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Are you a writer who lives in Newark, Jersey City, Atlantic City, Trenton or another city in the state of New Jersey in the United States?
Have you written a book and need someone to edit it?
Below you’ll find 17 top book editors in New Jersey.
1. Tim Lindner
Based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, Tim Lindner is a freelance editor and English composition teacher with extensive work experience in the publishing field. Some of his favorite genres are health & wellbeing, poetry, engineering, and business & management.
In terms of services, he can provide copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, and editorial assessment. If you’re curious about Tim’s skills, you can check out “Strength Training for Beginners”, by Kyle Hunt, and “Introduction to Electric Circuits”, by James A. Svoboda and Richard C. Dorf. To learn more about him and to request a quote, click here.
2. Erin Williams
Specializing in copy editing and proofreading, Erin Williams is a freelance editor based in Morris County, New Jersey. After starting her career in 2001, she gained valuable work experience at The Patriot Ledger, Daily Southtown, and Rodale Books, to give some examples.
Erin is passionate about nonfiction, so a few of the genres on her list are education & reference, parenting & families, and sports & outdoors. “What Doesn’t Kill Us”, by Scott Carney, and “The Champion’s Mind”, by Jim Afremow are two titles that could help you get an idea of her skills. If you’re interested in collaborating with Erin, feel free to request a quote here.
3. Elisa Wares
Elisa Wares is a Hawthorne-based freelancer who began her editing journey at Ballantine Books in 1984. Currently specializing in historical romance, cozy mysteries, parenting & families, and children’s nonfiction, Elisa finds it crucial to keep the author’s voice intact in every project she works on.
If you’re looking for editorial assessment, query letter review, developmental editing, or proofreading services, she can definitely help you out. “Pearl Moon”, by Katherine Stone, and “We Wish You a Merry Murder”, by Valerie Wolzien are just two of the many high-quality titles in her portfolio. Quotes can be requested here.
4. Coll Kosinski
Specializing in developmental editing, query letter review, and editorial assessment, Coll Kosinski is a Cherry Hill-based freelancer with around 20 years of experience in the publishing sector. Coll earned a B.A. from Rutgers University and has so far collaborated with Sky Pony Press, Two Lions Publishing, and Altair Literary, to name some clients.
Having published titles of her own, she can easily understand the needs of every author that requests her services. Coll is passionate about middle grade fiction, middle grade fantasy, and picture books. If you want to check out her portfolio, you should start with “Something Is Bugging Samantha Hansen”, by Nancy Viau, and “Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts”, by Dianne K. Salerni. Feel free to ask for a quote here.
5. Cass Lauer
A freelance editor and copywriter since 2018, Cass Lauer has been working at Creator Institute for almost 3 years now. While she specializes in both fiction and nonfiction, her main passions are feminism/womanism, intersectionality, and LGBTQ+-related topics. However, her list also includes humanities & social sciences, contemporary fiction, and self-help & self-improvement, to name some genres.
“Shelves of Art and the People Between”, by Devina Bhalla, and “Voguepreneurs”, by Andrea Siracuse are two titles that will give you an idea of Cass’s portfolio. If you need developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, or editorial assessment services, this Roselle Park-based freelancer can definitely help you out. Quotes can be requested here.
6. Richard Carlin
When it comes to freelance book editors, Richard Carlin is definitely one of the best out there. Living in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Richard began his journey in the publishing field in 1995. He has worked at Routledge, Macmillan USA, Oxford University Press, and Pearson, and has earned three awards, one of which is the 2015 Best Music Biography Award from the Association of Recorded Sounds Collections.
At present, Richard can provide developmental editing, query letter review, indexing, and editorial assessment to nonfiction authors. In terms of genres, he’s interested in art, history, music, and biographies & memoirs. “Roadkill on the Three-Chord Highway”, by Colin Escott can help you learn a bit about his skills. If you’d like to work with Richard, feel free to request a quote here.
7. Lindsay Schlegel
From bookseller at Borders Books and Music to experienced freelance editor and contributing writer at Verily Magazine, Lindsay Schlegel has had an admirable career path. She gained valuable work experience at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency and Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing Division, so she can provide high-quality editorial assessment, query letter review, and developmental editing services.
Lindsay welcomes both fiction and nonfiction projects, particularly when it comes to Christian fiction, picture books, and middle grade & YA titles, to give some examples. If you want to check out her portfolio, start with “Joseph’s Grace”, by Shelia P. Moses, and “Five Nights To The Crimson Moon”, by Walter Renfrey. Quotes can be requested here.
8. Phil Sexton
Living in Maplewood, New Jersey, Phil Sexton is a freelance editor, teacher, content strategist, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Besides his freelance career, Phil is also the Vice President and Publisher of Media Lab Books.
In terms of services, he can provide developmental editing, editorial assessment, and query letter review. Since he specializes in nonfiction, some of Phil’s favorite genres are DIY & crafts, entertainment, and biographies & memoirs. “Damn Fine Story”, by Chuck Wendig, and “Story Trumps Structure”, by Steven James are two of the best titles in his portfolio. To learn more about Phil and to request a quote, access this page.
9. Laura Cifelli
The numerous editing awards Laura Cifelli has earned over time prove how great she is at her job. Currently living in Metuchen, New Jersey, she has an M.A. in Publishing Studies from New York University and has previously worked at Bantam Doubleday Dell, HarperCollins, and New American Library.
If you’re curious about her past projects, check out “The Homecoming”, by JoAnn Ross, and “Take it Like a Mom”, by Stephanie Stiles. Laura can provide developmental editing and editorial assessment for fiction authors specializing in romantic comedy, paranormal romance, fantasy, or romantic suspense, to name some genres. Quotes can be requested here.
