The best manuscript editors for hire in the United States

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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.

Beth 5 star rating

Maineville, United States

Seasoned editor and proofreader with more than 20 years of experience in multiple genres. I have worked with several best-selling authors!

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, LGBTQ Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Science Fiction, and Dystopian.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed

Christopher 5 star rating

Gallatin, United States

Accomplished editor specializing in general and Christian non-fiction. Editor of 60 published books. Here to help you tell your story!

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Philosophy, Education & Reference, Inspirational, and Writing & Publishing.

Work experience:

  • B&H Academic
  • Moody Publishers
  • Lexham Press and Kirkdale Press
  • Self-employed

Jessica 5 star rating

Jacksonville, United States

Award-winning freelance editor Jessica provides practical, marketable revision advice to clients on all six habitable continents.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Historical Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Women's Fiction, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Writers House
  • St. Martin's Press
  • Fox Literary LLC
  • Self-employed

Perrin 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Cookbooks are my specialty—books I have edited have won or been finalists for James Beard, IACP, and Gourmand awards.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Economics, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Agate Publishing
  • Self-employed

Barbara 5 star rating

Washington, DC, United States

After working as a nonfiction book editor for years at NatGeo, I know the ins and outs of publishing from ideation to final proofing.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Architecture, History, Nature, Writing & Publishing, Travel, and Sports & Outdoors.

Work experience:

  • National Geographic Society
  • Self-employed

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

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Lisa 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Developmental editor of narrative nonfiction (and book proposals) with 35+ years' experience at major trade publishers in NYC.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Psychology, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • PublicAffairs
  • Self-employed
  • Carol Publishing Group
  • Viking Penguin
  • Random House
  • University of Texas
  • The Writers Studio

Joanna 5 star rating

Oak Park, IL, United States

Seasoned publishing industry professional with agency experience and a keen eye for detail who embraces all aspects of the editorial process

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Browne & Miller Literary Associates
  • The Parlor
  • Literary Agency

Jim 5 star rating

Tigard, OR, United States

An editor with over twenty years of publishing experience at major houses, who has a sweet spot for genre fiction and comic books.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Comics & Graphic Novels, Thriller & Suspense, Science Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Kirkus Media, LLC
  • Hachette Book Group
  • Time Warner Book Group/Hachette Book Group
  • DC Comics

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, United States

Literary agent turned editor of fiction & select memoir where narratives and protagonists have distinct, identifiable voices.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Humor & Comedy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
  • Self-employed

Gene 5 star rating

Houston, United States

Creative, experienced editor of novels, children's books, and poetry. Let's prepare your manuscript for publication together.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Poetry, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Uptown Stories
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Scholastic
  • HarperEntertainment
  • Daniel Weiss Associates/17th Street Productions
  • Denver Quarterly
  • San Jacinto College South

Jenn 5 star rating

Leawood, KS, United States

I am an award-winning author and editor of books for children and young adults. I specialize in humor, fantasy, and scifi.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Picture Books, Children's, Action & Adventure, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Georgette 5 star rating

Carmel, IN, United States

I'm a freelance editor and proofreader who's committed to helping authors produce the best work possible for their audiences.

Genres: Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Scholastic Reading Counts!

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

Parisa 5 star rating

Brooklyn, NY, United States

Former Simon and Schuster editor with 15+ years of experience, specializing in all fiction genres. I’d love to help get your MS in shape!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self Employed
  • Simon & Schuster

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Hire the best manuscript editors in the United States

Finally finished the first draft of your book, and ready to enlist manuscript editing services? If you’re about to embark on your very first round of editing, look for a developmental editor — someone who will look beyond surface errors like typos and perform a “big picture” edit, offering suggestions for a coherent plot structure and intuitive flow. Put simply, they’ll assess your manuscript on a whole-book and chapter level.

Once you’ve worked with a developmental editor, it’s time to move on to a copy edit, or the section/paragraph level, where your editor will closely review tone and language style, offering feedback and advice on how you can best revise your own work. They’ll closely examine the text and point you toward helpful resources like a style guide that can help the quality of your writing remain consistent.

Finally, we advise all authors to work with a proofreader. The last round of manuscript editing before publication, proofreading serves as quality control that confirms the readability and presentation of your project, getting rid of any remaining spelling or grammar mistakes.

Wondering where you can hire a manuscript editor in the United States? Right here on Reedsy. We have hundreds of top-notch American manuscript editors who have experience working with bestselling authors like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. Sign up and start browsing their portfolios today, or simply request a quote from any editor who looks like the right fit for your book. You can also contact our professionals directly to ask any questions you have about the manuscript editing services they offer.

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