Hire the Best Book Editors in Ohio

Hi there! I'm a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, where I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English and creative writing. My short stories and poems have appeared in literary magazines including Mantis, Sheepshead Review, and JAKE, who nominated me for a Best of the Net award. Similarly, I also have experience reading for and editing magazines. I primarily work with fiction, but I love working with any kind of writing, including poetry and nonfiction. I am excited to work with you to make your stories pop!

I am a heart-centered, human-powered editor and publishing consultant. In 2025, I supported more than 30 authors with nearly 60 books. I focus on making children’s books shine by uncovering the heart of the story and helping to ensure that message is developed on every page. I have served award-winning and best-selling authors, and I have coached first-time authors through publishing their debut picture book. Working with thoughtful and creative authors is an honor and a joy, and I love helping them shape their stories and enhance the messages they have prepared for young hearts. Working with me is not a transaction but a partnership, and together we will create something beautiful. My service model includes close collaboration and a team effort to make your story the best version of itself. ***Now booking for mid-April 2026. See pricing below the description of my services.*** What It's Like to Work with Me: I take time to get to know you and your goals for the project before jumping in. We'll talk about what you hope to accomplish, areas you feel strong in, and where you may need extra support. I'll briefly review your manuscript to determine the level of editing it requires so I can offer you a custom quote. You'll love my warm, encouraging style. Editing and Proofreading: I offer all levels of editing for children's books, from picture books and early readers to chapter books and middle-grade fiction. This includes: - Developmental Editing – I review the story structure, the character arc, plot, pacing, themes, age appropriateness, and more. I leave in-text comments pointing out specific areas for improvement as well as celebrating things you've done well. I also write up a developmental letter with notes for how to improve your story and guidance on the most important steps to take. This stage may take more than one pass as we clarify your story's theme and how to convey the message you want to share. - Line Editing – Once the structure is in place, I look at your story line by line, focusing on improving flow, exploring rhythm (even in non-rhyming books), clarifying tone, refining your characters' voices, and adjusting vocabulary and sentence structure to fit the developmental needs of your intended audience. - Copyediting and Proofreading – This final stage of editing ensures correct grammar, usage, and consistency throughout your book. I follow guidelines established by The Chicago Manual of Style, the industry standard in publishing. Pricing: Picture Books (up to 1,000 words): - Editorial Assessment: $140; 1 week - Developmental Editing – $275; 2–3 weeks - Line Editing – $195 ($250 for rhyme); 2–3 weeks - Copyediting – $110; 1 week - Full-Service Editing Bundle: $495; 4–6 weeks - Signature Package: $715 ((full-service editing + design/illustration consulting + publishing assistance; requires coordination with illustrator) Longer Works (10,000 words+): - Editorial Assessment: $0.015 per word - Developmental Editing: $0.035 per word - Line Editing: $0.03 per word - Copyediting: $0.025 per word - Formatting: $3.50 per page; only offered to editing clients Some bundles available. Priority projects are charged a separate rate. Writing for children is an art—and it’s an honor to help you bring your story to life with clarity, beauty, and heart. Design Consulting: I offer holistic planning for picture book design. My goal is to help the text and illustrations work together harmoniously. Using a storyboard (or book map), I help authors communicate their page designs to illustrators so that text placement is intentional, creating a cohesive design. And, as the visual storytelling takes shape, I offer ongoing line editing support to create a tight, cohesive book. My goal is to replicate the process established in traditional publishing houses. This seems to be an important component often missing the self-publishing process. Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark Support: Additionally, I offer assistance with publishing your book. This includes layout and design support. I use InDesign to lay out and typeset books. I can also help you upload your book to Amazon (KDP) and IngramSpark. You will receive guidance on your book descriptions and promotional copy as well as promotional guidance. I offer a "one-stop-shop" to encourage and empower authors to get their meaningful books out into the world. I'd love to discuss how I can support you!

IMPORTANT. IF YOU NEED QUICK TURNAROUND PROJECTS, PLEASE ASK ME ABOUT AVAILABILITY AND DON'T ASSUME I'M FREE. I CANNOT TAKE ON ALL QUICK TURNAROUND PROJECTS. Be mindful that I typically have projects scheduled and in my queue 2-3 weeks ahead of time. Working with a book designer is often like a book editor; you need to schedule and plan weeks (sometimes months) in advance. Thanks for your understanding. My busiest times are often August through November as that is book launch season. I started writing in 2004. I've been in the indie publishing industry since 2010. I started working with a small group of authors to test the waters and get to know how the industry worked in the beginning. But as my knowledge grew and I began to get more experience, I knew I wanted to do this for the long-term. So I joined oDesk (now Upwork) toward the end of 2014. Since then I've worked with a plethora of authors and even small publishing houses on so many different projects. I've worked on a number of non-fiction titles and fiction titles and have done various book production services for each of my clients. Some need formatting. Some need proofreading. Some need a fresh cover design. Some need a mixture of the three. I've also done work with magazines, taking old editions and digitizing them by following their style to upload to their dedicated CMS. Number of years of experience (as of start of 2017)? eBook and paperback formatting: 5 Proofreading: 3 Copy editing: 3 Indexing: less than a year Cover design: technically 3, but I had 10 years of experience in graphic and web design before starting on covers.

My name is Lydia. I am a self-published author of several books and understand the importance of a well-edited manuscript before publication and how it affects the success of your book. I am classically educated and have edited and beta-read for many self-published and aspiring authors. In the past three years, I have ghostwritten, edited, or beta-read over 100 titles. Of the ghostwritten works, several have debuted at number one in their categories. I promise fast turn-around time and thorough communication with clients so I can fulfill their needs. I look forward to helping you share the best version of your story. Please note: I do not write any AI-generated content.

I'm Hailey, a ghostwriter, editor, and copywriter. I wear all the hats, and I wear them well! With over 1 million words of ghostwriting experience and multiple successful editing & copywriting jobs, my previous and current clients have cited me as: ✍️ Tenaciously detailed, 🪴 1000% authentic, 💬 Highly responsive, and 🩵 Extremely compassionate. And I don't use a word of AI in my writing & editing! All my work is my own. 👻 GHOSTWRITING As a ghostwriter, I've written over 40 books! I write at a speed of 2,000-3,000 words per hour with a 98% accuracy rate—NO AI. My manuscripts are top-tier in quality and require minimal editing. I can make them as tropey as you want without sacrificing unique characterization & style that stands out against the rest of the genre! My outlines are extremely detailed, and I am flexible in adjusting to your individual publishing standards. We're always going to iron out the details ahead of time! AI DISCLAIMER: I do not use AI, nor do I plagiarize, EVER. All my ideas are entirely my own and not inspired from another source. I have the ability to take tropes and make unique content within the topes that is unlike any other material within the genre. 📚DEVELOPMENTAL, LINE, AND COPY EDITING As an editor, I have a special talent of voice matching. Whenever I edit a manuscript, I am capable of maintaining the author's unique voice throughout the manuscript while keeping their original ideas intact. I have an eye for detail that allows me to make small adjustments with big impacts. As your developmental editor, I'll be able to make precise adjustments to create a story with the elements of high-quality storytelling that's uniquely yours. Even the roughest of manuscripts can be transformed into diamonds with my help and expertise. As a line & copy editor, I don't let a single mistake slip past my notice. I'm rather tenaciously detail-oriented, so when I'm editing, nothing gets past me! 🧑‍💻CREATIVE COPYWRITING & STRATEGY As a copywriter & strategist, I bring kaleidoscopic industry experience, a depth of knowledge in buyer psychology, and infinite creativity to the table. I work with: — Landing pages — Website copy — Email marketing — Social media copy — SEO blog content — Personal branding — Guides & brochures Contact me for a free sample to see how we'll work together to increase your sales! 💰RATES My rate is $55/hour or $300 per 10k words ($0.03/word). Please only invite me to projects that have these budgets as a minimum. My rate is a reflection of my expertise, experience, and project quality. I also charge for edits beyond one round of simple edits on my work in order to properly compensate my time spent creating an extra high-quality manuscript. I have no preference for long- or short-term work. You may contact me for as many projects as you'd like. No matter how crazy or complicated your project may seem, I would love to take it on! I am extremely patient and flexible with client needs. I offer a consultation for $15/30 minutes or $30/60 minutes if you'd like to discuss a specific project. Otherwise, message me or invite me to your projects, and I'll take a close look at the work offered. Check out my project catalog for a list of common projects that I complete with consistent expertise!

Hello! I am a native English-speaking, former teacher with 24 years of experience in teaching Language Arts. My education includes bachelor degrees in both Education and Sociology. During my years of teaching, I was proud to see many of my students win local, regional, and state awards in writing. For several years, I participated as a judge in a regional Power of the Pen writing competition. One of my greatest accomplishments in the English field was in having a curriculum I wrote on music published in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's professional syllabus. I have also recently finished editing and proofreading a novel series for a bestselling author and am currently working on his third series. I am very meticulous and precise and have a passion for the English language. My strengths are in identifying and correcting errors in the conventions of English as well as in sentence structure, grammar, content, flow, and character development. As a teacher, I found it extremely annoying to find errors in textbooks and in my recreational reading. I am eager to search for errors BEFORE a work is published, to enjoy the reading in the process, and to deliver a perfect manuscript to you! I thoroughly enjoy working with people on their particular needs, and I believe in maintaining consistent, timely communication with authors. My experience on Upwork has included editing and proofreading fiction and nonfiction books, workbooks, children's books, poetry, professional and legal documents, articles, and works translated from another language. I can assure you that I have many, many more hours of experience than show in my hourly-rated jobs on Upwork, as most of my projects have been contracted at a fixed rate. I am easy to get along with, have a sense of humor, and would be happy to work with you on whatever project you have which needs editing and/or proofreading! Thank you, Debbie