The best manuscript editors for hire near Kansas City

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Maria 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, United States

Insightful, inspiring Developmental Editor of 25+ years specializing in Historical fiction, Self-Help, Spec fiction. Tailored-to-you edits.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Post-Apocalyptic, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Psychology.

Work experience:

  • 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

Shannon 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Book coach and editor with 10+ years of experience. My clients include award-winning authors and publishers. Fantasy, romance, thrillers.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Mid-Continent Public Library
  • Self-employed
  • Pitch Wars
  • Writers House
  • Penguin Random House

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

Allison 5 star rating

Jersey City, NJ, United States

Jack-of-all-trades editor specializing in literary fiction and academic work (journal articles, book chapters, dissertations).

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Writing & Publishing, Sports & Outdoors, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Wiley

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

Ann Leslie 5 star rating

New York City, NY, United States

Over 25 years' editorial experience at a Big 5 publisher and a literary agency, specializing in commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction.

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

Work experience:

  • Harlequin Books
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret

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Elisabeth 5 star rating

Iowa City, IA, United States

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling editor of nonfiction and memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Nature, Travel, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, Sports & Outdoors, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • University of Iowa Press
  • University of Nebraska Press
  • Self-employed

Carol 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Three decades as a top US nonfiction copy/line editor on business, management, leadership, tech, and design at HarperCollins and more.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Design, Technology, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Architecture.

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

Robert 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Editor and publishing consultant based in NYC. Owned and operated a literary agency and an Indie publisher. Hardwired for storytelling.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Medical Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult, Mystery & Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Astor + Blue Editions
  • Robert A. and Associates Literary

Jeannette 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Experienced editor specializing in children’s books. Insightful creative partner ready to help your work reach its full potential.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Harcourt Children's Books
  • Harcourt Children's Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
  • Flyaway Books, a sister imprint to WJK Press

Mozelle 5 star rating

Grove City, PA, USA

Passionate and skilled editor of 150+ titles, specializing in Creative Non-Fiction and Fiction pieces, with a background in self-publishing.

Genres: Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Fantasy, Children's, Young Adult, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

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

Adam 5 star rating

New York City, NY, USA

Experienced acquisitions & developmental editor of children's literature, picture books through middle grade. Writing instructor.

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

Work experience:

  • Cardinal Rule Press
  • The Little Press
  • Self-employed
  • 826NYC
  • Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

Meticulous copy and developmental editor of nonfiction, equipped with diverse industry experience and a masters in Publishing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, and Sociology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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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?

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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.

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