Please note: This article contains affiliate links to Reedsy. That means Writing Tips Oasis receive a small % of the sale if you hire the services of any of the following editors, or another professional on Reedsy, but at no extra cost to you.
If you’ve written a novel and need to get it edited, below we’ve featured 17 of the best freelance fiction editors.
1. Mary-Theresa Hussey
Based in New York, Mary-Theresa Hussey is a freelance editor with over 25 years of experience in the publishing field. After starting her career at Harlequin, Mary received numerous awards for her work, including the Editor of the Year Award from the NYC RWA. In terms of genres, she specializes in fantasy, romance, mystery & crime, and YA, to give some examples. “The Lost”, by Sarah Beth Durst, and “A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms”, by Mercedes Lackey are two titles that could help you get an idea of her portfolio. If you’re in need of developmental editing, copy editing, query letter review, or editorial assessment, feel free to request a quote here.
2. Jennifer Huston
Editor of “My Lover is A Freedom Fighter”, by Rana Shubair, and “The Sad Son”, by Claire Josephine, Jennifer Huston is a Chicago-based freelancer with more than 19 years of publishing experience. She decided to start her freelance career after working as a Senior Editor for Capstone Publishers, and she now has over 200 titles on her list. Jennifer can provide copy editing, developmental editing, and proofreading to both fiction and nonfiction writers. Historical fiction, action & adventure, thriller & suspense, and mystery & crime are some of her favorite genres. To learn more about Jennifer and to request a quote, click here.
3. Williamaye Jones
Living in Houston, Texas, Williamaye Jones is a freelance editor with a B.A. in Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. During her 18 years of experience, she added publishers such as HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Random House on her client list. Williamaye can provide developmental editing, proofreading, copy editing, editorial assessment, query letter review, and indexing. In terms of genres, she prefers romance, historical fiction, mystery & crime, and women’s fiction, to give some examples. If you’d like to learn about her portfolio, you should check out “The Blinds: A Novel”, by Adam Sternbergh, and “The Infernal Battalion”, by Django Wexler. Quotes can be requested here.
4. Emma Borges-Scott
Emma Borges-Scott is a Los Angeles-based freelance editor with an experience of around 20 years in the publishing field. In terms of qualifications, she has an M.F.A. in Fiction from The Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has gained valuable knowledge during her years at Simon & Schuster and McCormick Literary. Emma can provide developmental editing, query letter review, copy editing, and editorial assessment. Some of her favorite genres are literary fiction, YA, and women’s fiction, but she also accepts nonfiction projects. “The Turner House”, by Angela Flournoy, and “Permanent Record”, by Mary H. K. Choi might help you get an idea of her portfolio. If interested, you can request a quote here.
5. Joseph Nassise
Specializing in editorial assessment, developmental editing, and copy editing, Joseph Nassise is a Phoenix-based freelancer and writer who was nominated three times for the Bram Stoker Award and once for the International Horror Guild Award. After 20 years in the publishing industry, fiction is still his main passion – horror, paranormal romance, fantasy, urban fantasy, and anthologies are the genres he usually takes projects in. “The Circle Gathers”, by Rowan Casey, and “Tower of the Forgotten”, by Mitchell Hogan are just two titles in his portfolio. If you want a bestselling genre fiction author to help you with your book, request a quote from Joseph here.
6. Kathy Nida
Living in San Diego, Kathy Nida is a teacher, artist, and freelance editor who has been working in the publishing industry for around 25 years now. When it comes to qualifications, she is certified in Copyediting by USCD and has an M.Ed. in Cross-Cultural Education, to give some examples. Passionate about both fiction and nonfiction, some of her genres of choice are thriller & suspense, fantasy, action & adventure, and women’s fiction. Although she does not feature any fiction titles on her Reedsy portfolio, you can still look up “Slow Calories, Fast Calories”, by Sara Tang to get an idea of her skills. If you’re in need of copy editing, developmental editing, or proofreading, feel free to request a quote here.
7. Taryn Albright
Taryn Albright is a Seattle-based freelance editor who gained extensive work experience at Andrea Brown Literary, The Walt Disney Company, and The Quarto Group, to give some examples. Specializing in children’s, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, Taryn can provide editorial assessment, query letter review, developmental editing, and manuscript coaching. “We’ll Never Be Apart”, by Emiko Jean, and “Race to the Bottom of the Sea”, by Lindsay Eagar are two books that could help you learn more about her portfolio. To request a quote, click here.
8. Rose Lerner
Rose Lerner is a freelance editor and researcher who lives in Philadelphia. Her client list includes renowned writers such as Alyssa Cole, Courtney Milan, and Molly O’Keefe. In terms of genres, Rose is passionate about historical fiction, romance, and LGBTQ+ fiction, and she can provide both developmental editing and editorial assessment. If you want to check out some of the titles in her portfolio, look up “The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics”, by Olivia Waite, and “The Liar’s Dice”, by Jeannie Lin. Quotes can be requested here.
9. Conor Welter
Based in San Francisco, California, Conor Welter is a freelance editor with a B.F.A. in Film and Television Production and an M.A. in Media, Culture, and Communication. After developing his storytelling skills in Hollywood, Conor started his freelancing career in 2018. He is passionate about epic fantasy, LGBTQ+ fiction, science fiction, and plays & screenplays, to name some genres. In terms of services, he can provide proofreading, copy editing, developmental editing, and editorial assessment. “When Colour Became Grey”, by A C Lorenzen, and “The Monarch Papers”, by C.J. Bernstein are two titles you will find in his portfolio. If interested, click here to request a quote.
