The best manuscript editors for hire near Kansas City

Sign up for free to meet top manuscript editors on Reedsy

Jon 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Professional book editor and writer with a soft spot for non-fiction. I'm also a frequent traveler and (occasional) travel writer.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Travel, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Geography, and DIY & Crafts.

Work experience:

  • Freelance
  • Skyhorse Publishing

Lisha 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

I am a fiction, nonfiction, and technical editor and proofreader. I am also a traditionally published author of children's books.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Olsson
  • Self-employed

Claire 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

17+ years building USA Today/NYT/Bestselling/Award-Winning careers in sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I'm thorough and kind, with short waits.

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Romantic Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wordfire Press
  • The Wild Rose Press
  • Entangled Publishing

Peter 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Ex-UK journalist (Fleet St, BBC Radio), living in New York. Former NYC book editor now lit agent, book coach, author of fiction+nonfiction.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Fantasy, Children's, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Diane 5 star rating

Lawrence, Kansas, United States

My sweet spot is MG and YA fiction. I'll help you find your story (ornery manuscripts don't scare me!) and figure out how to tell it.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Howard 5 star rating

Traverse City, MI, USA

I specialize in editing fiction and nonfiction with Jewish themes, helping authors find their unique voices in these challenging times.

Genres: Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Business & Management, Judaism, Religion & Spirituality, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Alliance of Independent Authors
  • Self-employed
  • Foreword Reviews
  • Vine Leaves Press

Pamela 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Editing text to strengthen impact is my skill. Creating engaging culture, design, history, science, and food narratives are my specialties.

Genres: Architecture, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Design, Fashion & Textiles, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  • Sterling Publishing Company
  • Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.

📞 Chat with our team

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

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

Stephanie 5 star rating

Bedford, United States

Don't ever fall for the trap of thinking you can be rigorous and academic OR engaging and clear--you can absolutely be both. I'll help you.

Genres: Nature, Non-Fiction, Life Sciences, Math & Science, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Keep Learning
  • National Center for Science Education
  • BiteScis

Nancy 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Experienced developmental editor, coach, and agent, specializing in spirituality and religion, particularly from a progressive perspective.

Genres: Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Children's, Fiction, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Church Publishing Incorporated
  • Self-employed

Kathy 5 star rating

San Diego, United States

Freelance copyeditor and proofreader offering 25 years of experience in scientific and educational publishing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Medicine, Nursing, & Dentistry, Math & Science, Nature, Action & Adventure, Classics, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Education & Reference, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Academic Press (Elsevier Science/Harcourt)
  • Academic Press
  • Brian F. Smith and Associates (Archaeologist)
  • Converse Consultants West
  • Cajon Valley, Mountain Empire, and Palm Middle Schools
  • Self-employed

Lori 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

I specialize in commercial, adult fiction and narrative nonfiction. Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree, 2024.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • A3 Artists Agency
  • Innovative Artists Agency
  • Henry Holt / Andy Cohen Books
  • Self-Employeed
  • Crown (Fiction Division)
  • Crown (Fiction)

Glenn 5 star rating

Colorado Springs, CO, United States

Experienced editor for university presses (MIT, Harvard, etc.) and scholars (Princeton, U of Toronto, etc.); published award-winning books.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sociology, History, Law, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Frederick News-Post
  • Capital News Service (Washington, D.C.)
  • American Journalism Review

Kate 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Children's book editor of multiple NYT bestsellers (PB, MG, and YA) with 10+ years of experience - let me help you optimize your story!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • Sourcebooks
  • The Bent Agency

Parisa 5 star rating

Brooklyn, NY, United States

Former Simon and Schuster editor with 15+ years of experience, specializing in all fiction genres. I’d love to help get your MS in shape!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self Employed
  • Simon & Schuster

Frances 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

I specialize in authors with complex ideas who write for the general public, polishing your words until they are uniquely irresistible.

Genres: Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Sociology, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Art, Health & Wellbeing, Sex & Relationships, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Matt 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, USA

I'm a literary agent with more than a decade of experience in genres spanning science fiction/fantasy, nonfiction, and graphic novels.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Comics Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Tobias Literary Agency
  • David Black Agency
  • Aaron Priest Agency
  • Charles River Labs
  • Penguin Random House
  • New Leaf Literary & Media
  • The Rights Factory

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best developmental editors in Kansas City, Missouri

Every manuscript has to be edited before publication. The developmental edit is the first part of this process, and the one that most drastically changes a manuscript, as it involves extensively evaluating plot development, character arcs, pacing, and story structure. From changing the order of events to rewriting entire scenes or condensing action for a faster pace, a manuscript emerges on the other side of developmental editing as a much sharper version of itself.

A developmental editor in Kansas City will be able to use their inside understanding of publishing trends and genre tropes to advise you on the specific areas that need improvement in your own project. This is a collaborative process, where you and your editor work consider solutions to problems together, and arrive at a tighter, more controlled manuscript.

Hire a developmental editor in Kansas City today to give your book its best chance of success. Reedsy has a large selection of talented and experienced editors, all individually vetted, so why not sign up and request a free quote 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.