The best proofreaders for hire near Chicago

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Nathan 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Writer and editor with 7+ years of experience. Has worked at the Kenyon Review, Tin House Books and Scholastic, among other publications.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Short Story, History, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Tin House Books
  • MAYDAY Magazine
  • Agate Publishing House
  • The Kenyon Review
  • Scholastic Inc. (Tangerine Press Imprint)

Will 5 star rating

Chicago, United States

Trusted big-5 copy editor and proofreader for romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, suspense, and all the sub-genres therein.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Espionage, Thriller & Suspense, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Berkley Publishing (Penguin Random House)
  • Harlequin Romance (HarperCollins)
  • Orbit Books / Redhook (Hachette)

Joe 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Fast. Friendly. Experienced. Thorough. I'm here to help you be your best. Sample edits available.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Entertainment, Sex & Relationships, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree Press
  • Self-employed

Lizzie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Nimble, warm, and energetic literary editor with 10 years' experience shepherding projects from manuscript to award-winning finished book.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Parenting & Families, Non-Fiction, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Coffee House Press
  • Transit Books
  • Self-employed

Editor with 24+ years of experience in biography, memoir, history, and fiction for adults and children at various publishing companies.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, True Crime, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Children’s Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Heinemann-Raintree
  • Quarasan
  • McGraw-Hill
  • Publications International, Ltd.
  • Capstone Publishers
  • Self-employed

Mohamad 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Ph.D level expertise with over 12 years of developmental, editing, and proofreading consulting experience.

Genres: Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies, Political Science & Current Affairs, Law, Writing & Publishing, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • International Network for Hate Studies

Marie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Sharp, seasoned proofreader of memoir, nonfiction, business, women's well-being, and self-help books. I take pride in my work, and yours.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Scribe Media
  • The Urban Writers
  • Freelance

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Esther 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Eagle-eyed proofreader and copy editor with over a decade of publishing experience. I make your stories error-free and a joy to read.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Young Adult, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Women's Fiction, and Historical Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Albert Whitman
  • Kidsbooks
  • Phoenix International Publications, Inc.
  • The Little Things Publishing, LLC
  • Lemur Press
  • Penguin Random House - Penguin Young Readers
  • Mascot Books
  • Scholastic
  • Macmillan Publishing
  • ABRAMS
  • Charlesbridge Publishing
  • Walt Disney Company
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Hachette Book Group, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Cassie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Experienced fiction, nonfiction, and YA editor focused on precision, constructive criticism, and lots of Parks and Rec references.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, True Crime, Romance, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Open Road Integrated Media
  • Macmillan

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.

Editor, published writer (10+ years), multilingual creative, experienced in publishing, line/developmental editing, creative coaching.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • New Harbinger Publications
  • Page Street Publishing
  • The Nasiona
  • Reckoning Press
  • Strange Horizons
  • FLAPPERHOUSE
  • Self-employed

Natalie 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I bring thoughtful, thorough, and professional edits and feedback to copyediting or proofreading lifestyle and business projects.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Educational Publisher
  • Science Connected Magazine

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

Alex 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Children's book editor with experience in editing and content creation, passionate about championing people's stories—and writing her own.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Holiday, LGBTQ Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Sex & Relationships.

Work experience:

  • Independent Publisher
  • Albert Whitman & Company

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 . . .

Julia 5 star rating

Charleston, SC, United States

Line and copy editor, with content capabilities. I have the most experience in nonfiction, but my favorite edits are middle grade and YA.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • The History Press
  • Newgen KnowledgeWorks
  • Amnet

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

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Hire the best proofreaders in Chicago

As an author, you’ve taken a great deal of time and care to craft your book, but you may not realize how many mistakes can still crop up. Even as you re-read it, it's easy for your mind to skip over familiar sentences and miss out on small but crucial mistakes.

Failing to notice and fix these can make you look unprofessional as an author, plus it’s an expensive headache to correct errors post-publication. That’s why you need a proofreader to help you on your self-publishing journey. A professional proofreader will find even the most microscopic errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your book. More importantly, they can give you peace of mind to know that your work has been thoroughly checked by a second pair of eyes, and will be spotless when it’s finally published.

Our Chicago proofreaders are some of the most experienced professionals in the industry — they’ve been screened individually and only the top 3% are accepted onto Reedsy. Don’t waste your time with inexperienced freelancers; join Reedsy today to find the best proofreaders in Chicago.

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