10. Aja Pollock
An Austin-based freelance editor, Aja Pollock has a certification from the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and a B.A. in Medieval Culture from Brown University. HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan are just three well-known publishers you will find on her client list. Aja takes on both fiction and nonfiction projects, with historical fiction, mystery & crime, thriller & suspense, and women’s fiction being some of her favorite genres. She can provide developmental editing, proofreading, copy editing, and editorial assessment. To get an idea of her past projects, check out “The Female Persuasion: A Novel”, by Meg Wolitzer, and “A Burnable Book: A Novel”, by Bruce Holsinger. Quotes can be requested here.
11. Courtney Vincento
A freelance editor who started her career in the publishing industry at Penguin Random House, Courtney Vincento is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She specializes in fiction, particularly in contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and thriller & suspense, to give some examples, and has so far worked on over 300 titles. In terms of services, Courtney can provide copy editing and proofreading. Two of the many titles in her portfolio are “I Let You Go”, by Clare Mackintosh, and “Wedding Cake Crumble”, by Jenn McKinlay. To learn more about Courtney and to request a quote, access this page.
12. Tim Marquitz
Specializing in science fiction, LitRPG, horror, dystopian, and fantasy, Tim Marquitz is an El Paso-based author and freelance editor. He has around 12 years of experience in the publishing field, and has collaborated with writers such as Carol Berg, Michael J. Sullivan, and Mark Lawrence. Tim can provide copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, query letter review, and editorial assessment. If you want to check out some of his past projects, you should look up “The Mirror’s Truth”, by Michael R. Fletcher, and “Stories of a Condemned Soul”, by Nathaniel Connors. To request a quote, click here.
13. Michael Tager
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Michael Tager is a self-employed editor at Mason Jar Press, which he founded in 2014. With a B.A. in English and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing, Michael has both the qualifications and the experience to provide developmental editing, proofreading, editorial assessment, query letter review, and copy editing. He is interested in both fiction and nonfiction, particularly in middle grade fantasy, thriller & suspense, science fiction, and short stories, to give some examples. “The Horror is Us”, by Justin Sanders, and “How to Sit”, by Tyrese L. Coleman are two of the best titles you will find in his portfolio. Quotes can be requested here.
14. Larissa Melo Pienkowski
A Boston-based freelance editor, Larissa Melo Pienkowski has a B.S.W. in Social Work and Sociology and an M.A. in Publishing and Writing. In terms of services, she specializes in query letter review, developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, and editorial assessment. LGBTQ+ fiction, literary fiction, romance, and middle grade fiction are some of her favorite genres, but she also edits nonfiction books. If you’d like to see some of her past projects, look up “Winter’s Orbit”, by Everina Maxwell, and “Make Up Break Up: A Novel”, by Lily Menon. To learn more about Larissa and to request a quote, access this page.
15. Susan DeFreitas
Living in Portland, Oregon, Susan DeFreitas is a freelance editor, book strategist, and coach with a B.A. in Arts and Letters and an M.F.A. in Writing (Fiction). During her 10 years of experience she won several awards, such as the 2017 Gold IPPY Award. Specializing in fiction, particularly in literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy, Susan can provide developmental editing, line editing, manuscript evaluation, and creative consulting. “Think Zebras”, by Kathryn D. Scott, and “Grayland”, by Maddie DeLange are just two of the titles in her portfolio. To request a quote, click here.
16. Susan Gaigher
Editor of “Night of the Cologoro”, by Christine Porter, and “Ella’s Big Catch”, by Tina Reich, Susan Gaigher is a freelancer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. In terms of studies, she has a B.A. in Publishing and an M.A. in Digital Publishing. Interested in both fiction and nonfiction, some of the genres she prefers are fantasy, romance, YA, and literary fiction. After more than 12 years of experience, Susan can provide developmental editing, proofreading, copy editing, editorial assessment, and query letter review. To learn more about her and to request a quote, access this page.
17. Sam Cooney
Specializing in proofreading, developmental editing, copy editing, and editorial assessment, Sam Cooney is a publishing consultant and freelance editor based in Sydney, New South Wales. With a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing and an M.A. in Cultural and Creative Practice, he is open to working on both fiction and nonfiction projects. Some of his favorite genres are contemporary fiction, thriller & suspense, and historical fiction. “The Town: A Novel”, by Shaun Prescott, and “Apple and Knife”, by Intan Paramaditha are just two of the best titles in his portfolio. If interested, feel free to request a quote here.
2 More Top Freelance Fiction Editors
18. Claire Baldwin
Claire Baldwin is a London-based freelance editor and author who has been working in the publishing field for around 15 years now. She started her career at Headline Publishing Group, and is now able to provide developmental editing and editorial assessment. As Claire specializes in fiction, she prefers literary fiction, action & adventure, fantasy, and humor & comedy, to give some examples. To learn more about her portfolio, you should look up “Discovery of Witches”, by Deborah E. Harkness, and “The Crimson Ribbon”, by Katherine Clements. Quotes can be requested here.
19. Oksana Marafioti
Living in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oksana Marafioti is a freelance editor, teacher, author, and the founder of Las Vegas Writers Lounge. In terms of services, she can provide copy editing, developmental editing, editorial assessment, query letter review, and proofreading. With an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and a teaching career in English/Literature, Oksana finds it easy to help others improve their writing skills. She works on both fiction and nonfiction books, and some of her genres of choice are romance, urban fantasy, and literary fiction. “Donatti’s Lunatics”, by Ana Mara is one of the best titles in her portfolio. To learn more and to request a quote, click here.
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