Where do I find a good book editor?
This is without doubt the question I receive most frequently from fellow writers. It’s a hard question to answer because, while finding an editor is easy, finding a good book editor is something else again.
I originally published this post a few years ago after asking other writing experts, whose opinions I trust, for their recommendations of freelance book editors. I then suggested readers post their own recommendations in the comments. In the intervening years, the comment section grew tremendously, while a few of the originally published editors went out of business.
So I decided it was high time I update the post.
The following editors are in alphabetical order, with their names linked to their websites, so you can do further research to discover which is best suited to your needs. I’ll continue adding to the list whenever an appropriate new name comes to my attention (you can always find the list on the Start Here! page—accessible from the site’s top toolbar).
If you’ve personally worked with a good book editor, please feel free to add his or her name and URL in the comments. (If you’re an editor yourself and would like to be included, please ask one of your satisfied clients to nominate you.) The goal is to make this as useful a resource for everyone as possible.
The Top Recommended Freelance Book Editors
Marlene Adelstein
Services: Developmental Editing, Publishing Consultations, Screenplay Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Commercial Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Memoir, and Screenplay.
Jennifer Blanchard
Services: Developmental Editing.
Rates: $.03 per word.
Specialties: Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Grace Bridges
Services: Line Editing, Developmental Editing, Proofreading.
Rates: $3–$30 per 1,000 words.
Specialties: Science Fiction, Fantasy.
Averill Buchanan
Services: Development Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Indexing.
Rates: £8–£35 / €12–€45 per 1,000 words or £800–£1,200 / €950–€1,500 per 100,000-word book.
Specialties: Fiction, especially for independent/self-publishing writers.
Kelly Byrd
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Line Editing, Proofreading.
Rates: $12–$27 per 1,000 words.
Specialties: Crime and Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Memoir.
Sherry Chamblee
Services: Developmental Editing, Proofreading, Transcription.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Christian Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction.
Lauren Chasen
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Manuscript Evaluation, Non-Fiction Proposal Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Upmarket Women’s Fiction, Memoir.
Dario Ciriello
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading.
Rates: 1.25¢–1.5¢ per word.
Specialties: Science Fiction and Fantasy, Mystery and Crime, Romance, Literary Fiction.
Rochelle Deans
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation, Query Editing, Academic Editing, Non-Fiction Editing.
Rates: Varies by word, 1,000 words, hour, or project.
Specialties: Plot structure.
Harry DeWulf
Services: Developmental Editing, Story Consultation, Editorial Assessment.
Rates: $3,000–$5,000 for full novel edit.
Specialties: Unspecified, but seems to lean toward Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Christy Distler
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Critique.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified, but seems to lean toward Christian Fiction.
Jill Domschot
Services: Developmental Editing, Proofreading.
Rates: ½¢–1¢ per word.
Specialties: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Literary, Poetry, Non-Fiction.
Joshua Essoe
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Genre Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror.
Elizabeth Evans
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Manuscript Assessment, Proposal Crafting and Editing, Ghostwriting.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified.
Lorna Fergusson
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Appraisals.
Rates: £275–£1280, depending on service and length of project (could be more).
Specialties: Unspecified.
Savannah Gilbo
Services: Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: $497-$1,497 depending on length.
Specialties: Story Grid.
Dori Harrell
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading.
Rates: $2 per page–$2,800 per 100,000 words (depending on service).
Specialties: Novel, Novella, Non-Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Memoir, Short Story, Website Content, Newsletter.
Jon Hudspith
Services: Developmental Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Novel, Novella, Short Story, Flash Fiction.
Caroline Kaiser
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Line Editing, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Mystery, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction.
Nicole Klungle
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: $2–$3 per standard page.
Specialties: History, Humor, Writing Instruction, Memoir, Literary Fiction, Paranormal Romance.
Mary Kole
Services: Developmental Editing, Coaching, Outline Evaluation, Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: $199–$3,999.
