What I Edit

My areas of expertise are in Young Adult and Adult fiction, particularly in the following genres:

• Contemporary/Realistic

  • Literary Fiction, Upmarket/“Book Club” Fiction, Rom-Com, Coming-of-Age

• Science Fiction

• Horror

• Literary Suspense/Mystery

• Speculative Fiction

  • Magical Realism, Paranormal, Urban/”Low” Fantasy, anything you can’t neatly label!

I'm drawn to books with unforgettable characters who stay with me even after their story ends. Regardless of market or genre, I love working on stories that offer readers a full emotional experience. For example, finding humor in darkness and understanding pain behind a joke are equally important to me. I like stories that surprise me, characters who surprise themselves, and getting immersed in a setting, whether it's in a faraway land or my own backyard. I'm also a strong advocate for books by and about marginalized, underrepresented voices and characters who challenge the status quo. I would not be the right fit for books that villainize or exploit those voices.

Genres that wouldn’t be right for me: category romance or erotica; high/epic fantasy; non-fiction (excluding memoir); inspirational or spiritual fiction; graphic novels; or children’s books.

AI/ChatGPT Policy: Please note that I do not use generative AI when I edit your work or communicate with you. My editorial feedback is based on my years of experience working in the publishing history, as well as my educational background in creative writing. Further, I have all “smart” features turned off in programs I use to read and edit, and will never upload your work to AI services. (Even this note, despite Squarespace waving its shiny AI feature in the corner of my eye, was written all by myself.)

In turn, I expect the same honesty and integrity from my clients. If you claim to have written a novel, then you need to be the one who has written it. Generative AI “creates” content by mining already-published works, often without the author’s permission, which raises ethical concerns as well as creates high potential for plagiarism. AI also has a devastating impact on the environment, the full extent of which is still being studied. As such, I will not edits manuscripts written by or with Generative AI in any capacity.

(Note to writers interested in Submission Package services: If you have used AI/ChatGPT to develop a query template to start with, and are not sure if that violates this policy, I encourage you to reach out to discuss!)