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Are you an author based in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington, Asheville or another city in North Carolina?
Do you need a book publisher? Here are 21 book publishers in North Carolina.
If it’s an editor you require, then the following list is for you.
Continue reading to find out about 17 top book editors in North Carolina.
1. Jocelyn Carbonara
Based in Hillsborough, Jocelyn Carbonara has a degree in creative writing and communications and has been working in the publishing industry since the late 1990s. Apart from ghostwriting gigs, she has edited over 70 books. Furthermore, her clients include popular publishers like Routledge and McGraw Hill.
Although Jocelyn has previously worked on both fiction and nonfiction titles, she currently only accepts editing work like copy editing and developmental editing for the latter. In particular, this veteran editor prefers topics like spirituality, inspiration, business, and memoirs like C. L. Olsen’s acclaimed The Home for Friendless Children and Randy Grimes’s Off Center.
For help in everything from style guides to conceptualization and grammar, feel free to contact Jocelyn for her top-notch services.
2. William Boggess
In 2006, William Boggess stepped into the book industry when he interned at Algonquin Books. He further improved his skills in the succeeding years as he took on editing and agenting tasks at Little, Brown, and Company and Barer Literary, respectively. Since 2015, this professional from Durham has established himself as one of North Carolina’s top freelance editors.
William is adept enough to work with big-time publishing companies and fledgling writers alike. Likewise, he’s meticulous in evaluating text whether you’re writing in British English or American English. As for his services, he offers developmental edits, query letter reviews, and editorial assessments.
His primary nonfiction interests are history, sports, and biographies. William has also edited literary titles and historical novels like If I Had Two Lives (Abbigail N. Rosewood) and Circling the Sun (Paula McLain).
You can message William online to learn about his availability and rates.
3. Courtney Vincento
A resident of Charlotte, Courtney Vincento started her editing career at Penguin Random House. There, she tackled production, illustration, management, and editing matters to get hardbound and paperback titles ready for release as scheduled. From 2015 onwards, Courtney steadily built her list of company and author clients.
Dedicated to fiction book editing, Courtney is a proficient copy editor and proofreader of reads for young and adult readers alike. She’s perfect for middle-grade and YA fiction — and the same applies to thrillers, women’s fiction, romance, and crime fiction. Two best-selling novels in her portfolio are Chanel Cleeton’s When We Left Cuba and Sarah Mlynowski’s Abby in Wonderland.
Courtney is just one message away for prospective novelist clients.
4. Andrea Hurst
Andrea Hurst is a Raleigh-based professional with over two decades of relevant experience. Apart from writing, editing, and agenting, she has also taught creative writing and spoken at conferences and online events. Plus, this editor has worked with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the New World Library.
From first-time authors to established, award-winning novelists, Andrea’s clientele is as diverse as they get. Regardless of your experience and industry know-how, her assessments, developmental edits, and query letter critiques can help you land agent and publication deals.
Aside from health books, she prefers fiction genres like historical fiction, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, women’s fiction, and psychological thriller. Speaking of thrillers, Andrea is the editor behind the novels Lovely Girls (Margot Hunt) and The Buried Books (D. M. Pulley).
Request a quote from Andrea for professional editing assistance.
5. Jenny Bowman
This editor from Wilmington is more than qualified to work on children’s books. First, Jenny Bowman has more than 100 children’s titles in her portfolio. Second, she studied creative writing for young readers at university. Lastly, she’s a member of the Children’s Literature Association.
Jenny loves different types of children’s fiction and nonfiction, especially if the former combines comedic and fantastical aspects to entertain and educate readers. Consequently, she can work on nonfiction titles about self-development and the seed-to-table lifestyle.
Her services include developmental editing and editorial assessments. For a peek into her editing skills, look at Josh Roberts’s YA fantasy The Witches of Willow Cove and Robert Beatty’s best-selling children’s adventure Willa of the Wood.
Does your children’s book require editing? Feel free to contact Jenny for her schedule and rates.
6. Constance Renfrow
With over 70 edited titles and multiple published pieces in premiere literary journals, Constance Renfrow is a force to be reckoned with. Based in Charlotte, she has a master’s degree in fiction, an award-winning short story, and extensive editing experience from Skyhorse Publishing and Three Rooms Press.
While her nonfiction portfolio includes fitness, cooking, self-improvement, and arts & crafts books, she’s currently only interested in biographies and memoirs. In fiction, Constance offers more options: mystery, suspense, YA, historical fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, speculative fiction, and LGTBQ+ fiction.