Specialties: Children’s Literature.
Ann Kroeker
Services: Coaching.
Rates: $125–$1,025.
Specialties: Unspecified.
C.S. Lakin
Services: Developmental Editing, Proofreading, Coaching.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Fiction, Non-Fiction.
Dana Lee
Services: Proofreading, Copy Editing, In-Depth Editing, Developmental Editing
Rates: 1¢–2.5¢ per word
Specialties: Romance, Mystery, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Spanish to English books
Kurt Lipschutz
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Coaching.
Rates: Contact for rates
Specialties: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Steve Mathisen
Services: Developmental Editing Copyediting, Proofreading.
Rates: $1.75–$5.75 per page.
Specialties: Unspecified.
Katie McCoach
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Manuscript Evaluation, Coaching.
Rates: $300–$3,200.
Specialties: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance.
Leslie McKee
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Romance.
Andrea Merrell
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Mentoring.
Rates: $30–$40 per hour.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Christian Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Victoria Mixon
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Synopsis Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Novel, Short Story, Narrative Non-Fiction, Memoir.
Ginger Moran
Services: Developmental Editing, Coaching.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction.
Roz Morris
Services: Developmental Editing.
Rates: £60 per 1,000 words.
Specialties: Fiction, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Robin Patchen
Services: Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation, Coaching.
Rates: $2–$7 per page.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Christian Fiction.
Anastasia Poirier
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading.
Rates: 1¢–3¢ per word.
Specialties: Unspecified.
Arlene Prunkl
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Indexing, Fact Checking.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified.
Lauren I. Pruiz
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation, Coaching.
Rates: 1¢–8¢ per word.
Specialties: Unspecified.
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Ghostwriting, Short Story Review.
Rates: $30-$50 per hour.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Science Fiction.
Crystal Watanabe
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Science Fiction.
Lara Willard
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Graphic Novels, Comics, Children’s Fiction, Picture Books, Young Adult.
Ben Wolf
Services: Developmental Editing.
Rates: Contact for rates.
Specialties: Unspecified but seems to favor Science Fiction.
Linda Yezak
Services: Developmental Editing, Copyediting, Proofreading, Manuscript Evaluation, Coaching.
Rates: $30 per hour.
Specialties: Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Ginny Ytrrup
Services: Developmental Editing, Coaching.
Rates: $8–$18 per page.
Specialties: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Web Content, Devotional, Query or Cover Letter, Book Proposal, Fiction Synopsis.
***
In today’s market, getting feedback from a skilled editor is crucial—especially if you’re planning to publish independently. If you’ve yet to find a good book editor, start with the names here and get ready to transform your story.
Find a Writing Buddy! (New Edition)
Your Story Isn’t Working? Here Are 6 Problems to Troubleshoot
13 Rules to Be a Better Beta Reader
The Writer’s Inner Critic: 11 Ways to Tell if Yours Is Healthy
About K.M. Weiland | @KMWeiland
Thanks. I new someone was reading my mind. 😉
Gotta get post ideas somewhere. 😉
I had a wonderful experience with Ashley Strosnider who is the current managing editor of Prairie Schooner. Arrangements were through Reedsy, but I think she also does independent edits.
Can you share a link?
My editor since 2015 is Dori Harrell. Highly recommend.
Does she have a website?
https://doriharrell.wixsite.com/breakoutediting
She is great, understands my voice (and all of her authors’ voices), is Managing Editor for Redemption Press, and also edits for Kregel, in addition to her freelance clients.
As often as this question is asked, finding a list of editors who’ve actually been vetted is like asking GPS for directions to the Unicorn Emporium! Thank you for this!
