The best manuscript editors for hire near Chicago

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Perrin 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Cookbooks are my specialty—books I have edited have won or been finalists for James Beard, IACP, and Gourmand awards.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Economics, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Agate Publishing
  • Self-employed

Bailey 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Developmental editor of narrative nonfiction and literary fiction with experience at Hachette, Melville House, and SAGE.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Women's Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Lizzie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Nimble, warm, and energetic literary editor with 10 years' experience shepherding projects from manuscript to award-winning finished book.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Parenting & Families, Non-Fiction, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Coffee House Press
  • Transit Books
  • Self-employed

Helena 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Nonfiction editor with indie in-house experience. Focused on social justice, art and design, and LGBTQ+ topics. Collaborative and curious.

Genres: LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Design, History, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Schiffer Publishing

Elayne 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Fantasy author, former Tor Books editor, and speculative fiction specialist with 10+ years' experience editing SFF across age categories.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Tor Teen, Macmillan Publishers
  • Tor Books, Macmillan Publishers
  • Alyssa Matesic Editing

Bibiana 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Highly detailed freelance editor with 9 years of professional publishing experience in fiction and nonfiction. I'd love to read your work!

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Themes & Motifs, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Macmillan Publishers
  • University of Wisconsin Press

Lillian 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

10+ years of editing experience, specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance. Let's take your book to the next level together!

Genres: Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Travel, Non-Fiction, Romance, Mystery & Crime, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Time Travel, and Post-Apocalyptic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Internet Brands

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Madison 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Honest, constructive, and compassionate feedback from a full-time editor and published author. I edit kid lit, from picture books to YA.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Albert Whitman & Company
  • Albert Whitman & Compaby
  • C&T Publishing

Andrea 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I'm a children's book editor with nearly a decade of experience, focusing on social-emotional learning, multiculturalism, and diversity.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Picture Books, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Holiday, Social & Family Issues, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Beaming Books/1517 Media
  • Albert Whitman & Company

MJ 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Fiction editor at top trade publisher with over 9 years of experience editing debuts and bestsellers across genres - collaborative and kind!

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Thriller & Suspense, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks

Travis 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

A veteran developer of sports titles and contemporary fiction, Travis has guided best-selling authors, emerging voices, and sports legends.

Genres: Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, and Political Science & Current Affairs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Beijing Language and Culture University
  • Sports Publishing LLC
  • TrueHoop

Editor with 21+ years of experience in biography, memoir, history, and fiction for adults and children at various publishing companies.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, True Crime, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Children’s Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Heinemann-Raintree
  • Quarasan
  • McGraw-Hill
  • Publications International, Ltd.
  • Capstone Publishers
  • Self-employed

Developmental Editor with 15+ years of experience from every side of publishing and the marketplace knowledge to make your book shine.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Comedy, Time Travel Romance, and Paranormal Romance.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks, Inc.
  • Self-employed
  • Fresh Fiction
  • Anderson's Bookshop

Christa 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Development and copy editor working with NY publishers, bestselling/award-winning indie authors since 2011. Multi-published YA author.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, and LGBTQ Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing
  • Self-employed

Karli 5 star rating

Clarksville, TN, United States

Editor who specializes in developing manuscripts and is passionate about helping authors craft their best stories!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Mohamad 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Ph.D level expertise with over 12 years of developmental, editing, and proofreading consulting experience.

Genres: Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Political Science & Current Affairs, Law, Writing & Publishing, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • International Network for Hate Studies

Christopher 5 star rating

Gallatin, United States

Accomplished editor specializing in general and Christian non-fiction. Editor of 60 published books. Here to help you tell your story!

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Philosophy, Education & Reference, Inspirational, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • B&H Academic
  • Moody Publishers
  • Lexham Press and Kirkdale Press
  • Self-employed

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Hire the best developmental editors in Chicago, Illinois

The unsung sibling of the trio of edits, a developmental edit might actually be the most important type of editing that you need. Whereas a copy edit and a proofread only examines your book on a sentence level, a developmental edit focuses on the addressing "big picture" problems in your manuscript first — such as pacing, weak character development, and the strength of your themes. In short, they improve the parts of your book that could make the difference between an average book and a future bestseller.

If a developmental editor is what you're seeking, we've got you covered. Here at Reedsy, we've got the top developmental editors in the business. They've worked with such authors as George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, and Joyce Carol Oates to create their bestselling works — and now they're ready to work with you. Simply sign up to Reedsy to meet the best developmental editors in Chicago for you.

How it works

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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.