Karmen Wells

Karmen Wells – Editor

Previously of HarperCollins, working with Steven Hall, Jessica Westhead and more. I specialize in horror but bring confidence in all I edit.

Overview

“[Karmen] is a pro at recognizing and protecting the author's voice, one of the most vital aspects of editing.”

- Laurel Hightower, Bram Stoker-nominated author of Below and Crossroads


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I had an amazing experience at HarperCollins Canada, providing editorial notes and championing many talented authors, including Steven Hall, Kate Eberlen, Dan Vyleta, Karen McBride, Jessica Westhead, Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, Jeffrey Colvin, Owen Nicholls, and Alison Taylor. Working with both publishers and agents has groomed a fundamental understanding of what each is looking for and the best ways to entice them to read on. I'm thrilled to be able to use my editing skills and knowledge of the industry to help new authors develop their craft and elevate their work to a high standard.


As an editor, I prefer not to tell you what needs to change in your work, but rather I want to guide you to an understanding or spark an idea so that you can grow as a writer and continue to create better and better stories. Knowing what you did well is just as beneficial as knowing what needs to be improved, and you will hear both from me in my thorough editorial memos at each level of edit. I aim to guide writers to a polished manuscript or screenplay they can feel confident in bringing out into the world.


I'm most interested in working with my greatest love—the creepy, bizarre, and gory genre of horror! I'm a member of the Horror Writers Association and am passionate about assisting and promoting all writers whose stories confront the dark, bleak, and terrifying webs in the corners of our minds. But don't let that scare you off *wink* —I've worked with genres of all kinds, including character-driven literary and contemporary fiction, speculative fiction, and psychological thrillers.


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--Testimonials--


“Karmen's intuition and well-rounded perspective of the publishing landscape makes her a tremendous asset as an editor.”

- Iris Tupholme, SVP and Publisher of HarperCollins Canada


“Karmen gives thoughtful, thorough, and personal feedback. She helped me dig deeper and was generous with her time and attention throughout the process. I absolutely hope to work with Karmen again in the future.”

- James Morosini, actor, filmmaker, writer of I Love My Dad, ScreenCraft Comedy Contest Winner


“Karmen’s insightful and encouraging editorial input was invaluable. Her suggestions vastly improved the story I was trying to tell, and her excitement about my work and faith in my abilities buoyed me up during the entire process. Any writer would be lucky to have her in their corner.”

- Jessica Westhead, author of Worry


"Karmen has an instinct for both character and craft that brings out the best a story can be. A total pro with a hard respect for the author's voice."

- Tim McGregor, author of Hearts Strange & Dreadful and Wasps in the Ice Cream


Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Dystopian Horror Humor & Comedy Plays & Screenplays Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Thriller Steampunk
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • MA Journalism, Western University, 2014
  • Publishing Courses, Ryerson University, 2016

Work experience

The Rights Factory

Apr, 2021 — Oct, 2024 (over 3 years)
- submitted book-to-screen projects to producers, streamers, studios, and creatives based on market targets and wishlists; - coordinated with literary agents to develop pitch materials, including IP catalogues, one-pagers, series treatments, loglines, and decks for submission; - managed and mentored assistants and interns

Self-employed

Oct, 2019 — Present
I specialize in horror fiction but have worked with many genres, including literary fiction, science and speculative fiction, thrillers, and YA fantasy. Editorial services include: - manuscript evaluation - substantive/structural editing - proofreading and copyediting - script consultation

HarperCollins Canada

May, 2018 — Aug, 2019 (over 1 year)
- provided editorial reports to the publisher on agent submissions and new drafts from authors - assessed and line-edited fiction acquisitions - provided editorial reviews to senior editors and championed talented authors such as Steven Hall, Kate Eberlen, Dan Vyleta, Karen McBride, Jessica Westhead, Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, Jeffrey Colvin, Owen Nicholls, Alison Taylor, and Beatrice MacNeil - launched titles to the sales, marketing, and publicity teams - wrote cover copy and metadata - liaised with authors, agents, freelancers, and other departments

The Rights Factory

Feb, 2018 — Jun, 2018 (4 months)
- edited manuscripts of clients - evaluated manuscripts of potential clients through detailed editorial letters - organized cross-country workshops

McClelland & Stewart, Penguin Random House Canada

Jan, 2017 — Apr, 2017 (3 months)
- curate titles best suited for IP development for film and TV - pitch IP projects to production companies, studios, writers, directors, etc.