Let me know when you find the Emporium. 😉
Lisa Poisso was my choice after a thorough interview with several editors. Her editing opinions are open but her suggestions are always a bullseye. She took my book “French Roll” (by J Michael Jarvis) from a bunch of memoir bits to a solid and entertaining adventure story. http://www.LisaPoisso.com
Great collection of editors! One editor I’d recommend as well is Brianna Hilvety (http://theliterarycrusader.com/) who specializes in line editing and copyediting. Great detailed editor who’s helped me to discover my style and improve the different short stories I’ve published.
I’ve worked with Rebecca Faith Editorial and had an excellent experience. Rebecca definitely made my novel significantly better.
Link?
My daughter works as an assistant editor and her boss has already reached out to me.
That’s great! If she’s open for business, feel free to post her link.
My daughter has finally sent me the info for the editor she works for. Her name is Vicky Brewster.
web site: https://vickybrewstereditor.com
email: info@vickybrewstereditor.com
Great!
I’ll contact my daughter and see if she can.
My editor Kimberly Hunt from Revision Division has been wonderful to work with. Us writers can be a bit touchy when someone critiques our work. Her positive approach has made me a better writer. I highly recommend her. RevisionDivision.com
Thank you for putting in the work on this list. I’ve definitely bookmarked a few of these.
Glad it’s useful!
Kindly explain the difference in these terms? Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting.
Amazing info, thank you.
Generally speaking, developmental editing as to do with the *development* of the entire novel and therefore refers to editing not just the words but the plot and other content as well. Line editing and copyediting are often used interchangeably to refer to sentence-by-sentence editing for grammar, syntax, and style. Ultimately, I would check with each editor to learn how he or she is interpreting the terms.
We have a great team of editors (and ghostwriters) who cover every genre and topic. 2020 is our eighth year in business. http://www.jacobswc.com
This is a great resource. Thank you! 🙂
And May the 4th be with you. 😉
And to you. 😉
I started critiquing with a wonderful woman who started her own editing business. Her grammar knowledge is astounding. Though I believed my manuscript to be clean enough to publish, she found tons of additional misses due to my “Book Blindness.” I can honestly say I’ve published a clean manuscript. Thanks to Martha Rasmussen and her services found on: https://www.facebook.com/bookaholicspress/
I’ve used Martha at Bookaholics, too, and she is fantastic! The Grammar Queen.
If she has a link, please feel free to share it.
https://www.facebook.com/bookaholicspress/
Thank you for sharing! I’ve worked with Jeni Chappelle and Mindy McGinnis in the past. Both are phenomenal editors! There are other editors who I have interfaced with through #RevPit who would be excellent candidates for your list as well. They’re listed here: https://www.reviseresub.com/editors
I had a great experience with Kimberly Hunt. She was friendly, professional and cared about my work. I highly recommend her
Can you share a link?
https://revisiondivision.com
Thank you!
Louisa Baumann has done some excellent proofreading for me. $0.02/word, loubau777@gmail.com
Prestige Prose is wonderful! Staci has been helping me turn my rough draft into an awesome manuscript. It has been amazing. prestigeprose.com
To answer Christine from Namibia’s question, and explain a few things about the editorial process in general, I’m jumping in with a two part answer, because I see this come up a lot elsewhere and I hope it’ll be useful to anyone else with the same questions.
The difference in editors is explained very well in a couple of posts by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, a writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy. She used to edit for the “Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy,” and what she says in the fiction publishing business lines up well with my experience on the journalism side. The only difference is that in journalism, we may also have a fact-checker.
First part:
Editorial Revisions: https://kriswrites.com/2013/01/23/the-business-rusch-editorial-revisions/
She goes into the content edit vs. line edit vs. copy edit vs. proofreading. Here’s a key excerpt:
the line editor looks for consistency in the actual words and structure of the book. Sometimes this job gets folded into content editing. In fact, I’ve had content editors who think that line editing is their only job and never saw the forest for the trees. (I hated working with these people; they had no idea there was a story as well as the words. Generally speaking, these editors were failed writers.)
