The best romance book developmental editing services

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Chersti 5 star rating

Provo, United States

20 yrs editing with NYT/international/indie bestsellers such as Brandon Sanderson and Demi Winters. Adult Fantasy/SF/Suspense + all YA.

Genres: Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Space Opera, and Post-Apocalyptic.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Cedar Fort
  • Leading Edge

Tera 5 star rating

South Bend, United States

Editor with 10+ years of experience specializing in developmental edits and copy editing, with a focus on romance and all romance subgenres.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, LGBTQ Fiction, Women's Fiction, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Entangled Publishing
  • Samhain Publishing
  • Kensington Lyrical
  • Self-employed

Sean 5 star rating

Denton, TX, United States

Editor of bestselling, award-winning middle grade, YA, and adult books, specializing in fantasy and sci-fi. Let's make your book stand out!

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Andrea Hurst and Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Hurst and Associates
  • Self-employed
  • Relay Publishing, LLC
  • The Editorial Department

Lara 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

A consummate professional with over 20 years experience in the publishing industry, specializing in genre fiction and pop culture.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Time Travel Romance, and Historical Romance.

Work experience:

  • The Lotts Agency
  • Trident Media Group
  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Various

Rachel 5 star rating

New York, United States

Literary agent turned editor of fiction & select memoir where narratives and protagonists have distinct, identifiable voices.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Humor & Comedy, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
  • Self-employed

Susan 5 star rating

Tampa, FL, United States

Professional fiction and non-fiction editor with 30+ years' experience helping writers to hone their craft and tell their stories.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Women's Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Sex & Relationships, Mystery & Crime, Paranormal Romance, Romance, and Architecture.

Work experience:

  • EC for Books (formerly Ellora's Cave Publishing)
  • Weekly Planet/Creative Loafing Newspapers
  • Tampa Tribune Newspaper
  • Psychological Assessment Resources
  • Arts Council of Hillsborough County
  • Self-employed

Megan 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

A 20 year veteran of the publishing industry, Megan spent a decade at Simon & Schuster and has acquired and edited many bestsellers.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster
  • Freelance

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Megan 5 star rating

New York, NY, United States

Former Kensington editor with 17 years' experience, specializing in romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, & YA. Let's make your project shine!

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, and Historical Romance.

Work experience:

  • Kensington Publishing
  • Harlequin
  • Kaplan
  • Self-employed

Holly 5 star rating

Springfield, United States

Experienced fiction editor, formerly with Samhain Publishing. I specialize in romance and other genre fiction.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, New Adult, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Samhain Publishing, Ltd
  • Self-employed
  • Mundania Press
  • Lyrical Press

Erin 5 star rating

Los Angeles, United States

Experienced writer, editor and agent with an MFA in Creative Writing. I have edited New York Times bestselling books and series. 10+ years

Genres: Women's Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Romance, Thriller & Suspense, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • The Industry
  • tNY Press
  • Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC
  • Self-employed

Karli 5 star rating

Clarksville, TN, United States

Editor who specializes in developing manuscripts and is passionate about helping authors craft their best stories!

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Christian Publishing

Kelly 5 star rating

Springfield, OR, USA

I invest my experience in editing your book and show you how to write tighter while retaining your voice. It’s still your story—only better!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Time Travel Romance, Dark Romance, Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Romantic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Wild Rose Press

Abby 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

After 30 years as an acquiring editor for Big 5 publishers, I now edit romance, women's fiction, suspense, memoir, and more.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Historical Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Women's Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Historical Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, and Entertainment.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster
  • HQN, Harlequin Books
  • Bantam Dell, PRH

Emily 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Polishing prose since 2009, including NYT bestsellers and Edgar Award winners. My film background gives me unique insight as an editor.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Plays & Screenplays, Historical Romance, Romance, True Crime, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Penguin Random House
  • The Firm/Firm Films
  • Brooklyn Films

Marissa 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Veteran editor, agent, game developer. Making stories sharper and intelligent people more intelligible for over a decade in NYC publishing.

Genres: Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Fiction, Math & Science, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Philosophy, Technology, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Entertainment, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • The Curious Minds Literary Agency
  • Basic Books, Hachette
  • Wiley
  • Tapas Entertainment, Inc.

Lyndsey 5 star rating

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, USA

Professional editor of horror/fantasy with over five years' experience helping authors and traditional publishers elevate their novels.

Genres: Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Historical Romance, Romance, and Urban Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Eerie River Publishing (Indie Publishing House)
  • Turner Publishing (Established Traditional Publishing House)

Rebecca 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Executive editor of MG/YA children's book with multiple NYT bestsellers and 8+ years of experience - excited to help you perfect your story!

Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Women's Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Simon & Schuster

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Hire the best romance developmental editors

So you’ve outlined your characters, written a couple of drafts, and finally have a manuscript, complete with a happy ending? To make sure that everything is jiving in your newest romance title, hire a romance developmental editor who can help you sort out your narrative structure, fill any plot holes, and make sure there’s chemistry between your characters.

The editors at Reedsy have years of experience working with indie authors and in traditional publishing alike. With a finger on the pulse, they keep up with current trends and demands of the market. Sign up for a free account today to browse and shortlist editors — some of whom have worked with popular romance authors like Jill Mansell and Cecilia Ahern, to name just a couple.

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Step 2

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Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.