Kristy Gilbert

Kristy Gilbert – Editor

Fantasy editor (12+ years) who has worked with authors like Brandon Sanderson, Charlie N. Holmberg, and Brian McClellan.

Overview

I'm a science fiction & fantasy editor with over a decade's experience in books, comics, and games. As an independent editor, I've edited books for both publishers and independent authors. Publisher clients include DC Comics, Penguin Young Readers, Tachyon Publishing, and Exploding Kittens. Author clients include Charlie N. Holmberg (of The Paper Magician trilogy), Brian McClellan (of Powder Mage fame), Dan Wells, and Heather Moore. I've also worked as a production editor for Dragonsteel Entertainment, editing and laying out Brandon Sanderson's Secret Project novels (the books that were the foundation for the most successful Kickstarter on record). In 2021, I was named Utah's first-ever Editor of the Year.

And I can't wait to bring that experience to bear to help you get your book reader ready.

TESTIMONIALS

"Kristy is a joy and a pleasure to work with. She…has an eye for detail that has helped me tremendously. She’s very dedicated to her work and treated my manuscript professionally, offering great critique and overall edits. I highly recommend her."
—Charlie N. Holmberg, fantasy author

"Kristy does a fantastic job every time. She’s punctual, thorough, affordable, and great to work with."
—Brian McClellan, fantasy author

"Kristy is responsive, skilled, timely and intuitive—in a word, PROFESSIONAL. She possesses the ear and eye for all things both contemporary and classic in book production. Her work is both punchy and elegant, and the results speak for themselves."
—Carnegie Olson, science fiction author

Services
Fiction
Comics & Graphic Novels Epic Fantasy Magical Realism Military Science Fiction Urban Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Utah Editor of the Year (2021), from the League of Utah Writers
Certifications
  • BA in English (minor in editing)
  • MA in English (emphasis in folklore & fairy tales)

Work experience

Dragonsteel Entertainment

Apr, 2023 — Present

Edit novels, short stories, and essays at various levels; design & design and typeset complex interior layouts and ebooks for Dragonsteel publications; establish and maintain Dragonsteel style guide, editorial handbooks, and professional development for the editorial department.

Self-employed

Apr, 2011 — Present

Provide editing services ranging from manuscript evaluation to final proofreading, as well as production services including typesetting, page layout, and ebook production. Clients include bestselling fiction authors, unpublished writers, various small presses & book packagers, businesses, and academic professionals.

Dragonsteel Entertainment

Jun, 2022 — Mar, 2023 (10 months)

Design and typeset interior layouts for the Year of Sanderson Secret Project novels; review line edits from freelancers; proofread laid-out text for the Secret Project novels; design ebook files for books released as audio originals.

Pegasus

Jan, 2022 — Mar, 2023 (about 1 year)

Edit and typeset Charlie N. Holmberg's self-published titles; manage titles and metadata across Bowker, KDP, and Ingram Spark; hire and manage freelance editors for some projects; maintain mailing list and edit/format newsletter emails; organize Charlie's schedule; liaise with marketing, publishing, sales, and other partners.

Brigham Young University

Aug, 2018 — Dec, 2021 (over 3 years)

Teach Introduction to Print Publishing, a course that covers foundational graphic design principles and how to implement them in printed projects using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

Weber State Univeristy

Aug, 2017 — Apr, 2018 (8 months)

Taught intermediate writing using a themed approach.

Brigham Young University

Aug, 2015 — Dec, 2016 (over 1 year)

Taught a substantive editing course and introduction to print publishing courses for the BYU editing and publishing curriculum.

The Folklore Historian

Sep, 2013 — Jan, 2014 (4 months)

Copyedited scholarly articles in Chicago Manual of Style; laid out and typeset the journal in InDesign.

General Dynamics Information Technology

Sep, 2011 — Jun, 2013 (over 1 year)

Edited theses, articles, and conference proceedings from students and faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Leading Edge Magazine

Jul, 2008 — Jun, 2011 (almost 3 years)

Published speculative fiction short stories and poetry semiannually; evaluated manuscripts for publication; provided developmental feedback for revise and resubmit requests; copy edited accepted manuscripts.

Portfolio

In the colonial cities and towns of Fatrasta, peace has never been easy. Immigrants fight amongst themselves or turn on the native population, while the governing power of the Kez Army steps in only to enforce the will of apathetic local governors assigned by ... read more
How can one kid defeat an entire band of space pirates when everyone he knows is asleep? Twelve-year-old Zero is traveling with 20,000 people for 105 years to colonize a new planet. Everyone is in stasis, so they'll be safe during the trip, but when Zero's pod... read more
Veins of Gold

Charlie N.

