The best short story book developmental editing services

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Erin L. 5 star rating

Seattle, Washington, United States

24+ awards in writing and editing • 30+ books edited • Specialties include nonfiction and poetry • Ph.D. student, lit and creative writing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Poetry, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Nature, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cavendish Square, Wiley, & other publishers
  • Open Books: A Poem Emporium
  • Killer Visual Strategies
  • Various magazines
  • The Kentucky Standard
  • Sarabande Books
  • Entre Ríos Books

Julie 5 star rating

New York, United States

I'm an editor with nearly two decades of experience in publishing, most recently at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Dystopian.

Work experience:

  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Bess 5 star rating

Denver, CO, USA

I'm an experienced writer/editor who has worked in book publishing. I specialize in editing anthologies, memoirs, and business books.

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book
  • Orison Books
  • American Animal Hospital Association
  • Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
  • Fairchild Fashion Media

Warren 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

PhD with 15+years as editor and proofreader for nonfiction and plays. Author of three successful books and four plays.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, History, Religion & Spirituality, Cultural & Ethnic, Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Plays & Screenplays, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Philadelphia Theatre Company
  • The Gershman Y
  • Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
  • Association for Jewish Studies

Sarah Lyn 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Developmental editor with 13 years of experience at publishers + lit mags. Here for your stories, essays, novels, memoirs, and hybrid work!

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Soft Skull Press
  • Catapult Books
  • Catapult (magazine)
  • Penguin Random House
  • Publishers Weekly
  • Self-employed
  • The Rumpus
  • The Rumpus

Diana 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Diana M. P. is a Hugo Award-winning editor, expert in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, young adult, comics & middle grade.

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Tor Books, Tor Teen, Starscape & Tor.com Publishing at Tom Doherty Associates
  • Tor.com
  • Science Fiction Book Club
  • Self-employed
  • Erewhon Books

Jonathan 5 star rating

Beaufort, SC, USA

Your developmental editor with a sales & marketing brain -- with 25+ years in small-press publishing, literary nonprofits & book reviewing

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Pat Conroy Literary Center
  • Charleston Post and Courier
  • University of South Carolina Press
  • Southern Illinois University Press
  • Self-employed

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I've been a freelance editor for 25 years, working with clients on novels and memoirs later published by Dutton, W.W. Norton, Scribner, etc.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Pamela 5 star rating

Woodstock, IL, USA

Developmental editor, writing coach; 25+ years helping fiction and memoir writers deepen and shape their work, and strengthen their voices.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Health & Wellbeing, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Literary Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • DePaul University, Loyola University
  • Multiple Chicago-Area Publishers
  • Self-employed

Anne 5 star rating

Croton-on-Hudson, NY, USA

Visionary editor with a focus on literary fiction and expertise in literary magazines and independent publishing.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Short Story, Middle Grade, Children's, and Classics.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • A Public Space
  • Words Without Borders
  • Associate Editor / Assistant Editor
  • Irene Skolnick Literary Agency

Multigenre editor with a knack for offbeat characters and juicy plots. I love indie publishing and contemporary fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Loyola University Chicago

Nicole 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm a copy editor and proofreader with over eight years of experience for major book publishers, magazines, and digital publications.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Humor & Comedy, Short Story, Thriller & Suspense, Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Technology, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Adweek
  • Best Lawyer
  • Scholastic

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

Meg 5 star rating

Portland, OR, USA

Developmental editor, copy editor, and proofreader with over twenty years of experience working on literary fiction.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Tin House Books
  • Tin House magazine
  • Literature and Medicine

Lindsay 5 star rating

New Jersey, United States

I'm an enthusiastic freelance editor with experience across the industry--bookselling, marketing, publicity, agency, editorial, and writing.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Picture Books, Children's, Christian Fiction, Women's Fiction, Short Story, Middle Grade, Dystopian, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency
  • Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Margaret K. McElderry Books at Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing Division
  • Abrams Books for Young Readers/Amulet Books
  • Candlewick Press
  • Borders Books and Music
  • Verily Magazine

Matthew 5 star rating

New York, United States

Editor and writing coach specializing in literary fiction, thrillers, memoir and other narrative nonfiction, business books, and self-help.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Short Story, Mystery & Crime, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Graduate Writing Program, Columbia University
  • Self-employed

Selena 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Developmental Editor | Romance, Women’s Fiction & Book Club Fiction

Genres: African American Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Short Story, Romance, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Kensington Publishing Corp.
  • Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books
  • Amazon Publishing
  • Self-employed

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Hire the best short story developmental editors

Writing and publishing a short story might seem easier than writing a novel, but in truth they can still be very hard to put together. A short novel means you've got to play your cards (or better say, words) right. That's why you should consider to hire a short-story developmental editor to revise your structure, form, plot, and character development.

At Reedsy, you can find thoughtful, experienced professional short story developmental editors who have worked with publishing companies and published short stories themselves. If you want your short-story to meet the industry standards and expectations, sign up to and request a quote today.

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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

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