Who I Am and How I Edit
I have a long background as a writing professor and writing consultant, and have worked with writers on everything from the creative (creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry) to the academic (in just about every discipline, from first-year papers to dissertations). I’m also a veteran of many a writing workshop. All of these experiences have honed my editorial craft, which I approach with the overarching goal of helping writers bridge the gap between their intentions for whatever it is they are working on and where it currently stands.
As an editor, I do more than just point out “problems” and offer suggestions for how I, personally, would fix them. I can help you identify larger patterns in your writing and give you the tools to understand both what is working and why, and what’s not working and why. And instead of just imposing my editorial vision over the piece, I can help you determine your next steps for achieving your vision.
What I Can Work With You On
My own writing background is in creative nonfiction and journalism. As a critic, I regularly write about literary fiction. You can get feedback from me on:
Essays (personal, reported, critical, or any combination of those three)
Short stories
Query letters
Book proposals
Full book manuscripts
How I Can Work With You
Developmental Editing
This option is well-suited to writers who have a full draft completed and are looking for a fresh perspective on how to take it to the next level. I’ll provide in-line comments on the small scale (sentences, paragraphs), and a detailed feedback letter to address the big scale (structure, organization, flow).
Rates: starts at $150 for essays and $2,000 for manuscripts, dependent on length
Big-Picture Evaluation
Here, I’ll zoom out and give you only big-picture feedback on my overall impressions of the work—its style, scope, structure, and flow. I can deliver my feedback in the form of a letter or a one-hour call (phone or Zoom).
Rates: starts at $75 for essays and $1500 for manuscripts, dependent on length
Copy Editing
As a copy editor, I seek to not only get your work to read cleanly on a grammar, usage, and style level, but also to read clearly. My past copy editing clients include Saveur and Bon Appétit, and I currently copy edit for Publishers Marketplace.
Rates: starts at $1750 for manuscripts, dependent on length
Query Letter or Book Proposal Feedback
I’ll help you compellingly introduce your project and yourself to agents and editors. Includes both in-line comments and an end note.
Rates: $75-100 for query letters / starts at $750 for nonfiction proposals, dependent on length
Testimonials
“If you’re looking for guidance on your work that you’ll be able to apply far beyond one piece of writing, Kristen is your editor! Her smart, detailed, encouraging developmental feedback helped me solve the challenges I was facing with an essay, and I continue to use her advice every time I approach a new project.” — Samantha Paige Rosen, for an essay published in Electric Literature
“Kristen was so encouraging and knowledgeable. She breaks things down so they’re less daunting and her feedback made me want to try new things with my writing.” — Blue Stoop student
For questions, quotes, and scheduling, please reach out via email (kristen.martin07@gmail.com).