She conducts copy edits, developmental edits, proofreading, and assessments. Previously, she edited the novels Downdrift (Johanna Drucker) and Angels Strange and Beautiful (Gina Fiametta).
Constance is just a message away if you want her editing services.
7. Emily Ayala
Emily Ayala served a book publishing company with her editing prowess for two decades. This long-term endeavor introduced her to different forms of fiction and nonfiction from classic works to contemporary titles. With her innate passion for reading, this Greensboro-based editor is intent on learning more about literature whether for work or leisure.
She provides copy editing and proofreading services for fiction (classical fiction, contemporary fiction) and nonfiction (biographies, philosophy, Christian nonfiction). Furthermore, Emily is well-versed in annotated and translated editions. For example, she’s the editor of Christian nonfiction titles There and Back Again (Fr. Dwight Longenecker) and In Soft Garments (Fr. Ronald Knox).
Anyone seeking her editing services can request a quote online.
8. Lindsey Alexander
Residing in Chapel Hill, Lindsey Alexander was poised for success in the book industry early on. First, she spent time in New York City’s The New School learning all about copy editing, proofreading, and fiction. Likewise, she was at HarperCollins as an assistant editor for three years. Since then, she has worked with big publishers, university presses, and best-selling authors.
Lindsey offers the following services: proofreading, editorial assessment, copy edits, and developmental edits. She prefers biography, business, history, and health nonfiction while her fiction interests include women’s fiction, mystery, and romance. To add, she’s proven herself in historical fiction with her work on best-selling novels Where the Sky Begins (Rhys Bowen) and The Secret Stealers (Jane Healey).
Usually, clients pay half the total fee as a deposit. You can message her to ascertain her current schedule and rates.
9. Ashley Mason
Ashley Mason has worked on children’s literature for at least three decades at publishers such as Holiday House and Algonquin Books. Based in Durham, she worked as an associate managing editor for over six years and hopes to expand her horizons in fiction as a freelance editor today.
Fiction authors approach Ashley for speedy yet faultless proofreading. Likewise, they request copy edits and line edits for improved word selection and pacing. Ashley specializes in YA and middle-grade fiction, and she loves rom-coms, cozy mysteries, and even literary fiction.
From the YA sibling fiction Never Missing, Never Found (Amanda Panitch) to the sensational YA novel One of Us is Lying (Karen M. McManus), the books she’s edited have captured the attention of young readers around the world.
Authors of children’s fiction should definitely consider asking Ashley for her availability.
10. Megan Zavala
Located in Raleigh, Megan Zavala spent four years at Keller Media, Inc. performing editorial and agenting duties. Thus, her knowledge in the book industry encompasses both the writing and publishing aspects. In 2017, she transitioned toward freelance editing and coaching.
Megan is a top-tier developmental editor. Her changes maintain the book’s consistency, thematically and structurally speaking. Also, she can provide editorial assessments and help writers with query letters. As for nonfiction preferences, Megan likes working on biographies, self-help, photography, health, business, and inspirational books.
Recently, she worked with A. E. Lee and Petra Paige, editing their respective books One of the Lucky Ones and The Actual Normal.
You can message Megan online for her editing rates and schedule.
11. Anna Sutton
Anna Sutton has been a freelance editor for more than a decade. Yet even before this, she was already a multi-talented professional in the industry. From writing to designing and marketing, this editor from Winston-Salem made the most of her stints in companies like Barefoot Books and Lookout Books.
Her in-demand services are as comprehensive as they get: editorial assessments, indexing, copy editing, developmental editing, and proofreading. To add, Anna is well-equipped to handle fiction and nonfiction, especially literary fiction, women’s fiction, fantasy, poetry, biographies, and culinary books.
Anna’s clients praise her diligent, collaborative approach and detailed feedback. A few successful titles on her portfolio are Kevin Adams’s travel photography book North Carolina Waterfalls and Tiya Miles’s historical fiction The Cherokee Rose.
This editor is currently seeking new author clients.
12. Duncan Murrell
Situated in Raleigh, Duncan Murrel’s academic achievements are equally impressive and relevant to his editing profession. He has a certification in copy editing and a bachelor’s degree in history. Plus, Duncan has master’s degrees in fiction and journalism.
Specializing in biographies and literary fiction, Duncan scrutinizes each technical and creative aspect of a manuscript to prepare it for submission. From editorial assessments to copy editing and developmental editing, his services prioritize the writer’s voice and objectives.