Many companies require copy editors to act as line editors. On one level, I think that’s a better pairing than line editing and content editing. Line editing requires the editor to look at the tiniest thing and to make queries like: She put on her hat on page 24. She put on her hat again on page 31. I didn’t see her take the hat off. Do you want to add that?
The reason that most [publishing] companies separate line editing and copy editing, however, is that copy editing should take place when the manuscript is completed. Both line editors and content editors will send their work back to the author for a revision. That revision will move sentences and words around, so a copy edit at this stage is both costly and ineffective.
Hiring Editors:
https://kriswrites.com/2013/01/30/the-business-rusch-hiring-editors/
In that post, she discusses more about the stages of editing. It goes content –> line editing –> author revises –> copy edit of the finished book –> proofreading of the typeset book.
Second part coming up!
Second part:
Editorial Encroachment:
https://kriswrites.com/2018/02/21/20734/ she discusses a major blunder that indies make, and that unscrupulous would-be editors would insist on an author making: the byline error. Bottom line, your content/line/copy editor and proofreader do not get bylines.. That’s wrong.
The people who get bylines are creators: the author, the illustrator of interior art, the cover artist, the cover designer, the book designer, and the typesetter. They all get listed on the copyright page of the book. For a children’s book, you’ll see the author and illustrator bylined on the cover, but every one else goes on the copyright page. If you want to drum up business for your favorite editor, the correct place to name drop them is on your acknowledgments page in the front matter of your book.
The only editor who gets a byline: the editor of an anthology or textbook. Because in that instance, the editor is the creator of the book; the anthology is assembled according to the editor’s vision of the anthology theme. Sci-fi / fantasy readers are familiar with Ellen Datlow, Terry Windling, Greg Benford, Bryan Thomas Schmidt etc. as the editors of anthologies, and their names are on the covers as such.
An illustrator creates interior art work. Those are your maps of your fantasy land, or drawings of the characters in action, etc. The cover artist has illustrated your front cover. They don’t get an illustrator byline, and giving them one will mislead your readers into thinking they’re going to get drawings inside the story.
The cover designer is the one who does the layout and title design on the front cover, spine, and back cover. They’ll know what fonts to use and not use, where to place the assets so that everything so it looks good, and so on. Cover design and cover art are two very different tasks; expect to pay a more for a person who is doing both jobs.
A book designer is the one who designs the interior of the book. Do you see fleurons for the scene breaks or chapter headings or page numbers? Perhaps a graphic or some sort of art for “part one / part three” etc.? A book designer handled that stuff.
Typesetter is the person who lays out the book. If you’re not familiar with the publishing or media industry, this is the point where you’ll see an ARC sent out for reviews. An ARC is an “Advance Review Copy,” of the book, and on the book’s cover you’ll see words to the effect that the book is “an uncorrected proof, not for sale.” The book may not even have a proper cover at that point, it could be bound with what I’ll call a “placeholder” cover, of plain graphic patterns and not actual art.
When the reviews come in, the editor (or author if indie) will select one to be a blurb that goes on the front or back cover. Blurb as in “This was the bestest book ever” – Famous Author. The cover designer then takes over from there, putting the real cover on the book (if it’s not there already) and laying out the book synopsis, the blurb, the tagline, the byline and title, etc.
A proofreader also shows up at this point to compare the typeset version with the manuscript version – did the typesetter leave out a chapter? This is where it will get caught. The proofreader will also catch typesetting errors, aka typos.
Once the proofs are corrected, the typesetter finishes the layout, then you can go to press, and distribution, and hopefully become a best seller.
Hopefully the first part shows up soon; I think it may have been caught in a trap because I have two links in the post.
I’ve always referred to Jayne Southern as: My brilliant editor. And she is. Jayne was the editor of my novel, The Pool Boy’s Beatitude, which made the semifinal list in the Faulkner Competition. I highly recommend Jayne to help you edit and shape your work into a story to be proud of.
Congrats! Can you share Jayne’s link?
