Kat Gordon

Kat Gordon – Editor

Experienced proofreader of children's, YA, and crime fiction for Hachette and Simon and Schuster. Richard and Judy Book Club author 2019.

Overview

As an experienced proofreader I have worked on top children's and YA fiction, including Perdita and Honor Cargill's Waiting for Callback series, and Harriet Whitehorn's Violet books, and with high-profile authors such as Paige Toon and the award-winning C.J. Flood. As a result I have a keen eye for detail, a thorough appreciation of when to make changes and when to leave the author's voice intact, and a good idea of the market.

I'm also a published writer, so I know all about the ups and downs of a writer's life! After receiving an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, I completed my debut, a literary coming-of-age novel, which was published in 2015 and shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. My second novel, set in Africa in the 1920s and '30s, sold at auction to HarperCollins in 2017, and was subsequently selected as a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in the UK. So besides sharing procrastination (or should I say inspiration) tips, I can also offer the benefit of my hard-won experience in creating vivid characters and gripping plots, researching to get historical details just right, and navigating the publishing process from beginning to end.

Since completing my Masters, I have remained close with my course-mates, informally editing and workshopping their novels from first to last drafts. Among those I've given editorial feedback on are Liza Klaussmann's Tigers in Red Weather, Emma Chapman's How to Be a Good Wife, and Liz Gifford's Secrets of the Sea House.


Services
Fiction
Children's Coming of Age Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Young Adult
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • MA Creative Writing (distinction) - Royal Holloway
  • BA English Literature - Oxford

Portfolio

Nightwanderers

C. J. Flood

A stunning, sad and darkly funny story about intense female friendship, from award-winning author, C. J. Flood.It all started with a poo in a flowerbed. Rosie and Titania are as close as sisters - closer, in fact. While Rosie is shy, red-faced and passive, Ti ... read more
After the Lie

Kerry Fisher

‘I just couldn't put it down … It's not very often when reading a book that you find yourself laughing, crying snotty tears, feeling sick with tension … Yes, honestly, it really is that good.’ Being Anne Reading ‘OMG, do I ever like this writer. I don't usuall... read more
The Girl in the Ice

Robert Bryndza

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice. She is not the only one. When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead th... read more
Invisible Inc.

Steve Cole

Chaos, wizardry and a gang of kind-of ghosts, in this hilarious adventure from bestselling author, Steve Cole. Noah’s mum’s new invention can zap ANYTHING into a ghost of its former self. It’s still there, but you can’t see it. You can’t touch it. When the sin... read more
The Other Alice

Michelle Harrison

What happens when a tale with real magic, that was supposed to be finished, never was? This is a story about one of those stories . . . Midge loves riddles, his cat, Twitch, and – most of all – stories. Especially because he's grown up being read to by his sis... read more
Sunshine, rock gods, and Hollywood heartthrobs! Jessie Jefferson is back in the next installment from bestselling author Paige Toon—perfect for fans of Holly Smale's Geek Girl, the Jessica Cole series, and Zoe Sugg's Girl Online.Life as the undercover daughter... read more
There’s never a dull moment with the Strawberry Sisters! Little Lucy has a scheme to get popular, but if you want to keep all your hair, you’d better not ask what it is. Chloe’s facing the fight of her life and this time she can’t win it with her fists. Ella w... read more
The Bubble Boy

Stewart Foster

Amir is mad. He’s crazy. But the hospital wouldn’t let a crazy person in. They must have interviewed him and checked his qualifications. But maybe he didn’t even meet them? Maybe he hasn’t even come from India. He might have arrived on an alien spaceship and s... read more
Violet and the Smugglers

Harriet Whitehorn

Meet Violet Remy-Robinson, an amateur Sherlock Holmes in the making... Uncle Johnny has invited Violet and her friends to spend the summer with him on a sailing adventure around Europe and Violet couldn't be more excited! But when she suspects that the captain... read more
Casting Queen

Perdita Cargill

'Funny, heart-warming and just properly brilliant.' Maximum Pop ‘Glows with warmth and wit’ Jenny McLachlan ‘A witty, feel-good romp of a book. Waiting For Callback is my new favourite teen read!’ Emma Carroll When Elektra is discovered by an acting agent, she... read more

Kat has 26 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

VIKAS N.

VIKAS N.

Oct, 2024

Kat Gordon has really been a great help in my endeavour to write a rather longish book. What I really appreciated about her work is that she is very polite and sweet, with a tremendous amount of patience. She tolerated my persistent queries (some of which I even felt were, at times, a bit tiresome). Though she knew I was a first-time writer, she tolerated my inexperience with dignity and forbea...
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Julia H.

Julia H.

Sep, 2024

As a first time author I did not know what to expect from a developmental edit. Kat provided a small insight initially through her editing of my sample. I was thrilled with her professionalism, which shone through with her meticulously corrected edits. Kat gave the thoughtful overview I did not know I needed until it was highlighted. Kat fulfilled the brief within the allocated agreement. She...
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Matthew A.

Matthew A.

Jul, 2024

Kat was outstanding in her editing and I have nothing but praise for her professionalism. She completed the work ahead of schedule and her written report shows a genuine connection with what she was reading. She has improved my draft with wide-ranging assessments, and at the same time her eye for detail has made my writing sharper and cleaner. Kat is helpful and communicative. I have enjoyed wo...
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Kate P.

Kate P.

Jun, 2024

I am incredibly grateful for Kat's assessment of my book. Her quick response and invaluable professional insight have really helped me move forward with my book. Kat’s positive feedback has been both motivating and encouraging. More importantly, she pointed out several pitfalls, which has been immensely helpful. Being alerted to these issues has allowed me to steer my book onto the right track ...
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Sean J.

Sean J.

Oct, 2023

This is my second time working with Kat who provided a developmental and line edit for the second book in my series. Once again, she has proven herself to be a first-rate editor. All of her suggestions were spot on and proved just how insightful she is. Kat clearly possesses a literary sensibility combined with a very keen understanding of story. There’s no way the book could have been anywhere...
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