10. Katie Arnold-Ratliff
With a passion for both fiction and nonfiction, Katie Arnold-Ratliff is a Maplewood-based freelancer who has been working in the publishing industry for over 10 years now. Literary fiction, health & wellbeing, and inspirational nonfiction are a few of the genres she prefers.
To learn more about her past projects, you should check out “Negotiating the Unnegotiable”, by Daniel Shapiro, and “Obsession”, by Gloria Vanderbilt. If you’re in need of developmental editing or editorial assessment services, Katie can definitely help you out, so feel free to request a quote here.
11. Marcy Dermansky
Pursuing your passion is one of the greatest things in life, and that’s exactly what Marcy Dermansky has been doing since 1999. A Montclair-based freelancer who has previously worked at About.com and Dow Jones, Marcy can provide copy editing, developmental editing, editorial assessment, and proofreading services.
Since she is an author herself, she can easily understand the needs of both fiction and nonfiction authors. Biographies & memoirs, humor & comedy, and literary fiction are only three of the genres she specializes in. Curious about her portfolio? If so, look up “Memory Is Our Home”, by Suzanna Eibuszyc, and “A Million Miles”, by Amy Fleisher Madden. Quotes can be requested here.
12. Dawn Raffel
Dawn Raffel is a skilled freelance editor who lives in Hoboken, New Jersey. With a work experience of over 20 years gained at Reader’s Digest, More Magazine, The Literarian, and O, The Oprah Magazine, Dawn can turn any book into a bestseller.
She is passionate about literary fiction and biographies & memoirs, and has edited titles such as “Dancing with Elephants”, by Jarem Sawatsky, and “Necessary Mourning”, by Dahlia Abraham-Klein. If you’re looking for editorial assessment, developmental editing, or copy editing services, don’t hesitate to request a quote here.
13. Jeff Tamarkin
Based in Hoboken, New Jersey, Jeff Tamarkin started his journey in the publishing field in 1976. He has worked at JazzTimes, College Media Journal, Relix, and Global Rhythm, and has written countless liner notes, press releases, and artist bios, so it’s pretty obvious that music is his main area of interest.
In terms of genres, Jeff also specializes in entertainment and biographies & memoirs. If you want to check out some of his past projects, start with “Cruel Beautiful World”, by Caroline Leavitt. Feel free to request a quote for his copy editing, developmental editing, and editorial assessment services here.
14. Mira Park
Editor of “Her Heart for the Asking”, by Lisa Mondello, and “Loving Lana”, by Nancy J. Parra, Mira Park is a freelancer based in River Edge, New Jersey. After starting her career at Dorchester Publishing Company in 1996, Mira discovered many facets of the publishing field. However, nothing could compare with her passion for romance titles.
Because of this, she specializes in paranormal romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, and contemporary fiction, to give some examples. Authors who are interested in copy editing, proofreading, developmental editing, or editorial assessment services can request a quote from Mira here.
15. Jim Pennypacker
Specializing in developmental editing, copy editing, and editorial assessment, Jim Pennypacker is a Lambertville-based freelancer with decades of experience in the publishing field. He has a B.A. in Philosophy of Science and Technology, an M.B.A. in Technology & Electronic Commerce, and several other certifications which enable him to help nonfiction authors improve their projects.
In terms of genres, Jim loves career guides, engineering, and business & management, to give some examples. “How to Be a Financial Grownup”, by Bobbi Rebell will give you an idea of his editing skills. If you’d like to work with Jim, you can request a quote here.
16. Allison Goldstein
When it comes to academic writing and literary fiction, Allison Goldstein is one of the best editors you can hire. She majored in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and English, began her career at Wiley, and has been working in the publishing field for over 12 years now.
Her areas of interest include both fiction and nonfiction, particularly life sciences, biographies & memoirs, and literary fiction, to give some examples. “The Shortcut”, by Mike Smith, and “Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon”, by Mary Fan are just two of the titles in her portfolio. If you’re looking for proofreading, developmental editing, or copy editing services, this Jersey City-based freelancer can definitely help you out. Feel free to request a quote here.
17. Michael Goldstein
Michael Goldstein’s contagious enthusiasm for books makes him a pleasure to work with. After 5 years in the publishing industry, he can provide proofreading, copy editing, and indexing services to both fiction and nonfiction authors.
Entertainment, fantasy, history, and art are only a few of the many genres he specializes in. If you want to learn more about his past projects, check out “The Last Lobster”, by Cristopher White, and “Remain in Love”, by Chris Frantz. Authors who would like to request a quote from Michael should access this page.
Some More Top Book Editors in New Jersey
18. Darryl Oliver
A skilled freelance editor and former educator who lives in Jersey City, Darryl Oliver has been working at Penguin Random House since 2020. In terms of genres, African American fiction, romance, history, and epic fantasy are only some his many specialties.
You can easily get an idea of Darryl’s portfolio by checking out “Three Way Tie”, by Nicole Stewart, and “Probably Ruby”, by Lisa Bird-Wilson. Authors who are in need of query letter review, editorial assessment, copy editing, or developmental editing services can access this page to ask for a quote.
19. Brooke Goode
Based in New Jersey, Brooke Goode has a list of credentials that would make most freelance editors jealous. She has previously worked at companies such as James Curry Publishers, Zed Books, IPC Media, Henry Holt & Co., and St. Martin’s Press, earned a B.A. in English Literature, an M.A. in Political Economy, and has edited countless titles.
Women’s fiction, travel, and health & wellbeing are only a few of her main interests, and you can get an idea of Brooke’s portfolio by looking up “Embodying Culture”, by Tsipy Ivry. Quotes for copy editing, developmental editing, proofreading, and editorial assessment can be requested here.
Are there any other book editors in New Jersey you’re aware of? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.