hello, friend!

My name is Kelsey.

Raised in the small town of Social Circle, Georgia, my love of storytelling sparked at a young age in our community theater. Performing small vignettes of our town’s history, I fell madly in love with words and how weaving them together can transport a person to that wonderful place we call the imagination.

While I pursued my Bachelor of Arts in English, I applied for my first job: a writing assistant for my college writing center. There, my bosses taught me three principles about writing that have stuck with me to this day:

  1. Writing is hard.

  2. No one is truly an expert.

  3. Revision is the most important step for a writer.

Keeping these three principles close to my heart, I then obtained my Master of Arts in Professional Writing, specializing in editing and creative writing, and started my publishing career at a small independent children’s publisher in Atlanta. In 2021, my growth in the industry was recognized when I was named a Star Watch Honoree by Publishers Weekly.

Since then, I have dabbled in multiple fields in the industry—editorial, sales, subsidiary rights, marketing, etc.—and developed a well-rounded understanding of what makes a manuscript standout to an agent or editor. Working with my writers though brings me the greatest joy!

These are a few of my favorite things…

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My fur babies

I have three precious fur babies: my silly doggo, Obi, and my cuddly kitties, Penny & Link. You can find all three of them hanging out in the office with me while I edit.

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The Lord of the rings

Middle Earth is my happy place. I reread the books often and host 12-hr. marathons of the extended-edition films. I can probably quote them by heart. Yes, I’m that kind of fan girl.

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Anime

I watch anime nightly! From Fullmetal Alchemist to Violet Evergarden, I could binge watch an anime show for hours. My current favs are Darling in the Franxx & The Rising of the Shield Hero.

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Giraffes

Since I was a kid, I’ve always felt the giraffe is my spirit animal. We are both clumsy yet graceful, confident yet awkward. The only difference between us is the height.

My Editing Approach

I strongly believe that an editor is more than just a keeper of grammar rules and genre commandments. I am a resource for your writing growth, a sounding board for your new ideas, an anchor as you wade through the sea of what works and what doesn’t, a friend to cheer you on as you accomplish the extraordinary.

My goal is to collaborate, not dictate.

So when I approach a manuscript—no matter which editing level we are working on—my focus is on the following:

  1. your goals for the story

    First off, this is your story! So your concerns are important to me. I will always offer advice on how to improve what concerns you the most.

  2. the story’s strengths & weaknesses

    Second, I will always note what I love about your story as much as I provide constructive criticism because knowing what works is just as important as knowing what doesn’t.

  3. your growth as a writer

    Finally, I aim to provide you with more confidence in your skills as a writer. If I can teach you a new skill or a new approach to your writing process, I will have done my job successfully.