Kathy Webb - Editor

Name: Kathy Webb
Address: Oxford, UK
Telephone: +1 407-233-3331

I work on children's fiction for all ages from first chapter books to teen novels. I have over 25 years' experience in children's editing.

Overview

'I have worked in a professional capacity with Kathy Webb for the last eight years and I can wholeheartedly recommend her as a first class editor and commissioner of children's books. My series 'Mortal Chaos' was made far stronger and a better read for her intelligent and perceptive edits and amends.'
Matt Dickinson, Award-winning author of 'Mortal Chaos' and 'The Everest Files'.

I am an experienced children's books editor and can help with advice and consultancy on manuscripts, structural and development editing, plus copy editing and proof reading. I have worked with many children's books authors including Tim Bowler (winner of the Carnegie Medal), Elaine Wickson (shortlisted for the 2020 Lollies Award), Matt Dickinson, Harriet Whitehorn, and many more.

I pride myself on having excellent relationships with my authors and tailoring my approach and advice according to their individual needs and requirements.

Services

Developmental Editing

Copy Editing

Editorial Assessment

Proofreading

Languages

English (UK)

Fiction

Classics

Middle Grade

Young Adult

Awards

Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award

Work experience

Freelance consultant and editor

Self-employed

September, 2019 – Present (about 2 years)

Having recently left my job as Managing Editor for children's books I am now embarking on my next adventure which is to provide a freelance consultancy and editorial service for writers, agents, and publishers. My speciality is children's books but I am open to expanding into other genre.

Managing Editor, Children's Books

Oxford University Press

November, 1991 – July, 2019 (over 27 years)

In my role as managing editor for children's books I oversaw the children's publishing list of around 250 titles. In addition to this I commissioned fiction for ages 5-14 and worked closely with all my authors to develop their ideas and manuscripts and undertook the structural editing on their manuscripts as well as more detailed line edits. I have experience in IP development and developed fiction series from concept to publication including writing detailed storylines and chapter breakdowns for writers to work from.

I pride myself on having excellent relationships with the authors I work with and strive to always help them to achieve the best possible manuscript.

Portfolio (7 selected works)

Freddie's Amazing Bakery: The Great Raspberry Mix-Up

Harriet Whitehorn

Born to bake. Happy to help. Freddie Bonbon is the kindest boy in town. He is also the most amazing baker - he just doesn't know it! So when the King of Cakes competition is announced, all his friends and customers encourage him to enter. Everyone wants Freddie to win! Everyone that is, except rival baker Bernard, who will go to any lengths to make sure Freddie's showstopper cake is a raspberr... read more

Mortal Chaos. Matt Dickinson

Matt Dickinson

When a butterfly startles a young rabbit, and the rabbit makes a horse rear, it starts a chain of events, over the course of one day, that will change people's lives - and end people's lives. From the climber on Everest to the boy in Malawi, the commercial pilot to the American psycho, the chaos knows no bounds.

The Merrybegot

Julie Hearn

The Merrybegot casts a powerful spell over its readers. Utterly bewitching. Abi Elphinstone In a remote west-country village, all is not as it seems. Rumours of bad magic and witchcraft are spreading. The piskies are whispering in the orchard and an ill wind is blowing. The fingers of blame are all pointing to Nell, the cunning woman's granddaughter. With the Witchfinder General on his way, Ne... read more

Planet Stan

Sometimes the only way to make any sense of my life is to put it all into charts and diagrams . . . but even that just makes me realize how far away from normal my family is, especially my little brother Fred! I hope that you'll find some useful survival tips in this book, but if not, then at least it'll cheer you up to know your life is considerably less chaotic than mine! Stan loves everythi... read more

The Eagle of the Ninth (The Roman Britain Trilogy Book One)

Rosemary Sutcliff

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of Northern Britain―and they were never seen again. Four thousand men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It's a mystery that's never been solved, until now . . . Marcus has to find out what happened to his father, who led the legion. So he sets out into the unknown, on a quest so dangerous that nobody expects him to return.

The Private Blog of Joe Cowley: Straight Outta Nerdsville

Ben Davis

Too old for wimpy kid? Meet Joe Cowley! Blog! You have NO IDEA how happy I am right now. I'm smiling so much, I look like The Joker in a wind tunnel.GET A LOAD OF THIS: - Harry, Ad, Greeny, and me are living in our own flat, right in the heart of the city. I know, amazing! We're city-slicking, hard-hustling, good-timing, not-even-missing-our-mummies-one-little-bit city boys. - The Sound Experi... read more

The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet

Bored of the same old routine? Longing for a bit of adventure in your life? Love living life on the edge? Then join Alfie Fleet and discover a whole universe of wonders (and things that are not so wonderful too, but we won't go into that now). From giant sand lobsters on planet Maureen and the Twang Bears of Mumsy, to the eerie (yet oddly quite boring) brains in jars on Brains-in-Jars World - ... read more