The best manuscript editors for hire near San Diego

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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

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

Jennifer 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

I have 10 years of experience working in publishing in development, editorial, royalties, and literary agenting.

Genres: Literary Fiction and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Sabine 5 star rating

San Diego, CA, USA

After more than 20 years as a newspaper writer/editor, I can make your book on food, drink, travel, and interior design come to life.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cox Enterprises
  • McClatchy
  • Self-employed

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

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

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

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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

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

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

Jon 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

My focus is memoir, upscale fiction and LGTBQ+ in all genres. I run an award-winning publishing house and editing genuinely thrills me.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Outpost19 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

Gregory 5 star rating

San Antonio, TX, USA

I am an experienced nonfiction editor specializing in art publications, academic titles, educational materials, and self-help/trade books.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Photography, History, Education & Reference, Architecture, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Crystal 5 star rating

San Francisco Bay Area , CA, USA

Collaborative, versatile editor + sensitivity reader with bestselling titles in self-help, mind, body, spirit, and marginalized communities.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Callisto Media

Brittany 5 star rating

Rye, United States

Experienced cookbook editor and proofreader with a background in nonfiction publishing.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Nature, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Cider Mill Press Book Publishers
  • Book Passage Bookstore
  • Saint Mary's College of California
  • MARY: A Journal of New Writing
  • The Music Hall

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

Adam 5 star rating

Asheville, United States

Nonfiction book editor with 17+ years of experience in digital and print publishing. Reader advocate and prose polisher.

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Sports & Outdoors, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Management, Entertainment, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Soomo Learning
  • Oxford University Press
  • HarperCollins Publishers

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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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Step 2

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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

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Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.