Duncan’s prolific editing career has contributed to the success of many authors. Two of his most amazing projects are Robert Hicks’s contemporary novel The Widow of the South and Robert Morgan’s bestselling Gap Creek.
Prospective clients can ask for a quotation online.
13. Matthew Somoroff
A New York University and Duke University graduate, Matthew Somoroff is passionate about the arts and humanities. In fact, this Durham-based professional was an instructor and university press assistant before transitioning to freelance editing in 2014.
The inclusion of Duke University Press, The University of North Carolina Press, and individual academics in Matthew’s client list is no accident. Apart from developmental edits and copy edits, his proofreading and fact-checking services are invaluable to nonfiction writers, especially those in scholarly circles.
As such, Matthew’s nonfiction categories include education, history, geography, art, music, and memoirs — and he’s fine with literary novels too. A couple of his accomplished projects in these fields are Celeste Day Moore’s ethnomusicology book Soundscapes of Liberation and Tasha Rijke-Eipstein’s Children of the Soil, the latter of which tackles East African history.
If you have any questions about Matthew’s rates, you can quickly request a quote.
14. Lex Orgera
Based in Greensboro, Lex Orgera is a degree holder in literature and creative writing (and she underwent certification for copy editing). She has performed freelance editing since 2005 and also became an editor at Microcosm Books in 2021. Likewise, Lex is a published author and taught writing in higher education.
As you might expect, Lex is the go-to editor for children’s literature. Her proofreading, line editing, copy editing, and developmental editing are all attuned to what works for young readers in fiction (YA, picture books, middle-grade) and nonfiction alike.
From acclaimed The Year of the Buttered Cat (Susan Haas and Lexi Haas) to the emotional picture book The Cloud Lasso (Stephanie Schlaifer), Lex’s portfolio is overflowing with heartfelt reads.
Lex welcomes children’s book authors to message her online for editorial assistance.
15. Martha E. Lang
With over 30 years of editing experience and two best-selling titles under her authorship, Martha E. Lang is undoubtedly one of the best editors in Winston-Salem (and all of North Carolina). Combining these with her doctoral degree from the prestigious Brown University, she boasts a background that few can match.
Martha has devised a one-of-a-kind editing approach that combines developmental editing and editorial assessments. It involves a manuscript evaluation, an easy-to-follow checklist, an analysis of each chapter, and a one-on-one meeting to guide the author during the revision stage.
Her unique editing is available for nonfiction projects about music, health, inspiration, sociology, religion, biographies, self-help, and the LGBTQ+ community. Previously, she handled Edward Earle Purinton’s The Triumph of the Man Who Acts and Mark Berrios-Ayala’s Let’s Get Sincere.
You can inquire about her schedule online.
16. Daniel J. Tortora
Daniel J. Tortora is an editor from Raleigh who previously taught college-level history. He’s motivated to support novice writers in discovering their untapped potential. Since 2017, clients have expressed much gratitude for his guidance on book proposals, manuscripts, query letters, and formatting.
Writers of nonfiction can seek Daniel’s developmental and copy editing services whether they want the self-publishing or traditional publishing route. He considers the book’s category, goals, and demographics to ensure that his proposed changes make sense.
Daniel is highly interested in books about relationships and self-help. He’s also open to health, memoirs, psychology, pop culture, reference, and history books. For example, his portfolio includes the historical books Cherokee Odyssey (Michael P. Morris) and Reporting the RevolutionaryWar (Todd Andrlik).
Interested authors can avail of his services with ease.
17. Nicole Hall
A resident of High Point, Nicole Hole began building her career at Ambassador International Publishing in 2015. She then moved onto Mascot Books in 2019 working as a senior production editor and was responsible for overseeing the production of numerous books across different genres. And with an academic background in English and writing, Nicole is poised to succeed as a freelance editor.
This freelance editor conducts proofreading, copy editing, and editorial assessment services. Her keen eye for grammatical structure and voice cannot be underestimated whether in fiction (middle-grade and YA fiction) or nonfiction (biographies, self-help, and business).
If you need proof of Nicole’s quality work, look for Shelly McNamara’s LQBTQ+ biography No Blanks, No Pauses and Alice Feeney’s bestselling suspense thriller Daisy Darker.
Are you ready to take your book to the next level? Request a quote now.
Are there any other book editors in North Carolina that need to be on this list? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!
K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.