Book Editors

12 Fantastic Christian Book Editors You Can Put Your Faith In

If you’re an author working on a Christian project, whether that be fiction or nonfiction, you may be most comfortable working with an editor who specializes in faith-based work. Whether your book is a Christian romance, a devotional, or a children’s picture book, you’re bound to find a suitable candidate to collaborate with in our list of 12 great Christian book editors, all of whom are available for hire on the Reedsy marketplace.

1. Abbey McLaughlin

Abbey McLaughlin has a diverse background in editing, starting out her career working on magazines, textbooks, and niche trade publications, from real estate institutes to arborist associations. But her main passion is working on Christian fiction and non-fiction. After spending time producing devotionals and bible study resources at Proverbs 31 Ministries, she began her career freelancing, and enjoys working on books that spread messages of love and acceptance.

Specialty genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, Parenting & Families, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Christian Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Fun fact: Abbey’s a great fan of the exclamation mark — she puts it down to her Millenial/Gen Z status!

2. Sally Apokedak

If you’re looking to produce a beautiful Christian kid’s book, Sally Apokedak is the person to turn to. With 20 years experience producing content for kids, Sally has the accolades to back up her skills — including major awards and a bestselling series that has sold over a million copies in her portfolio. Particular highlights include her work on the God Bless and What’s in the Bible? series, as well as a number of devotionals and non-fiction books for kids.

Specialty genres: Children’s Non-Fiction Christian Non-Fiction, Christian Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle Grade Fantasy, Picture Books, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Fun fact: Sally loves working on poetic books, but is a stickler for a good rhyme scheme; “Any picture books that rhyme where all the rhyming words are one or two syllables, are not going to be right for me, I’m pretty sure.”

3. Eric Muhr

Working at a small Quaker publishing house, Barclay Press, Eric Muhr has had a busy last few years; he’s launched no fewer than three new imprints and helped release an impressive 36 titles. While you might think he’d have his hands full, Eric still seeks out solo projects as a freelance editor. He specializes in poetry, Quaker nonfiction, and short essays from LGBTQ and QPOC writers.

Specialty genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, Inspirational, LGBTQ Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Christian Fiction, Poetry

Fun fact: Alongside literature and theology, Eric has a passion for landscape photography.

4. Ashley Casteel

As a proofreader and copy editor, Ashley Cateel has a fine eye for detail, and can catch a typo at 30 paces. She lends these skills largely to Christian romance and inspirational non-fiction, and has edited works for bestselling authors like Wanda E. Brunstetter and Josh McDowell. After three years working in-house at an independent christian publishers, she now works freelance for indie authors and publishing houses.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Fun fact: During her time as assistant managing editor at Barbour publishing, Ashley was in charge of hiring the perfect freelancers to work on projects — meaning she knows when a project is the right fit.

5. Jonathan Pountney

With a rigorous academic background, including a published monograph and a background in higher education and lecturing, Jonathan Pountney provides an intellectual and philosophical approach to projects, and specifically focuses on Christian and God-honoring work. He also has a passion for seeking out high-quality middle grade and young adult works that share those Christian values.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Poetry, Short Story, Christian Non-Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Writing & Publishing

Fun fact: Jonathan’s academic work focused in part on short story writer Raymond Carver, and he wrote the first book-length study of Carver’s work. Serious stuff!

6. Elizabeth Garrett

With over thirty years of experience in multimedia publishing, and 7 years in the book publishing industry, Elizabeth Garrett has worked with a number of prominent Christian outlets, as well as working with all manner of inspirational authors — from addiction recovery coaches to public figures. Beyond publishing, Elizabeth is an award-winning PR specialist, meaning she has a great eye for a marketable book.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Short Story, Christian Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Fun fact: According to Elizabeth, “my editorial assistant is my nine-year Boston Terrier dog, who encourages me to carry on.”

7. Christy Distler

Alongside her career in editing, specializing in Christian, historical, and inspirational fiction, Christy is a celebrated author in her own right. Her debut novel, A Cord of Three Strands, was a 2021 American Fiction Awards winner and a 2021 International Book Awards finalist. While her clientele largely caters to a Christian market, she also works on general market titles, including women’s and contemporary fiction.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction

Fun fact: Christy’s interests include thrifting, taking part in church activities, and eating dark chocolate.

8. Sheryl Hash

Pre-pandemic, Sheryl Hash was working as the managing editor of an international magazine, organizing millions of dollars worth of story packages. After leaving the magazine industry in 2020, she embarked on a freelancing career, applying those skills for spotting and telling a story to book-length projects. She works particularly in Baptist fiction and non-fiction.

Specialty genres: Action & Adventure, Children’s, Christian Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Romantic Suspense, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction

Fun fact: Sheryl is passionate about nurturing emerging writers, and provides coaching for novice journalists and authors.

9. Joey Hoelscher

With 8 years of experience at a Christian educational publisher, Joey Hoelscher has worked as an editor and managing editor overseeing the production of informative children’s content. In that time, he’s worked both in people management and in maintaining house style guidelines — and a people person with a great eye for detail is an ideal combination for an editor! He now offers his services freelance, as well as working in content creation.

Specialty genres: Children’s, Christian Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Music

Fun fact: As a content producer, Joey has written over a thousand articles and blog posts — that’s over 1.5 million words, by his reckoning!

10. Sam O’Neal

Sam O’Neal is a Christian book editor who has worked with multiple bestselling authors, including Charles Martin, Dr David Jeremiah, and Kathie Lee Gifford. His work experience includes time at HarperCollins Christian publishing and LifeWay, but, according to Sam, “I also enjoy working directly with authors who have a desire to say something significant in a world filled with white noise.”

Specialty genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Christian Non-Fiction, Inspirational, Sports & Outdoors, Christian Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense

Fun fact: As well as editing, Sam is a writer himself — his bibliography includes The Spiritual World of the Hobbit, an analysis of the fantasy classic through a Christian lens.

11. Kim Haulena

Copyeditor and proofreader Kim Haulena has had a highflying career both in house at publishing companies, and as a freelancer. She has a long-standing working relationship with Harlequin and HarperCollins, but also makes her services available to indie authors. During her career, she’s worked with bestselling authors like Susan Mallery and Kaira Rouda.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Romance, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult, Christian Non-Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Life Sciences

Fun fact: Among other authors, Kim has worked with #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr.

12. Jennifer Crosswhite

Industry veteran Jennifer Crosswhite wears many hats: she’s a bestselling author, ghostwriter, marketer, project manager, and producer of a wide range of media, including award-winning articles and short stories. Her clients include Zondervan, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Barbour Publishing, and Concordia, and she also works directly with authors to help bring their stories to life. Her specialties are Christian fiction, and any clean romance.

Specialty genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction, Inspirational

Fun fact: Jennifer has a background in history, and nearly pursued a career in academia, before deciding that creating fiction based on the past was better fun.


We hope that our recommendations have given you a good place to start on your hunt for an editor. Look for an editor who can ask the right questions and watch your project take new shape.