The best manuscript editors for hire near San Diego

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Andrew 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, United States

Former New York trade editor of thrillers, mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, horror, and narrative and military nonfiction/history.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Company Name Redacted. Please contact through Reedsy for editorial service.
  • Berkley Publishing Group, Donald I Fine, Inc, Dell, Avon and Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
  • Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency, Inc.
  • The Berkley Publishing Group

Lourdes 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Creative, collaborative editor, with more than 35 years of editing experience in publishing and journalism.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American Fiction, Anthologies, Cultural & Ethnic, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • University of California, San Diego
  • Newsday
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  • The Miami Herald
  • Chicago Tribune

Annie 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

I’m a literary agent w/ over 17 years of experience in the publishing industry. I work on a range of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Margret McBride Literary Agency
  • Zoetrope: All-Story

Chris 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Hi, I'm a longtime comic-book/graphic novel editor and editorial director, with 15+ years experience in helping others build their worlds.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Martin Roy 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Professional editor and national award-winning author with a wide range of experience in fiction and nonfiction publishing.

Genres: Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Cozy Mysteries, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Naval Health Research Center
  • San Diego Business Journal
  • San Diego Magazine
  • The Log Newspapers
  • Palm Springs Desert Sun

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

Michael 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Literary agent with 15 years of industry experience offering developmental editing, editorial assessment, and query workshopping.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Veritas Literary
  • Self-employed

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Molly 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Editor and book coach specializing in memoirs and other nonfiction. I give detailed, encouraging edits and love making sentences sing!

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, DIY & Crafts, and Home & Garden.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Edible Communities
  • Various

Nicole 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

I am an editor and project manager specializing in contemporary visual and performing arts, as well as art history.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Photography.

Work experience:

  • Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA)
  • Self-employed
  • Prompt

Rebecca 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Fiction editor. Previously HarperCollins, David Higham Books, Amazon Studios. Offering editorial assessments, developmental edits, and more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Literary Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Amazon Studios
  • John Cabot University and British School Group
  • David Higham Associates
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Self-employed

Rachel 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

A seasoned writer and award-winning editor of bestselling books and proposals that command high advances with a focus on science and health

Genres: Health & Wellbeing and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Ted Books
  • Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
  • Self-employed

Carey 5 star rating

San Rafael, CA, United States

I am an editor who loves helping authors revise and refine their work so it is clear, precise, and ready for publication.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Health & Wellbeing, Travel, Sports & Outdoors, Parenting & Families, and Design.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books
  • Self-employed

Carolyn 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

I'm a health & wellness editor with 15 + years of experience developing profitable content & manuscripts that educate & engage readers.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Callisto Media
  • Linkwell Health

Annie 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Award-winning children's book editor. Specialties include: picture books, fantasy world building, character development, and multiple POVs.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Albert Whitman & Company
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Self-employed

Olivia 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

I am a compassionate editor and project manger based in the Bay Area who is eager to bring your story to life!

Genres: Calendars, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books

Karrin 5 star rating

San Francisco Bay Area, CA, United States

Editorial professional for 12+ years, specializing in educational content and personal nonfiction. You write. I polish. You shine.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Entertainment, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Weber Shandwick
  • Bedford/St. Martin's
  • AuntMinnie.com

Bridget 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Passionate, collaborative editor with 20+ years experience at Chronicle Books: nonfiction, art, design, creativity, illustrated, photography

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Photography, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Architecture, Entertainment, Nature, and Design.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books

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Hire the best developmental editors in San Diego, California

You may be asking, what’s a developmental editor and why should I hire one? While most editors are known for correcting grammar and punctuation, these editors will work with you to fix up everything from the structure of your story to plot holes and characterization — all while keeping you positive and motivated. They may suggest re-writes or recommend which “darlings” to kill off, as William Faulkner once so famously put it.

Finding the right developmental editor is hard because it depends on trust. It’s not a teacher-student relationship, but more like a co-working situation in which you improvise and feed off each other’s chemistry and excitement for the work. At Reedsy, you can submit offers to up to 5 developmental editors at once and interview them all to be sure you’ve found the right fit. To get started, sign up for a free account today.

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