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.


----


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


----


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

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Fantasy New Adult Romance Women's Fiction Young Adult Fantasy
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

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

Caught in the Pot

Short, Hogan

Steal My Heart

O'Brian, Aimee

Jessica has 85 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Kathryn L.

Kathryn L.

Nov, 2023

This is my second time working with Jessica. She is fantastic! I hired Jessica for my first round of edits back in the Spring and this was my second round. It was so valuable for me to follow up on her first round of comments to make sure I was on the right track. She once again made me feel so confident in my writing while providing great critical feedback. I will for sure be hiring her again ...
Read more
Rylee C.

Rylee C.

Oct, 2023

Jessica absolutely blew me away!! She was amazing to work with and her level of detail while working on my story has been insane. Jessica thinks of things that I never could have on my own, asking questions, and pointing out where I need more or less detail. She correct so many of my grammatical errors and bigger scale issues too. I am so so pleased with her work and will definitely be reaching...
Read more
David F.

David F.

Oct, 2023

This is my first time working with Jessica and didn't know what to expect from her work. I am very pleased. Her insight into my project has been invaluable and I will act on all her suggestions in order to take my book to the next level. She's been very professional in our dealings and I look forward to working with her on new projects.
Deyanira C.

Deyanira C.

Sep, 2023

Truly worth it! Very real editing, which I think is very important when it comes to this kind of job. Jessica took a whole new level to my writing and helped lead me in the direction to deepen my story and bring more life to it! I will absolutely work with her again.
Leah S.

Leah S.

Aug, 2023

From the very beginning, I connected with Jessica, and that carried through the entire collaboration for my high fantasy romance novel. I am completely blown away by her level of professionalism, detail, and passion for her work. She went above and beyond in the care she took to elevate my writing to another tier. Her detailed editorial letter, style list, edited manuscript and suggestions—i...
Read more

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Jessica and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Jessica

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Miranda Summers-Pritchard

Miranda S.

A highly experienced proofreader, copy-editor and author. Specialism: Fiction. Genres: crime, historical, romantic saga, thriller.

Hitchin, UK

100% reply rate

View profile
Kristy Gilbert

Kristy G.

Fantasy editor (12+ years) who has worked with authors like Brandon Sanderson, Charlie N. Holmberg, and Brian McClellan.

Lehi, UT, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Janell Harris

Janell H.

I am a proofreader specializing in academic titles on education and in middle grade and young adult fiction.

Mount Vernon, NY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile