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

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

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

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

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

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

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Allison 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

USA TODAY Bestselling nonfiction book editor with 20+ years' experience. I specialize in personal development, memoir, and cookbooks.

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

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

Aja 5 star rating

Austin, United States

Making sure your prose sings, your facts and story are straight, and your unique voice shines through.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Music, Entertainment, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • on my porch, at a coffee shop, in far-flung places . . .

Peggy 5 star rating

Philadelphia, United States

Cookbook/nonfiction editor, writer & project manager w/ 20+ yrs in publishing. Also offering recipe development and testing.

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

Work experience:

  • Self Employed
  • Clarkson Potter/Random House

Mary 5 star rating

San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

Writing + story coach to hundreds of authors, I edit fiction, inspy non-fiction, + queries. Bestseller with 17+ years experience.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Chandler 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Literary Agent at an award winning agency, specializing in idea and voice-driven narratives. Pitch, query, proposal and manuscripts edits.

Genres: Sports & Outdoors, Non-Fiction, Technology, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Biographies & Memoirs, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency
  • Ellevest
  • Media Assembly
  • Various

Rebecca 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Freelance editor with 10+ years' experience helping fiction writers. Ex-HarperCollins, David Higham Books, Amazon Studios. Let's collaborate

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

Work experience:

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

Melissa 5 star rating

Phoenix, AZ, United States

Freelance editor, faculty in an MFA novel writing program, and NYT/internationally bestselling writer.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Time Travel Romance, Epic Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Southern New Hampshire University

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

Connolly 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, USA

Former HarperCollins editor specializing in developmental editing and book coaching for romance, fantasy, YA, and upper MG 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

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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 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.