Kayla Church

Kayla Church – Editor

I am a book editor with a passion for bringing adult, YA, and middle grade fiction, memoir, and self-help books to life.

Overview

I have been editing books since 2009, both freelance and at a small press. I have a strong passion for helping authors refine their craft and bring their stories to life.

Most recently I worked as the editorial director at a small traditional press with national distribution. I oversaw every step of the book publishing process, from acquisitions, through editing, layout, and design, and finally, to publishing.

I am committed to treating each book with the care I believe it deserves. Each author's story is important, but writing the book is just the first step in the process to being published. I can help you in each step of your journey to either finding a publisher or self-publishing on your own.

Below you can see a small sampling of my portfolio.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Self-Help & Self-Improvement Sex & Relationships
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (AUS) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Publishing Institute, University of Denver

Work experience

Self-employed

Feb, 2018 — Present

Amberjack Publishing

Nov, 2014 — Feb, 2018 (over 3 years)

In this role, I helped grow the company from a publishing calendar with five books per year, to a publishing calendar of twenty-four books per year. I helped establish and solidify the company's brand, culture, and staff.

Day to day, my responsibilities were:
• Manage the publishing calendar and all stages of the publishing process (12-18 months), including: acquisition, contract negotiations, budget creation, editing, marketing, and design.
• Manage a team of editors.
• Acquire and develop new publishing leads, titles, and proposals.
• Oversee all stages of manuscript production, from copyedit to the approval of the final print proofs.
• Work closely with authors to enhance their work’s readability, conciseness and style.
• Acquire all trade and reader reviews of published Amberjack books.
• Collaborate with design and production departments on style, schedule, format, and aesthetics.
• Work in Adobe InDesign to create print and ebook layouts for titles.
• Consult with marketing department on ideas for promotion and provide marketing with preliminary materials.
• Help establish marketing and public relations activities and budget for each title.
• Write catalog and title information copy, and other copy for marketing collateral as needed.
• Write, edit, and publish online digital publications.
• Plan and attend conferences and events as a representative of the company.

Portfolio

The U.S., and countries around the globe, are facing an ever-evolving series of health issues, including obesity, food deserts, child hunger, poor maternal health outcomes, and the resurgence of communicable diseases. Traditionally, health communicators and ma... read more
Waldo Baron awakes one morning to find his inventor parents have turned their house into a flying machine, and they intend to enter into a race across the country in the hopes of winning the $500 prize. His parents’ plans go astray when they are kidnapped by R... read more
Dewey Fairchild isn’t just good with parents, he’s great with them. He’s so good at handling parents that he’s built a thriving business out of it. He even has an assistant, Clara―a great alibi and an even better baker. Dewey settles the most troublesome of ca... read more
Timeless #2Cheyenne is determined to seek the light of truth in a web of darkness, but at what cost?Still reeling from the revelations of her secret birthright and fated betrothals, Cheyenne's thoughts tumble over the whirlwind of life since the death of her p... read more
Andrew Macalister, oft regarded as the Stone Duke of Bradstone, hates his annual birthday ball tradition. He dislikes facing those around him who only see him for his title, and has given up on a chance to live a normal life. That is, until he spots Lady Clara... read more
Despite being beautiful and wealthy, Lady Susanna Macalister’s marriage prospects are rather lacking. Unwilling to let an opportunity pass her by, she decides a loveless marriage is better than spinsterhood, as it will allow her to continue her charities.The l... read more
Dream Me

Kathryn Berla

Zat is a dreamer from the distant future—a time when humans no longer dream and Earth is a desolate wasteland. He dreams of the beautiful Earth of the past, and a fiery-haired beauty named Babe. Against the wisdom of his peers, Zat decides to risk everything t... read more
The House at 758

Kathryn Berla

Sixteen year old Krista is still grieving the untimely death of her mother when her father's new girlfriend moves into their home. He's already moved on and wants Krista to do the same, but she's not ready to resume a normal life yet. Distancing herself from t... read more
A great war, a great love, and the mythology that unites them; The Hawkman: A Fairy Tale of the Great War is a lyrical adaptation of a beloved classic.Set against the shattering events of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the tale’s heart are an Ameri... read more
Mammoth: A Novel

Douglas Perry

The small, isolated town of Mammoth View is hit with terrifying news on a summer morning: a mysterious, large-scale attack is unfolding in the surrounding forest. It’s not clear what happened, but it’s bad. And it’s not over. As residents flee in panic, Police... read more
Lala Pettibone's Act Two

Heidi Mastrogiovanni

Lala Pettibone, a forty-something widow whose outrageous antics befit women half her age, has been imagining her sexy boss, Gerard, is as smitten with her as she is with him. Enter Gerard’s fabulous girlfriend from Paris. After spending the rest of the day dri... read more
Murder, romance, secrets and hidden pasts. Deception from every angle-who's telling the truth? Cheyenne Wilson's life is thrown into turmoil after her adoptive parents are killed in an accident. With only her best friend Colt to comfort her, she scours through... read more
Alex Stone wants to pretend the supernatural doesn't exist. As the owner of a hot new clothing line, the only thing she's killing is her competition - until she gets a phone call from her past.As the Dagger, she was a member of the covert ops team tasked with ... read more
Fever Tree

Tim Applegate

When a handsome and mysterious stranger arrives in Crooked River, the town is consumed by rumors. Although a deeply private young man, Dieter befriends everyone from deckhands to shopkeepers. But what is he running from?On the rebound from a disastrous relatio... read more
The Boy from Tomorrow

Camille DeAngelis

Josie and Alec both live at 444 Sparrow Street. They sleep in the same room, but they’ve never laid eyes on each other. They are twelve years old and a hundred years apart. The children meet through a hand-painted talking board―Josie in 1915, Alec in 2015―and ... read more
The only thing Jack Rubin ever wanted was to be a real American. A Jewish immigrant from Poland, he arrives in New York City in the late 1800s and begins his American journey by pulling himself up by the bootstraps. But his success doesn't satisfy him, and whe... read more
The gripping true story of Kathleen Murray, a young mother whose life was changed on September 11, 1976 when her husband, Brian Murray, a NYPD bomb disposal expert, was killed by a terrorist’s bomb. It details her childhood in the Bronx, her journey out of pov... read more
A spicy blend of personal narrative, in-depth reporting, and inspiration, Girl Boner is the go-to companion for "good girls" seeking the richer, more authentic, and pleasure-filled lives they deserve through embracing their bodies and sexuality. Girl Boner fea... read more

Kayla has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Juhi R.

Juhi R.

Sep, 2019

Kayla was quick, sincere and was a pleasure to work with. Would work with her again.
Tracy S.

Tracy S.

Sep, 2018

From the very start, my manuscript was something I really believed in. Something I knew could make a difference for readers. After Kayla's thoughtful edits, though, it's now a book I can truly get behind. She made it 100% better. I fully believe in her capability as an editor and would use her services again in a heartbeat.

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