Kerry Cullen

Kerry Cullen - Editor

New York, NY, USA

I edit fiction across the literary-to-commercial spectrum, including short stories, big upmarket book-club novels, YA, sci fi, and horror.

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Overview

I am an editor and writer who has worked on both the editorial and the agency side of book publishing, as well as having worked with and read submissions for multiple literary magazines. I have edited fiction spanning many genres, from short stories and upmarket fiction to literary sci-fi and horror. I have provided editorial feedback on YA and middle grade short stories and novels, and I'm happy to give insight on how to streamline a query letter and make it stand out.

I earned my MFA at Columbia University, and I've had many of my own stories published, so I also have a unique perspective on the editor-author relationship, and pride myself on open and empathetic communication with authors.



TESTIMONIALS

"Kerry Cullen is an exceptional editor with incredibly sharp editorial instincts. She has the rare ability to provide structural and thematic feedback along with granular, sentence-level suggestions. She has an eye for distilling the essence of a story and communicating this with clear, actionable edits. I have rarely worked with an editor who has her poetic sensibility to language and empathy for the writer. Kerry is also incredibly fast—she immediately grasped the themes of my novel and articulated the central tensions and character relationships in ways I had struggled to put into words."
--Sanaë Lemoine, author of The Margot Affair
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Dystopian
Horror
LGBTQ Fiction
Short Story

Work experience

Editor

Henry Holt & Company
August, 2015 – November, 2020 (over 5 years)

Literary Agent's Assistant

Curtis Brown, Ltd.
August, 2014 – August, 2015 (about 1 year)

Editorial Assistant

One Story Magazine
April, 2012 – August, 2014 (over 2 years)

Portfolio (6 selected works)

Want: A Novel

Strong, Lynn Steger

Oola: A Novel

Newell, Brittany

Princess Dracula

Kennedy, John Patrick

Dreaded: Book 2 of Lady Dread

Kennedy, John Patrick

Kerry has 73 reviews

Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality

Jeremy Clift
Friendly communication, actionable and detailed notes, and very useful development edit, with highly constructive observations about what could be enhanced and what omitted. Kerry is great to work with. I also liked how she marked passages that worked well.

Jeremy Clift, February 2023


Stephanie Brousse
This is my second time working with Kerry and I hope to do it again in the near future. Her professionalism and care go beyond the expectations, and she's overall a real pleasure to work with.

Stephanie Brousse, February 2023


Jill Witty
This was my first time working with a professional editor on a novel, and I am so grateful for Kerry's collaboration. Her insights into my manuscript's strengths and weaknesses were invaluable. She provided both high-level and line-level feedback, and I came away with clear direction about what to revise to make the manuscript as polished and salable as possible. I highly recommend her and hope...
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Jill Witty, January 2023


Brandy Todd
Kerry is great as always.

Brandy Todd, December 2022


Jen Knox
It is about as easy to find a good editor as it is to find a good mate or therapist. When you find them, you know. I feel like I've found a partner in Kerry. She is clear and offers very specific advice that is not canned or questionable. She is experienced, and I trust her suggestions and edits completely.

Jen Knox, December 2022

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