I would recommend Kimberly Hunt of Revision Division as an editor who helped me with both developmental and copy editing on my time-travel series. She was fantastic and prompt and never missed a deadline. https://revisiondivision.com/tips/f/meet-your-editor
Nicola Aquion of Spit and Polish Editing is wonderful to work with and amazing at catching plot holes and inconsistencies. Highly recommend her. nicola@spitandpolishediting.com
I’ve worked with Christine Keleny on two books (memoir, adult fiction) and will go back to her on my next book (short stories). She’s amazing. Read what I said about her on her webpage – testimonials.
https://ckbookspublishing.com/
Jayne Southern: https://www.bookaholiceditor.com
She’s a fabulous editor and a joy to work with. Jayne’s comments kept me entertained for the ten years we worked together. She goes above and beyond and I have always had the utmost faith in her skills.
Jayne Southern at https://www.bookaholiceditor.com. I have written five psychological thrillers all of which have been edited by Jayne. She is a grammarian with great general knowledge. She is an expert who reviews manuscripts until she is satisfied, well beyond the accepted three or so reviews. She has elevated my writing and taught me much about pace, point of view, showing not telling etc etc. I trust her entirely to improve my novels.
Two freelance editors who specialize in mysteries, thriller, crime fiction, etc.
Chris Rhatigan -> https://chrisrhatiganediting.com/
Jim Thomsen -> https://www.jimthomsencreative.com/
I highly recommend Annette M. Irby at AMI Editing. She provides critiques, copy editing, proofreading, and substantive editing. She offers great insight into character development, and I appreciate how she pushes me to take my stories to the next level. Annette has helped me polish all four of my published novels, and I’ll continue to work with her.
http://www.amiediting.com/
I’m writing a novel and found Ellen Brock to be very a insightful and supportive developmental editor. I told my husband that all I want for Mothers Day is some of Ellen’s editing time, so please don’t inundate her at once!! 🙂
https://ellenbrockediting.com/
The rates is the reason why I do my own editing. I may not be perfect but I can afford my rates especially since my one completed work is 36 chapters of approximately 10 pages each. (over 245,000 words)
I will work with you on your budget if you’d like a professional editor. Look over my site but don’t worry about the fees; we will work from your budget. And if you need a payment plan, we can set that up as well.
http://www.polishedpagesediting.com
When I click on the link you posted, I’m sent to a Japanese site.
Kimberly Hunt of Revision Division has been such a tremendous joy to work with! https://revisiondivision.com/
Seconded!
Kelly Bixler is a gifted proofreader and copy-editor with an eye for text continuity and story flow. She runs a proof reading business called http://www.thewriteproofreader.com/
Rates are $0.014/word and $35-$40/hour. She proofreads all types of documents.
Christine Keleny can be reached at ChristineKeleny@yahoo.com. She is the finest editor with whom I have ever worked. I recommend her highly. Professional, knowledgeable and a joy to collaborate with.
My developmental editor Judy L Mohr is amazing. Every time I send a manuscript to Judy, I not only end up with a much better manuscript, but I learn more about the craft of writing. She doesn’t just email you back a report with no way to ask questions, but schedules a video call with you. This means you can get clarification on any comments you don’t understand or find out the reasoning behind a comment. I love the fact that she has fixed pricing not an hourly rate, this means no surprises billing wise. If you don’t like any of her packages reach out via the contact form and she’ll create a custom offer just for you. I’ve used her for three manuscripts, my husband has used her for his non-fiction papers. https://blackwolfeditorial.com/
I highly recommend Miranda Darrow. She’s an exceptional developmental editor and copyeditor. She’s meticulous and detail-oriented and has that rare ability to identify the existing story threads and help you weave them together, so the story remains your own. I can’t recommend her enough!
http://www.mirandadarrow.com
Thank you so much for including me in this list again! I work with nearly every genre but do specialize in graphic novels, comics, and children’s literature from picture books to young adult. <3 Lara Willard
Thanks, Lara! I’ll update your specialties.
