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 any other professional on Reedsy, but at no extra cost to you.
If you’re an Australian author who is about to send your manuscript to a book publisher, or a literary agent, are you sure your book is properly edited?
If not, don’t submit before getting a professional editor to look over your work.
To help you find someone who can look over your book with a critical eye, we’ve compiled the following list of 19 top book editors in Australia.
1. Sherryl Clark
With over 30 years of experience writing, editing & coaching writers, Sherryl Clark is one of the most skilled freelance editors based out of Melbourne, Victoria. Her expertise lies in performing developmental edits, copy edits, proofreading, and providing editorial assessments.
A certified editor, Sherryl has produced several works of fiction like Dead and Gone, Dying To Tell Me, and 1915: Jimmy’s War. The genres of manuscripts she is willing to accept are children’s nonfiction, middle-grade fiction, historical fiction, mystery & crime, young adult, etc. Want to give your manuscript the best chance to shine? Request a quote from Sherryl to discuss your requirements with her.
2. Sam Cooney
A resident of Sydney, New South Wales, Sam Cooney is a freelance book editor with expertise in genres such as thriller & suspense, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and biographies & memoirs.
He offers services like structural editing, developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. Having founded an independent publishing house called Brow Books, Sam has an expansive knowledge of the publishing world. He has been editing books for over 7 years.
Some titles on his portfolio are Pink Mountain on Locust Island by Jamie Marina Lau, The Town by Shaun Prescott, and One Good Turn by Mary Leunig. If you want to consult his services, go ahead and request a quote from him.
3. Helen Bethune Moore
Are you looking for an editor who specialises in books catered to children? Well, your search has come to an end. Helen Bethune Moore is a freelance editor who works with authors and publishers alike. Her experience has placed her at renowned firms like Macmillan, Cambridge University Press, and Pearson.
She performs copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, and editorial assessments for children’s fiction and nonfiction titles. A couple of books she has contributed to are The Art of Great Speeches by Dennis Glover and It’s Art Time by Lauren McCormick Gordon.
You can take your manuscript to the next level by requesting a quote from her.
4. Kate Wenban
Kate Wenban is a highly experienced freelance book editor from Sydney, New South Wales. She has worked with the likes of Scholastic, Marvel, and Disney. If you require developmental editing, copy editing or proofreading services for your manuscript, you should request a quote from her.
Keep in mind that, at the moment, she is only looking to copy edit manuscripts shorter than 15000 words, and for books that are lengthier in volume, she is willing to proofread them.
The fictional categories that Kate is open to considering are humor & comedy, mystery & crime, middle-grade, middle-grade fantasy, and picture books. A few titles she has contributed to are Double Dare You by Meredith Costain, Fartboy by Adam Wallace, and 48 Hours: The Vanishing by Gabrielle Lord.
5. Daniel Conway
Is English your second language? Are you struggling to find an editor who is adept at working with ESL writers? Daniel Conway may just be the right editor to spruce up your manuscript.
He resides in Melbourne, Victoria, and is a certified editor who provides proofreading, developmental editing, and copy editing services on a freelance basis. In fiction, he only edits classics. Whereas, some of the nonfiction topics he looks forward to working on are education & reference, true crime, health & wellbeing, art, DIY & crafts, etc.
If you want your book to be listed alongside exceptional titles like The Story of World Mythologies by Terri-ann White and Cybercrime & the Dark Net by Cath Senker, you should submit a quote request promptly.
6. Anita Mullick
Authors living in Ocean Grove, Victoria can approach this award-winning resident editor for various editing requirements. Anita Mullick specialises in editing educational resources and children’s nonfiction as well as picture books, middle-grade fiction, and comics & graphic novels.
Developmental editing, editorial assessment, copy editing, and proofreading are the services she provides as a freelance editor. She has worked with esteemed publications Oxford University Press and Harcourt Education. To reach out to her, you can request a quote by sharing some information about your manuscript.
7. Karen Gee
Hailing from Sydney, New South Wales, Karen Gee possesses over 20 years of experience within the publishing industry. She has worked at Allen & Unwin and Exisle Publishing in the capacity of an editor.
