Jessica McKelden

Jessica McKelden – Editor

A detail-oriented developmental + copy editor who will guide you toward feeling more confident about your novel! Loves fantasy + romance.

Overview

I've worked with my fair share of authors, and one thing that keeps coming up is this: a lack of confidence. Fraudy feelings. Imposter syndrome. Even multi-published authors sometimes feel as though their work isn’t good enough, that readers won’t connect with their characters, that the copies just won’t sell.


But what if you could finally feel confident about your work? What if you had someone on your side to call out issues with plot, characters, formatting, sentence structure, and more? What if you knew you were putting out the best damn book you could write? That’s where I come in.


I help fiction authors feel more confident and less overwhelmed using encouragement, collaboration, and some excellent editing skills--because I believe there's a story to tell in all of us.


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During my years of editing, I've worked with first-time authors, New York Times Bestselling Authors, and everything in between. Take a look at what my clients have said about me:


"As a passionate author, I think we all know how nerve-wracking it can be to hand your work over, but I never felt that way with Jessica. Truly, she took my debut novel to the next level. 10/10!" - Jaclyn Kot, author of BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH


"Working with Jessica was nothing short of amazing! I found it very simple to work through her suggestions." - Melissa Cassera, author of CONTROL


"She has a gift: edit and correct while enhancing my self esteem. I feel like I took a short course in creative writing." - Gordon S.


"I especially appreciated the bluntness when something was out of whack and her words of encouragement when the writing clicked. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!" - John Zaiss, author of LOVE, LIZZIE


"She understands my style of writing and edits accordingly but isn't afraid to give feedback or call out mistakes. I always learn something new working with her." - Bree Bennett, author of the Sparrow Hill series


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Not quite sure? Reach out and we can discuss your project to see if we're a good fit!

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Fantasy New Adult Romantic Fantasy Women's Fiction
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Mar, 2010 — Present

I offer both freelance Developmental Editing, Copy Editing, and Proofreading services for fiction novels. I've worked with publishing houses (including romance publisher Tule) and one-to-one with authors. Open to working with new and seasoned authors alike.

Portfolio

The King's Queen

Hubbard, Haydn

Gingered: A Memoir

Murphy, Ryan G.

Love, Lizzie

Zaiss, John

Dr. Reade

Prescott, M.K.

The Irony of Fate

Adaire, Scarlett

The Things Friends Hide

Cushman, Jessica

Steal My Heart

O'Brian, Aimee

Jessica has 100 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Cassia C.

Cassia C.

Oct, 2024

This was my second time working with Jessica, and just like before, she made the editing process a positive and rewarding experience – even a fun one! With her encouraging and thorough feedback, I feel that much more confident about my book. I had four different points of view in my manuscript, and she kept me accountable for all the little details that come with so many characters. Her charact...
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Alice A.

Alice A.

Aug, 2024

Jessica absolutely went above and beyond my best expectations for my debut novel. She was incredibly reachable throughout the whole project, flexible when I had some delays in the editing schedule, and prompt with project delivery! I hired Jessica to do developmental and copy edits and what she delivered was so detailed there was no doubt in my mind that this investment was completely worth it....
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Patti N.

Patti N.

Jul, 2024

I don't feel she was invested in my project. Some of her comments showed the lack of thought that went into them, such as saying certain phrases weren't relevant to today's readers. One phrase she mentioned is used quite consistently in the area depicted in the book. She indicated she felt some things were completely inaccurate for the area such as temperatures at that time of year. Evidently s...
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Jessica M.
Hi Patti. Thank you for leaving a review, and there is no reason to feel bad about being critical in your critique--that is, after all, what editing is about! It sounds like maybe I wasn't the best...
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FJ H.

FJ H.

May, 2024

At first I wasn't sure that I wanted to spend the additional money on a proofreader since my copy editor was so fantastic, but Jessica was AMAZING and I'm so glad that I chose her to proofread the manuscript for my YA Contemporary Fantasy. Although there were some items that were more stylistic issues than true errors (a fact Jessica pointed out in her letter to me), there were things that Jes...
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Angela J. F.

Angela J. F.

May, 2024

Really enjoyed working with Jessica and appreciate the thoughtfulness of the editorial letter as well as the detailed style guide.

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