Karen Bourne

Karen Bourne – Editor

Former agent/editor with extensive experience in the publishing industry. Reader of genre fiction. Dedicated to improving your manuscript.

Overview

As the former Subsidiary Rights Associate at JABberwocky Literary Agency Inc., I represented authors in the English language and sold the agency's translation rights to publishers around the globe. Now I freelance professionally. I am delighted to have worked with acclaimed authors on the editorial side such as up-and-comer Ryan O'Nan, internationally bestselling author Peter V. Brett, and more. My specialty is editorial assessments. For these, I provide an overview letter that gives a full rundown of the narrative's strengths and weaknesses as well as suggestions on how to improve the manuscript overall. On a case-by-case basis, I may also provide a document with tracked changes. My aim in author feedback is to polish rough manuscripts into high-quality gems, with a realistic eye for both writing as a craft as well as marketability. I'm committed to giving every project its due diligence, so I usually schedule projects up around month out. I'm a huge fan of fantasy, magical realism, and/or supernatural stories, however I'm open to working with most genres. If you've got a great story to tell, I'd love to read it!Quotes From Writers:"Thanks, Karen! I’m incredibly grateful for your input and the quick turnaround." -Myke Cole, author of the Shadow Ops series, Reawakened trilogy, Sacred Throne series, etc. "Karen was such a gift! Her thoughts and suggestions were beyond perfect. She knew exactly how to strengthen my plot for my genre and for the story overall. She was quick to respond, very professional, extremely nice, and I loved working with her. I value her feedback so much and I really feel like she helped me grow as a writer. I would love to work with her again in the future."-Adora Michaels

"Karen's analysis and review was insightful, perceptive, and spot-on. Her feedback was quite helpful and her suggestions were inspiring. I look forward to working with her again!"-Debra Elliott

Services
Fiction
Epic Fantasy LGBTQ Fiction Magical Realism New Adult Urban Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

JABberwocky Literary Agency Inc.

Nov, 2018 — Oct, 2022 (almost 4 years)
• Evaluates author-submitted manuscripts for potential representation. • Manages first reads & developmental edits for multiple agents & their respective client lists. • Ensures quality of manuscripts with an eye for success in the current marketplace. • Creates and edits back cover copy, tip sheets, etc.

Delacorte/Macmillan/Picador/Workman

Aug, 2014 — Nov, 2018 (over 4 years)
• Read agented submissions & composed reader reports • Composed developmental editorial letters for frontlist titles • Created and edited back cover copy, tip sheets, etc. • Wrote press & campaign materials to be used in frontlist marketing campaigns

Karen has 8 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Michael M.

Michael M.

Nov, 2025

Karen was very responsive and worked with me on understanding a lot of important changes I need to make to upgrade my novel.
Karen B.
I'm glad my assessment was helpful--it was great working with you!
KANWAL K.

KANWAL K.

Jul, 2025

She was thorough in her assessment. As an added bonus, she completed her assessment sooner than I had expected as well. Her comments were clear and gave much needed insight.
Karen B.
Thank you for the kind words, I’m so glad I was able to help. It was wonderful to work with you!
Matthew F.

Matthew F.

May, 2022

Another great experience with immense value added
Schaun W.

Schaun W.

May, 2022

Karen was excellent. I had quite a large manuscript, and she not only gave me invaluable feedback that made it a much stronger product, but her turnaround time was also quite fast. She gave me the high-level perspective I needed to tie the different parts of my story together, but also gave me de...
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Adora M.

Adora M.

Feb, 2022

Karen was such a gift! Her thoughts and suggestions were beyond perfect. She knew exactly how to strengthen my plot for my genre and for the story overall. She was quick to respond, very professional, extremely nice, and I loved working with her. I value her feedback so much and I really feel lik...
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