This is really useful, but do you know of any UK editors I could approach?
See Averill Buchanan and Lorna Fergusson above.
Thanks Katie.
Thanks for this, Katie. If I have the cash I will definitely choose from this list. Is there somewhere that you know of where i can get help with my agent search? Thanks!
I highly recommend Lorraine Reguly. Used her for editing, formatting, book blurb and cover design. Tremendous talent and help.
lorrainemariereguly@gmail.com
https://wordingwell.com/
Jayne Southern edited several projects for me, always with wonderful results. She does fiction and none fiction. She can be reached at http://www.bookaholiceditor.com
Kimberly Hunt has a great eye and spotted those inconsistencies which can annoy the reader. She suggested changes to the manuscript which tightened the writing and made the novel a better read.
Additionally, she finished the project which was on a tight deadline ahead of schedule.
Kimberly can be reached at khunt@revisiondivision.com or http://www.revisiondivision.com
Hi Katie, thank you for the opportunity of listing here other editors, also!
I can gladly recommend the editor Ann Marie. She is offering a large scale of services such as editing, writing, and consulting on her website: https://www.amseditorial.com/.
If the text needs to be cleaned by unnecessary information Ann Marie will cut it without mercy, still succeeding in keeping the story’s flow and unity. She can also, if required, to rephrase while maintaining the author’s voice intact.
Sandra Byrd is a gifted developmental editor. She helped me get my novel from scattered ideas and plot lines into a cohesive story with ramped up tension and complete character arcs. I highly recommend her! http://www.sandrabyrdbookcoach.com/
I recently published a memoir of my career in law enforcement, it is my first attempt at publishing anything and I used Mari Ann Stefanelli as my editor.
I met Mari Ann at a writers retreat and she became not only my editor but my mentor as well.
Mari Ann specializes in developmental editing for memoir, narrative nonfiction, historical fiction, mystery, and speculation fiction.
I found it easy to communicate with her, by phone, online and in person.
My book, Who I Am: The Man Behind the Badge has received many positive reviews and most of them mention they were unable to put the book down.
I am a new author, but I know that means the book flows well and I credit Mari Ann Stefanelli for that.
Mari Ann’s website is, http://thewritershigh.com/
To the future,
Jeff Shaw
Thanks for a great list. The bigger question for me right now is: What can you do to recoup from an expensive BAD edit. I paid $1500 for copy edit from a self-publishing house. It was loaded with many, many missed grammar, and spelling issues. I didn’t pick them up, of course–that’s why I paid for an editor. But, good friends pointed out many. It’s embarrassing. Is there any recourse for an author?
Sorry to hear that. But, no, I don’t think there’s any way to get your money back. You could always ask the editor, but they’re unlikely to offer a refund since they did invest time in the project.
Keep in mind that one copy or line edit is not enough to expect perfectly clean prose, especially given how much reworking editors do for that service. Publishing houses usually follow a line or copy edit with several proofreads.
Arielle Hadfield is by far the best editor I’ve ever had. She’s worked extensively with many of my novels (fiction) but I know she’s done some non-fiction, self-help books as well. She doesn’t have the rates on her website, but I believe that she’s able and willing to work with the author to get a fair rate for both editor and author. If you want your book in tip-top shape, she’s your gal.
Ariellehadfield.com
I have a wonderful editor who has taught me so much and been a real collaborator and source of support for me with my three novels. She is a joy to work with and flexible with many aspects of editing. Here is her information.
Jill Shultz
Services: Developmental Editing; Copy Editing
Rates: Contact for rates
Specialties: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance
Lisa Ahn (https://lisaahn.com) has been a delight to work with. She’s brilliant and insightful and helped me tremendously with character development and story arc.
