Are you an author based in San Francisco, Contra Costa, Napa, Alameda, San Mateo, or another county in the Bay Area?
Have you written a book that is ready to be edited?
One of the following 15 top book editors in the Bay Area might be able to help.
1. Laura Atkins
Laura Atkins is an independent children’s book editor with more than two decades of experience in the publishing industry. She has worked at some of the top children’s book publishers, including Lee & Low Books, Children’s Book Press, and Orchard Books. She has also written several children’s books of her own. Although she is based in Berkeley, Laura works with clients from all over the world.
If you have just written a picture book for children or a novel for middle grade or young adult readers, Laura can review your manuscript and provide feedback on plot, pacing, narrative voice, and character development. Her rates vary based on the length of your manuscript and the level of critiquing you desire, but to give you an idea, she charges $300 for a 2000-word picture book. In addition to manuscript critiquing, she also offers mentoring at $125 an hour.
If you are interested in Laura’s services, you can contact her here.
2. Catherine Elliott-Escobedo
Catherine Elliott-Escobedo is a freelance editor, writer, publishing consultant, and graphic designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2005, she founded Wordsage Editorial Services. Catherine specializes in editing non-fiction books, particularly in the areas of psychology, spirituality, grief and bereavement, yoga, world religions, health and healing, and self-help.
Catherine offers several editing services, including manuscript evaluation, developmental editing, proofreading, line editing, and fact checking. She also offers copywriting, ghostwriting, and graphic design. Her rates are determined based on the specifics of the project.
If you would like to inquire about Catherine’s rates, services, and availability, you can get in touch with her here.
3. Kristen Tate
Kristen Tate is a freelance editor and the founder of The Blue Garret, a professional book editing company. She is also the founder of the Editorial Freelance Association’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. With a PhD in English from Columbia University and a Professional Copyediting Certificate from UC Berkeley, Kristen offers editing services you can trust.
She works on most fiction and non-fiction genres, including fantasy, romance, erotica, historical fiction, thrillers, memoirs, cookbooks, and young adult fiction. She offers several editing packages, such as The Works, which costs $2,800 for a book of 70,000 words. The Works consists of copyediting, content editing, proofreading, blurb editing, cover critique, and additional support during the revision process. You can learn more about her other packages and add-on services here.
Interested in working with Kristen? Feel free to get in touch with her here. You can also request a sample edit by filling out the new client form on her website.
4. Jean Harkee Mansen
Jean Harkee Mansen is a freelance editor working out of San Anselmo. After finding success in finance and management consulting, Jean shifted gears and found her way back to her love for words. Her writing has been published in the San Francisco Business Times, Leasing Monitor, and Marin Independent Journal. She is also a member of the Bay Area Editors’ Forum, Left Coast Writers, the California Writers Club, and the Editorial Freelancers Association.
As an editor, Jean has worked with authors of memoirs, personal essays, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction, and she offers developmental editing, line editing, manuscript assessments, and coaching. Her rates vary based on the details of the project.
If you are interested in working with Jean, you can contact her via email to request a sample edit and get a free consultation.
5. Anitra Grisales
Based in Berkeley, Anitra Grisales is a professional editor specializing in academic books in the social sciences and humanities. Her areas of expertise include cultural studies, gender studies, critical theory, Latin American culture, cultural anthropology, law and society, and Middle East studies, among other fields. She has years of experience in the publishing industry, having worked in editorial acquisitions at Duke University Press before launching her own freelance editing business in 2006.
She offers developmental editing, copyediting, dissertation-to-book revisions, and publishing consultation. She also offers Spanish-to-English translation. If you would like to learn more about how Anitra can help you, you can check out her full list of services here.
Should you be interested in working with Anitra, you can reach her via email.
6. Karin Fisher-Golton
Karin Fisher-Golton is a freelance children’s book editor located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also an accomplished author. In fact, her book My Amazing Day: A Celebration of Wonder and Gratitude won the 2015 BAIPA Book Award for Fiction: Children’s Picture Book. She has also been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for more than 20 years.
Karin offers line editing, copyediting, structural editing, and proofreading. Her rates vary based on the length of your manuscript and the level of editing required, but her base rate begins at $7 per 1000 words. You can find more information about each of her services here. If you think Karin is the right editor for your manuscript, you can reach her through the contact form on her website.
7. Julia Scheeres
Julia Scheeres of Sequoia Editorial is a freelance editor based in the Bay Area. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and has worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. In 2005, she published a memoir called Jesus Land, which went on to become a London Times and New York Times bestseller. In 2011, she published her second book, A Thousand Lives: the Untold Story of Jonestown, which also garnered critical acclaim.
Julia’s editing services include story consultations, manuscript assessments, one-on-one coaching, and book proposal help. Each service is described in detail here. If you are unsure which service would work best for you, feel free to get in touch with Julia through her online inquiry form.
8. Kirsten Janene-Nelson
Kirsten Janene-Nelson is another Bay Area-based freelance editor and consultant. She has more than two decades of experience in the publishing industry and has held various editorial positions throughout her career. She has served as an assistant editor, a managing editor, a senior editor, and an executive director. She now works with independent authors and publishing houses, offering a variety of editing services.
