Kevin Breen

Kevin Breen – Editor

Editor at Latah Books. I edit crime, thriller, and literary fiction. I also love working on memoirs and PNW nonfiction. Mostly dev editing.

Overview

I've held a range of editorial positions, from working at a university writers' center to reading short story submissions for New England Review and now serving as Associate Editor at an independent publisher in the PNW. Mostly, I support authors of book-length fiction and nonfiction: novels of all flavors, short story collections, memoirs, and other subject-based nonfiction. My "day job" publishing role includes developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, among other tasks. Just in the past year, I have edited crime novels, memoirs, books of historical fiction, and instructional nonfiction titles.


I love working with authors and supporting them as their work comes into clearer focus. I pride myself on being an editor who considers the author's aims and ambitions, rather than imposing my vision onto someone's manuscript. As such, I tend to write feedback that both diagnoses and aims to provide a solution. I'll say, "here is what could be improved," "here's where I saw this occurring in the text," and "here's how you might remedy this." As an MFA alum, I love working on structurally compelling literary novels, though I have just as much fun editing genre fiction and emotive personal memoirs.


I grew up in the Philadelphia area. Afterward, I studied Writing at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, then did an AmeriCorps year in Yakima, Washington. I received an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University and my debut story was published in the Gettysburg Review. In my free time, I enjoy running (and ultramarathons), camping, and keeping my dog from chewing things he shouldn't.

Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Cozy Mysteries Literary Fiction Short Story Thriller & Suspense
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Sports & Outdoors
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Latah Books

Jun, 2020 — Present

I do a little bit of everything at Latah Books-- developmental edits, copy edits, proofreading, interior layout, cover design, query letter support, and manuscript critiques. I also help screen manuscripts submitted to Latah Books and aid the press with marketing and distribution work.

Dev Spotlight

Jun, 2020 — Present

I copy edit articles geared toward software engineers and developers. Often, I am editing to improve concision, eliminate passive voice, and increase adherence to the AP style guide.

Willow Springs Books

Jan, 2019 — Dec, 2019 (11 months)

As Fiction Editor, I reviewed book-length submissions and helped choose the Spokane Prize finalists, an annual contest for collections of short stories. Once Valerie Vogrin won the contest, I worked as the liaison between her and the press, and also led the editing process for her collection. Prior to working on Valerie Vogrin's book, I served as a proofreader for the previous year's winning collection.

Eastern Washington University Writers' Center

Sep, 2018 — Jun, 2020 (over 1 year)

I facilitated one-on-one appointments with student writers at EWU. Students made appointments with me for a range of reasons, both macro and micro. The topics of our appointments ranged from brainstorming to larger revision needs and even style guide and grammatical support. I regularly staffed 100-150 appointments each academic quarter.

New England Review

Sep, 2017 — Jan, 2021 (over 3 years)

Each month, I read and assessed 20 short story submissions for New England Review. I passed along high-quality submissions to the NER editors, so that they'd be considered for publication.

Kevin has 24 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

James M.

James M.

Apr, 2024

I am so happy with my collaboration with Kevin. He did a great job on my manuscript, offered great suggestions, and the final product exceeded my expectations. I will call on him again with my next project.
Carol W.

Carol W.

Sep, 2023

I think Kevin may be an editing genius. He completed a developmental edit on my manuscript Summer of 2023. He identified both strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript, then went beyond that to offer detailed suggestions for improvement. I was blown away by the quality of his work and am now excited to begin revisions. Because of my schedule, we have not yet set a date for our video conferenc...
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Bill V.

Bill V.

Sep, 2023

This was the second time I'd worked with Kevin. I will work with him again. To avoid hyperbole (not that Kevin doesn't serve some), I will summarize with a few adjectives and phrases: professional, diligent, timely, helpful.
Nathan D.

Nathan D.

Jun, 2023

Kevin was great and provided a lot of insight about writing that I've never considered in my own personal edits. Would definitely suggest him to those needing a deep diving developmental edit into their story. Worth the price.
Matt M.

Matt M.

Jun, 2023

Kevin's work ethic and thoroughness with the manuscript is as impressive as it is helpful. His feedback is geared toward helping you see what you cannot, when you are too close to a project, all while taking his feedback further with his own suggestions of what might work better. We had a great chat at the end to deepen the discussion. All around a phenomenal workshop. I recommend Kevin highly.

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