The best manuscript editors for hire near San Diego

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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

Melissa 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Seasoned cookbook and recipe editor passionate about making sure recipes are clear, accurate, and ready for publication.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Nature, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Travel.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Oxmoor House Books (Cooking Light magazine)
  • Men's Health magazine (Rodale/Hearst)
  • Hood River Eats

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

Brooke 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

I have 6 years of experience editing at HarperCollins, specializing in Christian nonfiction and memoir, including multiple NYT bestsellers.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins
  • Lifeway

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

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

Kate 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

Current associate publisher at Silver Dolphin Children's Books. 17+ years of experience. Five-star book coach from concept to publication!

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

Work experience:

  • Silver Dolphin Books, Readerlink
  • Klutz, Scholastic
  • Hameray Publishing
  • Houghton Mifflin

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Marisa 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Marisa is a book editor specializing in women's wellness, self-improvement, and the motherhood journey.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Parenting & Families, Health & Wellbeing, and Sex & Relationships.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Staci 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Developmental & copy editor for over a decade, including NYT bestselling authors. Especially love memoir, contemporary fiction.

Genres: Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Broadleaf Books

Kristen 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

PhD-trained editor helping experienced fiction writers elevate their craft with kind, insightful feedback and strategic guidance

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Historical Romance, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Coming of Age.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Chronicle Books
  • Columbia University

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

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

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

Allison 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Seasoned editor and author coach of nonfiction books on personal development, spirituality, memoir, cookbooks, and more.

Genres: Home & Garden, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Parenting & Families, Biographies & Memoirs, Sex & Relationships, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • PA Press
  • Wonderwell Press
  • Self-employed

Connolly 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Former HarperCollins editor specializing in editorial assessments, developmental edits, and book coaching for YA, MG, and romance novels.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Romantic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
  • Harlequin/HarperCollins
  • Inkyard Press and Harlequin Intrigue
  • Inkyard Press/HarperCollins
  • Self-employed

Danielle 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

I help thought leaders turn their big ideas into books.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Parenting & Families, Humanities & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, New Age, Finance & Accounting, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • IBISWorld
  • Pepperdine University

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

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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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