The best manuscript editors for hire in the United States

Sign up for free to meet top manuscript editors on Reedsy

Fran 5 star rating

New York, United States

Results driven editor, formerWriters House Bridgerton agent, edited major award winners, working from slush pile to success in publishing.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Fantasy, Thriller & Suspense, Historical Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Writers House
  • youbloom music festival

Kelly 5 star rating

Phoenix, United States

I am passionate about the written word! I have 20 years of editing experience in all genres, with special attention to business and travel.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Travel, Poetry, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Immanence Journal
  • Gently Read Literature (GRL)
  • International Artist Publishing
  • Perseus Books Group
  • Self-employed

Emily 5 star rating

New York, United States

Bestselling nonfiction book editor. Formerly at Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and Callisto Media.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, True Crime, Political Science & Current Affairs, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, and Sports & Outdoors.

Work experience:

  • Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, Macmillan
  • Portfolio/Sentinel/Current, Penguin Random House

Sean 5 star rating

Denton, TX, United States

Editor of bestselling, award-winning middle grade, YA, and adult books, specializing in fantasy and sci-fi. Let's make your book stand out!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Andrea Hurst and Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Hurst and Associates
  • Self-employed
  • Relay Publishing, LLC
  • The Editorial Department

Stephen 5 star rating

Maplewood, United States

Top editor for 30+ years, novelist, sf/f story writer, poet. Specializes in NF and SF/F. I'll help you write a book you're proud of. No AI.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Sports & Outdoors, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Avon Books
  • Wiley
  • Amacom
  • Thomas Dunne Books

Adaobi 5 star rating

Bronx, NY, United States

I offer services in proofreading and copyediting for all genres, developmental editing of nonfiction, and project management.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Technology, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Manuscript Coordinator
  • Self-employed
  • Hachette Book Group
  • McGraw-Hill Education
  • Apress
  • Project Lead The Way

Kathryn 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Experienced developmental book editor specializing in parenting books as well as children's PB, MG and YA fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Parenting & Families, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks, Inc.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • The Purcell Literary Agency
  • Entangled Publishing
  • Author Claudia Gray

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Nevin 5 star rating

Portland, OR, United States

My goal is to guide writers to their best work, to coach them in eloquence and clarity, to lead them to their best stories and storytelling.

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

Work experience:

  • Scholastic
  • Penguin Random House
  • Government Technology magazine
  • Self-employed
  • Green Bean Books
  • Portland State University

Katie 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Nonfiction editor with an intuitive knack for storytelling & published author who has seen the industry from every possible angle

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Amazon Publishing
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Book of the Month
  • William & Park
  • Audible
  • Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House

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

Megan 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

A 20 year veteran of the publishing industry, Megan spent a decade at Simon & Schuster and has acquired and edited many bestsellers.

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

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • Freelance

Estelle 5 star rating

New York, United States

Agent/Senior Content Development Editor at one of New York's top agencies, specializing in YA, MG, picture books, and women's literature.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Coming of Age, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Folio Literary Management
  • Self-employed

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.

Brooke 5 star rating

Denver, United States

Experienced (9 years in-house, 20 years freelance), nonfiction editor specializing in assessments, development editing, and copy editing.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Music, Entertainment, Parenting & Families, Biographies & Memoirs, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Chicago Review Press
  • Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • Westview Press in the Perseus Books Group (now Hachette)
  • 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

Abigail 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Nonfiction editor for 20-plus years, transforming raw concepts into polished books on lifestyle, cooking, health, how-to, and more.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Fashion & Textiles, and Photography.

Work experience:

  • (Independent)
  • Watson-Guptill Publications, an Imprint of the Crown Publishing Group
  • Brioni
  • Universe Publishing, a Division of Rizzoli International Publications

Arnie 5 star rating

Kihei, HI, United States

I edit books on psychology, spirituality, social justice, and wellness. I've worked with Thich Nhat Hanh, Joanna Macy, and Jack Kornfield.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Buddhism, Religion & Spirituality, Biographies & Memoirs, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and New Age.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Koa Books
  • Parallax Press
  • Whole Earth Bookstore

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

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.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

Step 2

Browse

Then, browse professional profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

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

Collaborate

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

Work with the best editors in the industry

Sign up to request quotes from editors who shape bestsellers.