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 K.


"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 Fantasy Romance 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

Love, Lizzie

Zaiss, J.

Dr. Reade

Prescott, M.

Steal My Heart

O'Brian, A.

Jessica has 74 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Julie F.

Julie F.

May, 2023

I picked Jessica because I could tell she had read the sample I sent and was genuinely interested in the helping me. I felt that some of the proposals I received were canned and the candidates skimmed or did not even read the sample I had provided. It was important to me that the editor I choose be familiar with my style of writing, have an interest in the genre and provide detailed feedback th...
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S.D. G.

S.D. G.

May, 2023

Working with Jessica is always a pleasure. The value and feedback you get with her editing is worth every penny. She is communicative, understanding, and excellent at her work.
Paul L.

Paul L.

Apr, 2023

If you want to be share your story, you need a professional copywriter. Jessica was thorough with all suggestions. The price is right to get this pro tp help you.
Christy V.

Christy V.

Apr, 2023

Jessica was great to work with, setting clear expectations regarding the process and delivery. I really liked her perspective on considerations for the reader, and her detailed edits were well researched, even across multiple languages! Jessica offered great suggestions and comments throughout the style sheet & edited manuscript. Definitely worth the price for a professional editor and empathet...
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Marcy F.

Marcy F.

Apr, 2023

The quality of Jessica's edit exceeded my high expectations. I most appreciated her analysis of my story, where she noted numerous implausible actions, unsatisfying plot twists, and so on. I am working through her comments now (and probably will be for several weeks) and am grateful for the care and skill Jessica applied to my story. Jessica gave me so many important insights, and I know my fi...
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