Pink Ink by Harry Cook, Women Like Us by Mandy Nolan & Ellen Briggs, and Sleep Sense by Katherina Lederle are three books Karen has worked on. Wondering whether she’d be the right fit for your book? Request a quote from her.
You could avail of developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, and editorial assessment services from her. The categories of books she is willing to work on are literary fiction, middle-grade fiction, plays, philosophy, nature, and more!
8. Nadine Davidoff
Literary fiction, anthologies, women’s fiction, historical fiction, travel nonfiction, biographies & memoirs, and short story fiction are the book genres that Nadine Davidoff is open to considering. She is a freelance editor based out of Melbourne, Victoria.
Nadine has a graduate diploma in Editing and Publishing from RMIT and has previously worked as an editor at Random House Australia as well as Black Inc.
The types of editing services she offers are developmental editing, copy editing, and editorial assessment. A few titles from her portfolio are The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster, The Wreck of the Batavia by Simon Leys, and A Lot of Croc: An Urban Bush Legend by Kate Finlayson. To contact her, you should submit a quote request.
9. Andrea Dobbin
Having ventured into the realm of freelance editing after gaining in-depth experience at Lonely Planet, Andrea Dobbin works with authors in performing editorial assessments, proofreads, copy edits and developmental edits on their manuscript.
She resides in Melbourne, Victoria and has worked on books like Things My Father Taught Me by Claire Halliday and Losing Patients by Virginia Taylor. The genres of books she is currently accepting for consideration are romance, mystery & crime, middle-grade fiction, travel, business & management, to name a few.
Contact her today by requesting a quote for your manuscript.
10. Jessica Perini
A resident of Sydney, New South Wales, Jessica Perini has successfully worked with more than 100 authors in editing their fiction/ nonfiction books. As a writer herself, she has a 360 degree understanding of producing quality titles.
Accredited by the Society of Editors, Jessica provides freelance services like copy editing, proofreading, developmental editing, and editorial assessments. If you are the author of a book belonging to the literary fiction, thriller & suspense, mystery & crime categories, you’re in luck!
Some nonfiction genres she is willing to work with are history, parenting & families, home & garden, etc. Sustainable Foods by Michael Mobbs and Chasing Shadows by Leila Yusuf Chung are two books that Jessica has edited. You can add your novel to the list by submitting a quote request.
11. Angela Meyer
Angela Meyer has edited award-winning and bestselling books during her stint at Echo Publishing. A resident of Melbourne, Victoria, she provides freelance editing services solely for fiction books.
If you’ve heard of popular titles such as The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, The Spiral by Iain Ryan, and Under The Light of the Italian Moon by Jennifer Anton, then know that Angela played a crucial part in preparing these books for publication.
The types of editing services she provides are developmental editing, proofreading, copy editing, and editorial assessments. Authors of thriller & suspense, literary fiction, historical fiction, LGBTQ fiction, science fiction, mystery & crime, and short stories can request a quote from Angela.
12. Lauren Finger
Over 19 years, Lauren Finger has perfected her editing skills by working with writers of biographies & memoirs, romantic comedy, psychological thriller, women’s fiction, action & adventure, contemporary fiction, etc.
She is a freelance editor hailing from Sydney, New South Wales. Her career in the publishing industry has led her to work at organisations like Allen & Unwin, Atlantic Books, and Bookouter. You can refine your manuscript with the developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading services that she offers.
Are you ready to request a quote from her? The Italian Girls by Debbie Rix and The Wife by Shalini Boland are two titles in her portfolio.
13. Garima Sharma
Based out of Adelaide, South Australia, Garima Sharma is a self-employed editor who specialises in educational resources, scientific texts, and nonfiction books within the business management, health & wellbeing, maths & science categories.
She has over 10 years of experience working in the publishing industry at firms such as Thomson Digital, Macmillan Publishing Services Ltd, and Aptara Inc. Garima is available to perform copy edits, developmental edits and proofreads for your manuscript.
A couple of titles that she has contributed to are Nanoelectronic Mixed-Signal System Design by Saraju Mohanty and Social Policy for an Aging Society: A Human Rights Perspective by Carole B. Cox. To contact her, you should submit a quote request along with some information about your book.
14. Katia Ariel
What better way to enhance your writing than get it edited by an award-winning editor? Katie Ariel has won the Honours Prize from RMIT for Publishing and Editing. She is a freelance editor residing in Melbourne, Victoria and boasts of over 15 years of experience.
Contemporary fiction, poetry, LGBTQ fiction, short story fiction, health & wellbeing are some of the genres that Katia is willing to accept for editing. Depending on the nature of your writing, she would be able to recommend a developmental edit, copy edit or proofread.
The Tiniest House of Time by Sreedhevi Iyer, Missing Pieces by Carolina De Costa, and Nagaland by Ben Doherty are three books that Katia has edited. If you’re ready to consult her for your manuscript, you should request a quote at the earliest.
15. Catherine Dunk
Catherine Dunk’s expertise lies in editing nonfiction books, particularly self-help, history, parenting & families, psychology, and health & wellbeing ones, to name a few. This self-employed editor from Sydney, New South Wales has a certification in Publishing and Editing.
Her skills have enabled her to work at HarperCollins, McGraw Hill, and Penguin Random House. If you’re looking to get proofreading or copy editing services for your manuscript, request a quote from Catherine.
21 Days to a Happier Family by Justin Coulson and Glimpses for Utopia: RealIdeas for a Fairer World by Jess Scully are two books she has helped release.
16. Kate Goldsworthy
As a self-employed editor, Kate Goldsworthy’s clients come from the big names in the publishing sphere – Penguin Random House, Allen & Unwin, HarperCollins, etc. Authors living in Melbourne, Victoria will find this resident editor suitable for their fiction or nonfiction manuscript.
A graduate of Professional Writing & Editing from RMIT, Kate provides editorial assessments, proofreading, copy editing, and developmental editing services. A few of the genres that she is interested in are young adult fiction, nonfiction history, biographies & memoirs, literary fiction, and mystery & crime.
Want your novel to garner the likes that titles such as these – Into The Night by Sarah Bailey and Highway Bodies by Alison Evans – did? Submit a quote request today.
17. Alex Munroe
Accredited by the New South Wales Society of Editors, Alex Munroe possesses the skills to polish your novel and make it a bestseller. Edge of the Rain by Beverley Harper, The Jaidyn Leskie Murder by Michael Leeson, and The Gift by Ruth Ostrow are the kind of books she has edited.
She hails from Sydney, New South Wales, and offers freelance copy editing, proofreading, developmental editing, and editorial assessment services.
If you are an author of women’s fiction, anthologies, social & family issues fiction, biographies & memoirs, health & wellbeing, business management book, you should submit a quote request.
18. Alison Fraser
Alison Fraser’s experience working at Reader’s Digest Australia has lent her the ability to provide freelance editing services to authors and excel at refining their manuscripts.
She’s from Sydney, New South Wales, and has contributed to the success of renowned authors such as Lee Child, David Baldacci, and John Grisham. If you are ready to make your novel a celebrated title, don’t hesitate to request a quote from Alison to further discuss the project with her.
She provides structural editing and copy editing services for books in the thriller & suspense, women’s fiction, and biographies & memoirs space. The Longest Road by Nicholas Sparks, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama, and Sycamore Row by John Grisham are but a few titles that she has edited.
19. William Allen
A novelist himself, William Allen is familiar with both sides of the coin; and can assist authors of nonfiction titles to give their book the best shot at a glowing reception. He is a resident of Melbourne, Victoria, and possesses a Master’s in Publishing & Communications from the University of Melbourne.
Australian Submarines: A History by Michael White and Films of John Hughes by John Cumming are two books William has contributed to.
If you are looking for copy editing or proofreading services for your manuscript, look no further. Keep in mind that he accepts works of travel, humanities & social sciences, and education & reference before you submit a quote request.
Are you aware of any other book editors in Australia? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.