Kerry Cullen

Kerry Cullen – Editor

I'm interested in thoughtful, voice-driven manuscripts. I especially love stories that include queer characters and/or speculative elements.

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 read submissions for multiple literary magazines. I'm happy to give insight on how to streamline a query letter and make it stand out.


I am a writer myself--my debut novel is forthcoming from Simon and Schuster in 2025. I earned my MFA at Columbia University, and I've also 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 C. 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

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Horror LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Romantic Comedy Women's Fiction
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

JMH Scouting

Sep, 2022 — Present

Henry Holt & Company

Aug, 2015 — Nov, 2020 (over 5 years)

Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Aug, 2014 — Aug, 2015 (about 1 year)

One Story Magazine

Apr, 2012 — Aug, 2014 (over 2 years)

Portfolio

Oola: A Novel

Newell, Brittany

Want: A Novel

Strong, Lynn Steger

Dreaded: Book 2 of Lady Dread

Kennedy, John Patrick

Princess Dracula

Kennedy, John Patrick

Kerry has 80 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Ally P.

Ally P.

Apr, 2024

Kerry is so lovely to work with and gives detailed, insightful feedback in a timely manner.
Dev S.

Dev S.

Jan, 2024

Kerry provided me with some wonderfully detailed feedback that gave me direct, actionable suggestions for improving both my manuscript and my writing technique in general. I am extremely happy with her services!!
Stephanie B.

Stephanie B.

Oct, 2023

It’s my third time collaborating with Kerry, and I can’t say enough great things about her work. She goes into details and makes sure to provide constructive feedback as well as references so the author she works with has additional ressources to look up if needed. Her work is in incredibly thorough yet she leaves room for the writer’s voice to shine through, which in itself is remarkable. I’m ...
Read more
Dylan G.

Dylan G.

Jul, 2023

I loved working with Kerry. She is insightful, thorough, professional, and fun to work with. I highly recommend her!
Evan M.

Evan M.

Jul, 2023

I have worked with Kerry twice, and each time she has been a deep, thoughtful, generous reader of the work and gives amazing feedback while keeping my vision of the piece centered. If you are hesitant to reach out to her, don't be. I am incredibly grateful to have found her here and will be working with her again.

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Kerry and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Kerry

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Ruby Lee

Ruby L.

Attentive, in-depth editor with 6+ years of Big 5 experience—specializing in literary/upmarket fiction and memoir.

New York, NY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Gareth Watkins

Gareth W.

Copy-editor and proofreader with over 10 years' experience working with traditional publishers and indie authors.

Oxford, United Kingdom

100% reply rate

View profile
Jacquelin Cangro

Jacquelin C.

I'm a seasoned developmental book editor with 20 years of experience at Penguin Random House committed to helping you make your story sing!

New York, New York, USA

100% reply rate

View profile