editing nonfiction and academic books, and I'll work with you based on your specific writing style, voice, needs, and goals.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Law, Political Science & Current Affairs, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Sociology, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Sandra 5 star rating

Omaha, United States

Skilled nonfiction book editor in business/leadership, true crime, selected memoirs. Get from idea to published. I love first-time authors.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and True Crime.

Work experience:

  • Southeast Community College
  • Self-employed
  • Metropolitan Community College

Anna 5 star rating

Barrington, RI, USA

Editor of critically acclaimed works of narrative nonfiction, memoir, health and wellness, and more—with 20 years of industry experience

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Agriculture, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Experiment
  • Globe Pequot Press
  • HarperCollins
  • Sobel Weber Associates

Adaobi 5 star rating

Bronx, NY, United States

I offer services in proofreading and copyediting for all genres, developmental editing of nonfiction, and project management.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Technology, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Manuscript Coordinator
  • Self-employed
  • Hachette Book Group
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Apress
  • Project Lead The Way

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Development editor and book coach with extensive experience in audio. (May also have a mild obsession with RuPaul's Drag Race.)

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Audible Originals

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Madeline 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I've edited books and magazines for 12+ years. Clients include Newsweek, Sanrio, and Hasbro. My favorite genres? Memoir and cookbooks.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Children’s Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Farm Progress
  • Topix Media Lab/Media Lab Books

Andy 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

A keen, devoted editor who loves storytelling in all of its forms, with nearly a decade of experience at the center of NYC publishing.

Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Women's Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • The Gernert Company
  • Aram Fox, Inc
  • Self-employed

Shannon 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Book editor with 30 years' experience transforming important ideas and stories into award-winning, bestselling books

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wharton School Press

Provide personalized editorial services with collaborative approach, respecting the writer's voice, treating each book as if it were my own.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Katie 5 star rating

New Orleans, LA, USA

Editor and political scientist with more than a decade of experience editing books and articles across the social sciences, law, and more.

Genres: Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Law, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Murphy Institute, Tulane University
  • Self-employed
  • Oxford University Press
  • The Bayou Brief
  • Tulane University

Jessica 5 star rating

Houston, TX, USA

Nonfiction dev & copy editor with 20+ yrs: science, psychology & business books that restore our connection to nature and humanity. No AI!

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Career Guides, Nature, Entertainment, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Kirkus Reviews
  • The Optical Society (OSA)
  • Contiem, Inc.
  • Barnes&Noble.com/Nook
  • Jouve North America
  • Modern Language Association (MLA)
  • American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Jared 5 star rating

Nashville, TN, USA

Editor with more than 15 years of experience. Specializes in Christian non-fiction, self-help and improvement, and biographies/memoirs.

Genres: Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Finance & Accounting, Math & Science, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Children’s Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • HIM Publications
  • Franklin Madison Group, LLC
  • ACLJ

Jessica 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Literary Agent and Developmental Editor with an MFA in Writing with a focus on literary speculative fiction and prescriptive nonfiction.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • The Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency
  • Foundry Literary & Media
  • Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises

Andrew 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

An editorial Swiss Army knife. Nearly twenty years of trade book experience in development editing, copy editing, and proofreading.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Self-employed
  • Callisto Media

Versatile editor & writer with extensive experience collaborating with authors & publishers to craft engaging, impactful, marketable books.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Travel, Home & Garden, Parenting & Families, Inspirational, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • GRAND Media, LLC
  • Adams Media, a division of Simon & Schuster
  • Aster Publishing

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Hire the best self-help developmental editors

Writing a self-help book is a topical endeavour for an author: you get to share some of the most important lessons you learned, and potentially improve thousands (or millions) of other people's lives with it. But writing a self-help book you can get lost in the the details of balancing scientific research, personal experience, and practical advice — losing sight of the bigger picture. That's why you may want to hire a self-help developmental editor to help you. An editor will help you to make sure that the main idea of your book comes across clearly, and that you only include the necessary bits of research and advice essential for the success of your book.

You can find professional self-help developmental editors at Reedsy, people with decades of experience and who have worked with publishers in the likes of Simon & Schuster and Random House, as well as smaller publishing companies. Pick your favourite editor and request a quote today.

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Apply filters

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Step 2

Browse

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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.

Reedsy | Developmental editing — find the gem | 2024-09

Find the gem in your early draft

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