Her services include editorial assessments, line editing, developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, fact checking, scholarly research, rewriting, and author support. You can find more information about Kirsten’s services and editorial process here. You can also check out her portfolio to see all the projects she has worked on throughout her career.
If you would like to ask about Kirsten’s rates and availability, you can send her a message through the contact form on her website.
9. Linda Jay
Located in Petaluma, Linda Jay is an experienced editor and writer with decades of experience under her belt. She is also on the board of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. Both of her parents wrote plays and television shows while she was growing up, so words have always been a big part of her life. It comes as no surprise that she now helps other writers get their manuscripts ready for publishing—whether they are submitting their work to traditional publishers or publishing independently.
Linda primarily offers copyediting and welcomes all kinds of text, including books, websites, magazine articles, and more. The book genres she most enjoys editing are novels, memoirs, children’s books, fantasy books, and books on women’s issues. Feel free to check out her portfolio to see samples of books and publications she has edited.
For more information on her rates and services, you can reach Linda via email.
10. Amanda Poulsen Dix
Working out of her home in San Jose, Amanda Poulsen Dix is a freelance proofreader, developmental editor, and copyeditor specializing in cookbooks. Before launching her own freelance editing business in 2003, Amanda used to work at Chronicle Books where she held various editorial positions.
Amanda now works with authors, chefs, and restaurant owners, helping them get their cookbooks publisher-ready. In addition to proofreading, copyediting, and developmental editing, she also offers recipe testing, ghost writing, and assistance in submitting proposals to acquisitions editors at major publishing houses. Learn more about her services here.
If you have a cookbook manuscript you’d like Amanda to give feedback on, you can reach her by sending her an email.
11. Rachel Rosekind
Rachel Rosekind is an editor, teacher, and writing coach based in the Bay Area. She has more than 20 years of experience in editing, mentoring, and teaching, and she uses her experience and expertise to guide authors along their writing journey. Whether your manuscript has already been through several rounds of editing or you have a great story idea you haven’t starting writing yet, Rachel can offer valuable insights.
She offers developmental editing, academic editing, manuscript editing, copyediting, and line editing. For more information about what each service includes, you can visit the editorial services section on her website. Her rate varies based on the level of editing the project requires, but her minimum project fee is $225. She does offer a free 15-minute consultation over the phone in order to gauge what your manuscript needs.
If you are interested in working with Rachel, you can schedule a consult by sending her an email.
12. Pamela Feinsilber
Pamela Feinsilber is another freelance editor based in the Bay Area. She edits both fiction and non-fiction, and she works with both first-time writers and authors who have already been published multiple times. Her own writing has appeared in several publications, including the San Francisco Magazine and Huffington Post. Some of her most recent editing projects include Tracy Barrett’s The Song of Orpheus, Chris Howard’s The Reckoning, and Kevin McLean’s Crossing the River Kabul.
She offers substantive editing, line editing, and manuscript assessments. For works of fiction, Pamela can help with plot, pacing, characterization, dialogue, consistency, and narrative voice. For non-fiction manuscripts, Pamela pays attention to structure, organization, audience, research, and development. Detailed information about her services can be found on her website’s home page.
To schedule a free consultation with Pamela, you can get in touch with her via email.
13. John J. Geoghegan
Also based in the Bay Area, John J. Geoghegan is a freelance editor and journalist. He is also the author of several non-fiction books, including Here Today, Gone Tomorrow and Operation Storm. He has also written hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers.
John offers several editing services, including developmental editing, line editing, proofreading, manuscript assessments, and ghostwriting. He also helps prospective authors write more effective book proposals. Authors who don’t require in-depth editing but are looking for advice on a particular issue can schedule a one-time consultation with John via email or video call. John charges between $55 and $85 per hour, depending on the service needed.
If you think John is the right editor for you, you can reach him here.
14. Jess Beebe
Jess Beebe is an experienced editor from the Bay Area. She is also the founder of Waxwing Book Studio, an editing company where Jess offers a range of editorial services. Jess has worked as an editor on hundreds of non-fiction books spanning various subjects, including health and nutrition, business, behavioral science, parenting, relationships, yoga, mindfulness, psychology, and many others.
Jess offers developmental editing, publishing consulting, and collaborative writing. Learn more about each of her services here. If you would like to inquire about her rates, services, and availability, you can contact Jess to schedule a free consultation over the phone.
15. Michael Mohr
Michael Mohr is a Bay Area editor who specializes in novels and memoirs. He is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer and a member of the Bay Area Editors’ Forum and the California Writers Club. His own writing has been published by Freedom Fiction Journal, Alfie Dog Press, Gothic City Press, The International Short Story Magazine, and Writers’ Digest.
Michael offers the following editing services: developmental editing at $0.03 per word, line editing at $0.04 per word, and manuscript evaluation at $0.02 per word. He also helps authors write query letters starting at $50 per hour.
If you are interested in hiring Michael to work on your manuscript, you can reach him through his online contact form.
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.
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