Are you writer who has just written your first book?
Congratulations!
If your end goal for your book is for it to be published, you’re going to have to make submissions to suitable book publishers.
Before you do though, ensure you’ve got your manuscript professionally edited.
Below you’ll find 17 top book editors for first time authors. The following editors are spread across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
1. Jen Blood
Jen Blood is a bestselling author and veteran editor based in Phippsburg, Maine. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on Popular Fiction from the University of Southern Maine. Whether you’re an established author or you’ve just finished writing your very first book, Jen can help take your manuscript to the next level.
She offers a number of services, including structural editing, beta reading, content editing, copy editing, pacing breakdown, and chapter-by-chapter analysis. She also offers a full-editing package at $30 per 1000 words, which includes copy and content editing, two revisions, elemental summary, per chapter analysis, sales blurb consult, and up to three conferences via Skype.
If you are interested in working with Jen, you can get in touch with her here.
2. Katie McCoach
Katie McCoach of KM Editorial is a developmental editor located in Los Angeles, California. She works with both first time authors and more experienced writers who need a fresh pair of eyes, and many of the authors she has worked with have gone on to win awards. Katie is experienced in editing books across various genres, but her specialties are science fiction, dystopia, and romance for YA and adult readers.
She offers developmental editing starting at $0.017 per word and substantive editing starting at $0.018 per word. She also offers hourly coaching via phone or email starting at $500 for three hours. You can find the full list of her services here.
If you would like to work with Katie, you can start by filling out her online inquiry form.
3. Sarah Kolb-Williams
Sarah Kolb-Williams is an editorial consultant and editor based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She works with both new and established authors, and the services she offers include copyediting, substantive editing, and comprehensive assessment. Copyediting is available for all non-fiction and fiction genres, while comprehensive assessments are only available for fantasy and science fiction. Sarah’s copyediting rates begin at $0.02 per word and comes with follow-up support via email. Learn more about her editing services here to determine which service works best for you.
You can request an editing quote by filling out Sarah’s quote request form and uploading a copy of your manuscript. If you have additional questions, you can get in touch with Sarah here.
4. Kristen Tate
Currently based in Los Angeles, Kristen Tate of The Blue Garrett holds a PhD in English from Columbia University, as well as a Professional Copyediting Certificate from UC Berkeley. She offers several editing packages for new and experienced authors. Her most comprehensive package, called The Works, costs $2,800 for a typical book of 70,000 words, and it consists of content editing, copyediting, proofreading, blurb editing, cover critique, and support during the revision process. She works on most fiction and non-fiction genres, including YA, fantasy, romance, erotica, historical fiction, thrillers, memoirs, cookbooks, and more. You can learn more about her other editing packages and add-ons here.
Interested in working with Kristen? Feel free to get in touch with her! You can also request a sample edit by filling out the new client form on her website.
5. Deborah Bancroft
Boston-based editor Deborah Bancroft has been offering her editing services to authors of all experience levels since 1996. Authors who want to polish their manuscripts to perfection can hire Deborah for mechanical editing, stylistic editing, and substantive editing. Her rates begin at $3.50 per 250 words for light editing. For editorial work that doesn’t fit in a particular category, Deborah charges an hourly rate starting at $35. Visit her website to learn more about all her available services.
Contact Deborah if you would like to work with her or if you have any questions about the services she offers.
6. Liz Dexter
Liz Dexter of LibroEditing is an experienced editor, writer, and transcriber, as well as a qualified librarian. She is currently based in Birmingham, UK, but she happily works with new and established authors from all parts of the world. She offers copyediting and proofreading starting at £8.00 per 1,000 words, and she offers discounts to students and self-publishing authors. She also works with non-native English speakers who need help polishing written translations. Check out all her services and rates here.
You can use her contact form to get in touch with her. If you are planning on hiring her to work on your manuscript, make sure to check her terms and conditions before reaching out.
7. Andrew Noakes
Andrew Noakes is a London-based editor who specializes in historical fiction. He is a History graduate from Cambridge University, and working as a historical fiction editor allows him to combine his passion for stories and his historical expertise. The subgenres he enjoys editing the most are action, romance, drama, mystery, and thrillers. He primarily offers content editing, which addresses your manuscript’s big-picture issues such as plot, pacing, structure, historical authenticity, characterization, and overall quality. Rates for content editing begin at £6 per 1000 words. You can find more information on Andrew’s rates and services on his website.
If you would like to inquire about Andrew’s availability, you can get in touch with him via email.
8. Jane Hammett
Jane Hammett is a proofreader and editor based in Bedfordshire. She works with independent authors, academic writers, publishers, and businesses. She also works with new authors who have just completed their first manuscript. As an Advanced Professional Member of the Society for Proofreaders and Editors, Jane offers accurate and thorough editing services, including copyediting, proofreading, and translating from US to UK English. She works on the following genres: children’s fiction, crime, suspense, romance, erotica, women’s fiction, action, and general fiction.
Her rates vary depending on the details of the project. If you would like to inquire about her rates, services, and availability, you can get in touch with her here.