Christine Keleny (ChristineKeleny@yahoo.com) guided me through two indy publication projects: a 500-page work of literary fiction and a book for kids. She is a meticulous textual editor, thoughtful analyst of plot and character, and highly skilled at solving various design issues. While she was never reluctant to offer an opinion or pose an objection, she did so in a manner that was invariably collegial and interactive–drawing productively upon her own experience as a many-times-published author. I recommend her highly.
Looks promising. Thanks to Lorin for pointing this out
I recommend Martha Rasmussen, https://www.facebook.com/bookaholicspress/. She is quite the grammar guru. I’m grateful she helped me trim extraneous words from my novel and identified places where characters needed to show more emotion and actions. Her help has made all the difference.
Lorin Oberweger at Free Expressions is a GENIUS. I’ve worked with her multiple times and trust her like no other. https://www.free-expressions.com
I’ve worked with Lorin Oberweger and find her support and creativity second to none. I feel supported and pushed to be my best when I work with her. I highly recommend!
I’ve worked with Lorin Oberweger at Free Expressions – amazing! I’ve also attended workshops created by her and her team of editors. Each workshop, every experience, has left me with a deeper understanding of the writing craft. Her editorial insight is clear, supportive, and ‘spot on’. She offers more than expert editorial eyes on your work. She provides the kind of feedback that helps you better visualize the story you’re trying to share with your readers. If you have the opportunity to work with her either by sending her your work, or taking one of her workshops – do it!
I enthusiastically recommend Lorin Oberweger. Her editing has always been constructive, insightful and inspiring.
Thank you! I will need this later this year. :0)
I’m currently working with Rita nominated author Romy Sommer. She can be found at http://www.writingcoach.co.za and offers the following:
Editing, manuscript appraisals and writing coaching, with a preference / specialisation of developmental editing.
I can fully endorse her skills. She’s both thorough, encouraging and highly efficient.
Lorin Oberweger is a brilliant book editor. Her depth of knowledge and coaching skills have helped me so much.
Perhaps this is a stupid question K.M. (I know, there are no stupid questions just stupid people.) Do you advise putting our novel out to our beta readers before an editor or the other way around?
If possible, yes, I’d recruit some beta readers first. Betas are free (or at least will work on a critique-for-a-critique basis) and many are very knowledgeable in their own right. They can help you clean up some problems before you hire an editor. In some instances, this may mean you can choose a less expensive editing package.
Dan Janal
Services: Developmental editing, book coaching
Rates: Based on project requirements.
Specialties: Non-fiction, business, how to.
http://www.WriteYourBookInAFlash.com
I wholeheartedly recommend Jessica Snell for Christian nonfiction. I’ve worked with her on two books, and I have already asked her to help me with my next project. She is super-knowledgeable, highly efficient, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Her suggested edits have helped me become a better writer. http://jessicasnell.com/editing/.
Book Editing is such as a academic purpose, for this task definitely should hire a experienced person and who is expert in Language skills.
Sally Apokedak is one of the best. She specializes in children’s and middle grade.
https://www.sally-apokedak.com/crits_and_courses/
I completely agree about Sally Apokedak!
I was about to recommend Sally Apokedak–and I see someone else beat me to it! Sally is AMAZING and I absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for an editor! She specializes in children’s and Middle grade and is very good with content editing!
Piping in from Canada: Just this week, I received my first edit from Sally for a children’s manuscript. Her industry expertise and insights will undoubtedly add wonder and colour to this next project. I highly recommend Sally Apokedak as well.
Thanks so much for including me in this amazing list, Katie! I’m truly honored <3
My wife has just published a children’s book. She has had FOUR editors!
Three of them seemed very good and three were absolutely top notch (one was Mary Kole). She has got fantastic feedback from the editors, so she decided to put two excerpts of the reviews in the description of her book.
One of them was from “Allison, editor with Book-Editing-Services”. I have read all of Allison’s editing and her many fantastic comments and I would want to find this woman and thank her.
What’s the problem? you may ask.
