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

Ezra 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

A deeply collaborative editor with 5+ years of experience working at HarperCollins Publishers.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Agate Publishing

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

Ashley 5 star rating

Los Angeles, CA, USA

An editor with over ten years experience in prose and video games. When not reading or writing, she's skating or hunting for a good mead.

Genres: Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Short Story, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Electronic Arts
  • Self-employed

John 5 star rating

St. Louis, MO, USA

20+ years as a development editor, copy editor, and proofreader, in both nonfiction and fiction. Former MFA faculty and author of 4 books.

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

Work experience:

  • The Common Reader, Washington University in St. Louis
  • McNeese State MFA program
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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

Bruna 5 star rating

St. Louis, MO, USA

Editor of short stories, most recently selected for Best American Short Stories 2017 and PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2018.

Genres: Cultural & Ethnic, Fiction, Coming of Age, Short Story, Literary Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • And Other Stories

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JT 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I love a good story. Insightful, congenial NYC-based editor of fiction and nonfiction, in both the literary journal and academic realms.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Judaism, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Epiphany Magazine
  • River Styx
  • The University of North Carolina Press
  • WW Norton Co.
  • Electric Literature
  • Onion River Press
  • University of Chicago Press
  • Hay House
  • Brazenhead Review
  • Self-employed

Laird 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Editor with 8+ years of experience (5+ @ Farrar, Straus and Giroux [FSG]), expertise in award-winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Center for an Urban Future

Tracy 5 star rating

Baltimore, MD, United States

Passionate about helping writers realize their visions. I love picture books (especially rhyme!), young adult, fantasy, memoir, and more.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Agent Carrie Pestritto (formerly of Prospect Agency, now with LDLA)
  • Marketing Agency
  • University of Baltimore
  • SCBWI MD/DE/WV
  • Self-employed

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

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

Alicia 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

I'm an editor and writer based in NYC. I've edited a variety of genres and material for Disney, DreamWorks, Newsweek and other clients.

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Topix Media Lab
  • Paste Magazine
  • Modern Luxury
  • Apartment Therapy Media

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

Ashley 5 star rating

Westchester, IL, USA

I work as Content Editor for an independent publisher and also as a freelance editor. I enjoy working with writers of all genres.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Story, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Young Adult.

Molli 5 star rating

Warren, NJ, USA

Critically acclaimed author. I specialize in picture books and YA/Adult romance/fantasy. I love making books shine!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Short Story, New Adult, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, and Romantic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Ashley 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

A supportive and collaborative editorial professional with 10+ years’ experience across print and digital—and a total bookworm.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Literary Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Prairie Schooner, University of Nebraska
  • History Press
  • Publishers Weekly
  • CreateSpace, an Amazon.com Company
  • Milkweed Editions
  • Yemassee Journal
  • Self-employed
  • Compose.ly
  • Turner Publishing
  • The Book Incubator

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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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Step 3

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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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