9. Katharine D’Souza
Based in Birmingham, Katharine D’Souza is an editor and writing coach that offers manuscript appraising, developmental editing, copyediting, and general critiquing of novels and short stories. Her services are available to both new and experienced authors, and her rates vary based on how long she estimates the project will take. Interested authors can visit her website to learn more about her editorial services.
Katharine offers free sample edits before agreeing to work together so that both parties can determine if it’s a good match. To request a sample edit or to request a quote, you can reach her via email or through her online contact form.
10. Maylon Gardner
Maylon Gardner is a freelance editor based in Kelowna, British Columbia. She works with new authors who have just written their first book, as well as established authors who want to polish their manuscripts. She offers copyediting, proofreading, and developmental editing across various genres and subjects, including trade non-fiction, children’s literature, self-help books, and fiction—particularly fantasy and science fiction. She provides honest and important feedback, and she usually completes revisions within 10 to 14 days. Her rates vary depending on the details of the project.
You can request a quote or inquire about Maylon’s services by sending her an email.
11. Ellie Barton
Ellie Barton is a writer and editor working out of Ontario, Canada. She works with independent authors who plan on self-publishing, as well as those who plan on submitting their manuscript to an agent or publisher. She also works with first time authors. Ellie specializes in memoirs, non-fiction, and scholarly books, and she offers copyediting, substantive editing, and manuscript assessment services. Rates vary depending on the length of your manuscript and the complexity of the editing required.
Get a free estimate and learn more about Ellie’s editorial services by sending her a message through her online inquiry form.
12. Talena Winters
Currently residing in Alberta, Talena Winters is an experienced writer and editor. She is the author of The Undine’s Tear, The Waterboy, Finding Heaven, and The Friday Night Date Dress. Both new and established authors can avail of her various editorial services, including full or partial manuscript assessment, full developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading. She also offers blurb writing and story development.
If you’ve just finished your first book and are interested in working with Talena, you can request a quote here.
13. Michelle Parker
Michelle Parker of M Parker Editing is an award-winning editor based in Ottawa. She works with authors of all experience levels and is particularly passionate about supporting authors and stories that are usually underrepresented in the publishing world. As such, she is most interested in working on projects that feature LGBT+ characters, disabled characters, characters of color, etc. She offers developmental editing starting at $0.03 per word, copyediting starting at $0.02 per word, and manuscript assessment starting at $0.50 per 1000 words. She also offers sensitivity reading that can be bundled with her other services. Learn more about everything she offers here.
Michelle is hard of hearing, so the best way to reach her is through the query form on her website, but you can find all the ways to contact her here.
14. Abigail Nathan
Abigail Nathan of Bothersome Words is a professional editor based in Sydney, Australia. She works with authors across different genres and fields, including new authors who are just starting out. Through her editorial services, she helps authors develop their work for either self-publishing or submission to an agent or publishing house. Abigail’s services include structural editing, copyediting, and proofreading. Depending on your preference, proofreading can be done via Microsoft Word or on paper, while edits are generally done on Microsoft Word using the comment function and track changes. Rates vary based on how complex the project is.
If you want to hire Abigail to help you with your manuscript, you can start by requesting a quote through this form. If you have any questions or clarifications about her services, you can check out the FAQs on her website, or you can contact her here.
15. Kat Betts
Working out of Melbourne, Kat Betts of Element Editing Services is a professional editor who specializes in speculative fiction, specifically science fiction and fantasy. Whether it’s your first book or your 30th, Kat can help you make your manuscript shine. Her full publishing package starts at AUD $65 per 1000 words, and it includes 2 rounds of line editing and 2 rounds of proofreading. She also offers standalone services, such as copyediting, structural editing, proofreading, line editing and developmental editing. You can see a detailed breakdown of all her rates and services here.
Interested authors can get in touch with Kat through her contact form. Make sure to include a brief description of what your manuscript is about, what kind of editing you think you need, and when you plan on publishing your book.
16. Nadine Davidoff
Also based in Melbourne, Nadine Davidoff is an experienced editor who works with new and established authors alike. She used to work at Random House Australia as Senior Editor and at Black Inc. as a Commissioning Editor. She started her own freelance editing business in 2006. Her editorial services include structural editing, copyediting, manuscript assessment, and proofreading. Prices vary based on the length of your manuscript and the kind of editing you require.
If you feel like Nadine is the right editor for you, you can request a quote and get in touch with her through her contact form or via email.
17. Tony Ryan
A member of the Institute of Professional Editors and the Freelance Editors’ Network, Tony Ryan can help you transform your manuscript into the best version of itself. He holds a bachelor’s degree in professional writing and editing from Deakin’s University and is a first-class honors graduate of the University of Melbourne. He offers various editing services for both new and experienced authors, including copyediting, structural editing, proofreading, and manuscript assessment. Because each project is unique, Tony needs as much information about your manuscript as possible before providing a quote.
To contact Tony for a quote, you can use the contact form on his website.
Do you know of any other book editors for first time authors? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.