Western Report

Sep, 2013 — Apr, 2014 (7 months)
- assigned and edited weekly stories from journalism students - wrote features stories - copyedited and proofread final layout

Portfolio

What the Dead Can Do

Peter Rosch

Crooked Lane Books

A young child’s fate is at stake in a deadly battle between his deceased parents in this gripping and profoundly original psychological thriller, perfect for fans of What Have You Done and Mid... read more
Developmental Editing Query Letter Review
Made with Reedsy
Future Skinny

Rosch, Peter

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
The Final Women

Aujla, Pardeep

Developmental Editing
Maxwell's Demon

Steven Hall

This autumn, life is catching up with Thomas Quinn.Five years ago, his sometime friend Andrew Black wrote a mystery novel that sold a million copies and then disappeared. Now could it be that ... read more
Developmental Editing
Africville

Jeffrey Colvin

For readers of Lawrence Hill and George Elliott Clarke, a ferociously talented writer makes his stunning debut with this richly woven tapestry. Set in the small Nova Scotia town of Africville,... read more
Developmental Editing
Aftershock

Alison Taylor

“Alison Taylor’s debut novel is a riveting exploration of two tough women, a mother and a daughter, on a separate but similar journey, to figure out who they want to be and how to love each ot... read more
Developmental Editing
Worry

Jessica Westhead

A CBC BOOKS BEST FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARA riveting novel about a mother’s all-consuming worry for her child over forty-eight hours at a remote cottage with old friends and a mysterious neighb... read more
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Crossroads

Hightower, Laurel

Copy Editing
Lotería

Pelayo, Cynthia

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Spikies

Leunig, Christopher

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Nobodies: An unusual tale of society's least desirable

Hasara, Laurel Elizabeth

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Earthly Bodies

Susan Earlam

It is 2058. Rebecca, a widow, receives an invitation to leave Earth and start over, but nature has evolved and is tagging along for the ride. Earthly Bodies is a dystopian eco-horror story tha... read more
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
The Girl He Left Behind

Beatrice MacNeil

Fifteen years ago, Willow Alexander was jilted at the altar by her high school sweetheart, Graham Currie, who left their wedding rehearsal the night before knowing he would not be returning th... read more
Developmental Editing

Karmen has 35 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Tif R.

Tif R.

Apr, 2025

Karmen edited my query letter and the first chapter of my novel. Her edits were specific, holistic, clear, and easy to implement. She pointed out instances of overwriting, which I greatly appreciated. She also corrected fiddly grammar and suggested a formatting tweak. I would love to work with he...
Read more
Karl K.

Karl K.

Mar, 2025

Karmen has a wealth of knowledge and showed me how to focus and improve a story I am developing.
Adam H.

Adam H.

Jan, 2025

Working with Karmen has been wonderful! As a brand new writer, I had an idea, especially after some research, while at the same time, you also don't really know what to expect when you haven't worked with an editor before. It's been a very illuminating experience. I had her do an editorial assess...
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Mark S.

Mark S.

Nov, 2024

Karmen was excellent to work with. So much so that I hired her to edit one of my books. Although I missed our zoom call, she quickly rescheduled. We talked through a lot of the issues I was having as a writer and she gave great feedback. Highly recommend her services
Denise K.

Denise K.

May, 2024

If you want to do your very best job producing an engaging, memorable literary work, I highly recommend retaining Karmen for an editorial assessment or to serve as a developmental editor for your project. I could not be more pleased with the assistance Karmen gave me. I will be using her services...
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