Karmen Wells – Editor

“[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