The best manuscript editors for hire near Austin

Sign up for free to meet top manuscript editors on Reedsy

Elise 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

2 Editing Wives🏳️‍🌈 Edited a NYT Bestselling Author (3M copies) + Book-to-Film (1.3M views). Free Step-by-Step Calls on Publishing 101.

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

Work experience:

  • Northern Illinois University
  • WxD
  • Editing Agency For NYTimes Bestselling Authors
  • Publishing Cohort and Seminar
  • How To Disappoint Your Mom

Jana 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Writer and editor with 10+ years of freelance experience specializing in Christian non-fiction and Bible studies.

Genres: Parenting & Families, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • B&H Publishing
  • Freelance

Sarah 5 star rating

Austin, Texas, USA

Twenty years specializing in literary, LGBTQIA+, multicultural, and spec-fic novels. My clients get deals with Big Five publishers.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Carnegie Mellon University Press
  • Editorial Freelancers Association

Leila 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

12+ years experience in children's and YA book publishing as an editor at Penguin Random House and author of critically-acclaimed novels.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Macmillan, Chronicle, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, etc.
  • BookPeople

Adam 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

MFA, PhD, award-winning author and editor for literary/upmarket fiction.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • University of South Alabama
  • UCLA Extension

Thea 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Big 5 publishing house editor specializing in fiction, mystery/thriller, cookbooks, self help, design and lifestyle.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychological Thriller, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Hachette Book Group
  • SKLA
  • Penguin Random House

Chris 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

I specialize in books for kids — fiction and nonfiction alike. You don't have to be Willie Nelson to get me involved, but it worked for him.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

  • The Reference Press/Hoover's, Inc./Dun & Bradstreet
  • Self-employed

📞 Chat with our team

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

Bestselling editor who for ~20 years' has worked with authors to polish stories and ideas, reach new audiences, and start conversations

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Texas Book Festival
  • The Acton MBA
  • HarperCollins

Aja 5 star rating

Austin, United States

Making sure your prose sings, your facts and story are straight, and your unique voice shines through.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Music, Entertainment, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • on my porch, at a coffee shop, in far-flung places . . .

Andrea 5 star rating

Birmingham, United States

Editor and food writer with over 10 years of experience creating cookbooks on a wide range of cooking subjects.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Time Inc Books

Salima 5 star rating

Austin, Texas, USA

I'm the award-winning author of over 20 books for kids, teens and adults. Creative writing professor, editor. I'd love to work with you!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Picture Books, and Post-Apocalyptic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Self-Employed
  • St. Edward's University and Austin Community College

Holly 5 star rating

Springfield, United States

Experienced fiction editor, formerly with Samhain Publishing. I specialize in romance and other genre fiction.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing, Ltd
  • Self-employed
  • Mundania Press
  • Lyrical Press

Maxine 5 star rating

Austin, TX, USA

Empathetic editor specializing in children's picture books. Industry expertise beyond editorial, formerly in publicity and literary agency.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Callisto Media
  • HarperOne

Eliza 5 star rating

Maplewood, NJ, United States

I'm a detail-oriented editor, specializing in children's nonfiction, with 10 years of experience at publishing houses and literary agencies

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Diversion Books
  • Self-employed
  • Leigh Feldman Literary
  • The Bent Agency
  • Callisto Media
  • Rebel Girls

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

I'm an award-winning author with over 50 publications (from early readers to young adult) with 17 years of editing experience.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Coming of Age, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Institute of Children's Literature
  • St. Edward's University
  • self-employed

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

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best developmental editors in Austin, Texas

Writing a book is an enormous accomplishment, but it's only the first step if you're looking to see it on the shelves one day. Before you can start looking at publishing options, you're going to need to make sure that your book is the best version of itself. And if you're deep in the heart of Texas, the best way to do that is with the trained eyes of a developmental editor right here in Austin.

After months (or even years) of looking at the same book, it's easy for you as the writer to start missing details. A developmental editor is a fresh perspective your story needs to reach its full potential. They'll read through and assess your whole manuscript, looking at plot arcs, character development, voice, and more, and guide you through all the necessary steps you'll want to consider to address the issues. But don't worry — they're not going to take away any of you from the story. Developmental editors work hard to make sure that your book stays true to your vision, while offering a guiding hand toward strengthening the parts that might need shoring up.

And if you want to find a great developmental editor here in Austin, look no further. Reedsy has gathered all the best industry professionals, vetting each one to ensure they have the experience needed to bring your story to life. Thousands of authors have already met their dream editor on Reedsy; why not sign up for free and meet yours today?

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.