They keep her anonymous at this company! I cannot contact her without going through the “censorship”. To me this is a bit crazy. What’s with your guild that makes a company do this?
So I thought I’d ask you guys about this!
Does any of you know “Allison”?
A fantastic editor like she is, and has been for more than 10 years, should be well known in a wider circle.
(You may wonder what review she wrote. Here is an excerpt of it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GVGC8PC)
I would love to be added to your list!
I specialize in non-fiction, fantasy/sci-fi, and comic books. My rates and experience are available on my website: https://www.affordableeditors.com.
When writing my debut memoir: positively triple negative, I worked with Laura Kaiser from Word Haven Editorial. I randomly found her online, and I am so happy I did. Finding the right editor is like matchmaking; hard, yet necessary.
I needed to find someone who championed my story and believed in it as much as I did, someone who saw the same magic I did through the roughness of the first draft. She helped me with how the story was told, and then I hired a proofreader for the grammer and vocabulary.
She really pushed me to dive deeper and helped turn it into a book, people now laugh and cry over. She guided me through the process, and was always ready to help with advice. Laura is dedicated, honest, kind and passionate about her work. She is a cheerleader, editor, guide, and teammate all in one. Highly recommend her.
Her info:
http://www.wordhaveneditorial.com
Services: Nonfiction line editing, copy editing, and proofreading
Rates: Contact for a quote
Specialties: Memoir, self-development, business, travel writing
Ari Augustine (https://www.ariaugustine.com/editorial) has been such a positive editor to work with. She’s thorough and thoughtful with feedback, insightful with suggestions and rationales, and has been such a huge help getting my story where it needs to be developmentally. She also has really cool services like the Darling Assassination and Fiction Therapy (creative coaching), but offers Developmental and Proofreading too. She makes editing fun and thoughtful.
I loved working with her, and hope you’ll add her to this list!
Any thoughts on Reedsy and the level of professionalism of their editors? Thanks.
I have no personal experience with them, so can’t comment I’m afraid.
The best editor I have ever worked with is actually a guy on Fiverr. His name is Ky Bateman and he does amazing in depth work at very reasonable pricing. He also follows you, Ms. Weiland, so he knows and can help people with your methods and structure of writing.
I recently worked with Nicole at Whisler Edits (http://www.whisleredits.com), and I absolutely loved having her edit my work. Her feedback was very helpful and she’d made some great suggestions about how to move forward whenever certain issues came up in the development of the story. She’s easy to communicate with and pays attention to the details in both the story and the characters. Also, I loved how organized all her comments were.
I highly recommend Whisler Edits.
Please add Tiffany Grimes to your list! She owns Burgeon Design & Editorial.
https://www.burgeondesignandeditorial.com/
Tiffany is an excellent developmental editor, teacher, mentor, and book coach. I have been so happy working with her. She is so kind to work with and highly knowledgeable about story craft.
Not only does she offer developmental editing, line editing, and book coaching services, but she’s hosts a 6 month writing Mastermind, 3 month DIY Developmental Editing, and a 6 week mini Mastermind. I have learned so much about writing, editing, and how to diagnose the problems in my novel from her. And I’ve made wonderful friends from these classes as well, something that is not always easy to do as a solo writer.
Her feedback is kind, gentle, and straightforward. She is easy to get in touch with, and to work with. I cannot recommend her enough.
I’d like to recommend Dana Lee at ( https://www.lee-clarityconsulting.com/ ). Dana does an exceptionally fine job, making suggestions that go well beyond proofreading and that dramatically improve my manuscript. She is always prompt and professional. I’ve recommended Dana to numerous other authors and every one of them has been pleased with her work.
Hello: I need a Developmental editor for my historical suspense series. I have Book One completed and am preparing it to send out for review. Does anyone know of a person who will do the job for $2500 or under? I just don’t have the funds for more than that. Please reply directly to writerjr1044@gmail.com. Thanks.