A new historical fantasy novel from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg:VEINS OF GOLDDesperate to save her siblings from poverty, a young woman discovers magic fueled by gold . . . and a love for the man who wields it.Abandoned by their ... read more
Neom

Tidhar

Alek Fitz is the lead reaper for Valkyrie Collections, an agency that gathers debts for the paranormal elements of the world. Bound into modern-day slavery by a contract he cannot break, sold by parents he never knew, Alek works alongside demons, spirits, witc... read more
Mankind lost the battle for its soul without knowing. Evil won. And no Chosen Ones are coming to the rescue. Enter Jestin Kase, a foster kid on the run in Chicago. He finds himself drawn into the underbelly of civilization, where the Three Great Schools of Mag... read more
Get a healthy dose of noir-flavored stories featuring the Dark Knight in the Batman: Black & White Omnibus!Presented in stark black-and-white tones that all too easily represent Batman's worldview comes this collection of the Dark Knight Detective's hard-boile... read more
Delilah's DessertsA Tangerine Street Romance(a novel in three parts)Welcome to Tangerine StreetTangerine Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and exclusive be... read more
“Heart and philosophy buoy this dark tale…” —Kirkus Review of Book 1: Eloy’s DiscoveryCaught in the midst of a devastating war between two cunning enemies from his past …Eloy’s journey continues. Unsure how to find the path Amicus started him on years before, ... read more
In the trilogy’s final installment, Eloy and his companions search a mysterious new world for the treasure promised to him many years before.But the journey will not be an easy one. This untamed land is filled with perils that will push Eloy and his friends to... read more
The Doom Patrol, stars of the new series on the DC Universe streaming service, have their 2004 series by X-Men artist John Byrne collected in hardcover for the first time.The World's Strangest Heroes are back, in the way that only the legendary writer/artist J... read more
AFTER THE END OF THE WORLD, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT UPHundreds of years ago, the apocalypse came--and went. For the self-interested smuggler called Thirteen, the religious cults, witch tribes, mutants, mafias, false prophets, real prophets, sunken cities, an... read more
Every night Batman must confront the evil that he is responsible for creating, as well as the personal demons that have haunted him since that fateful day in Crime Alley.The Dark Knight Detective usually works alone, but the threat of mass murder in the financ... read more
The two-year run on Swamp Thing by critically acclaimed Southern Gothic horror novelist Nancy A. Collins is collected for the first time ever.In these Swamp Thing tales written by critically acclaimed Southern Gothic horror novelist Nancy Collins, a mad priest... read more
Alek Fitz is a reaper, a collection agent who works for the supernatural elements of the world, tracking down debtors and solving problems for clients as diverse as the Lords of Hell, vampires, Haitian loa, and goblins. He’s even worked for the Tooth Fairy on ... read more
Now that Batman has escaped the "Knightmares," he's starting to see the forces rallying against him--and that his father from another universe has joined the other side.The Caped Crusader finally digs into the mystery of how Thomas Wayne, a.k.a. the Flashpoint... read more
Kelly was a pro until his niece was murdered right before his eyes. His family says he failed her, but Kelly can’t share his one shocking, secret—and criminal—act of vengeance. Now, fellow detectives digging in another case can end Kelly’s career and send him ... read more
Koe Kai is the youngest graduate in the Citadel , but his smarts aren't going to help him in his final class before graduation: Courtship 101. Don't worry, he's got all sorts of things against him: a terrible stutter, no social skills, and his unfortunate alle... read more
A frayed friendship. A forgotten clan. A dangerous destiny.Bren Westley just wants the chance to live a normal life on a planet with an ocean. However, he is the heir to the governor of Krati, and his highest duty is to keep the prison planet secure. When a ra... read more
A missing twinspark. A city in commotion. A deadly curse.Kendra Forrest has a secret. She is bound to an invisible alien named Dina and gifted with unnatural abilities. If the people of Zenith discovered the truth, they would lock her away to be studied—or wor... read more
Six Fantasy Romance Novellas in one collection:Featuring Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg, with Julie Wright, Annette Lyon, Jane Redd, Amber Argyle, and Luisa Perkins. ILLUSIONS OF LOVE by Charlie N. Holmberg:Aster has worked as the g... read more
Koe LeKai saved Embera from flesh-eating demons. After using magic to find her friends, he ends up trapped in a vision of the past, witnessing the events leading up to him finding her.Embera, Indri, and Iva are from a magicless world, but now they’re trapped o... read more
'Tis the season for six lovely and charming Regency romances! Curl up by the fire, sip your favorite hot drink, and enjoy A YULETIDE REGENCY:ALWAYS KISS AT CHRISTMAS by Regina ScottMary Rose has one goal for her mother’s annual Christmas Eve party: convince he... read more
“Heart and philosophy buoy this dark tale…” —Kirkus Review of Book 1: Eloy’s DiscoveryCaught in the midst of a devastating war between two cunning enemies from his past …Eloy’s journey continues. Unsure how to find the path Amicus started him on years before, ... read more
Embera should be dead when Koe finds her unconscious and wounded in the wildlands of Eldair. Who she is and how she got there remains a mystery even after she finally awakens from a strange enchanted sleep. Koe can only guess what the quiet, scared, and damage... read more
The Gibbons worked their whole lives saving for their future. When it's time to retire and reap the rewards of every sacrifice Vole insisted they make, they discover that Bay is dying, and her burning desire to see the world beyond their small-town will die wi... read more
Three wagers. Three couples. Let the bets begin.From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling & #1 Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Regency Romance, comes WEDDING WAGERS. Featuring bestselling authors Donna Hatch, Heather B. Moore, and... read more
From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling & #1 Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Clean & Wholesome Romance, comes CALICO BALL.Three brand new Historical Western Romance novellas by Carla Kelly, Sarah M. Eden, and Kristin Holt.Timele... read more
Rift

Heidi J.

A missing family. An old enemy. A conspiracy stretching across the planet. Seven years ago Jimmy and Jenna Forrest narrowly escaped death when a shadowy team attacked Quintan Tower. Desperate to escape their ties to Quintan-Forrest Enterprises, they walked awa... read more
In this thematically rich book, Mary Kathleen Eyring examines authors whose writings were connected with their charitable endeavors, which addressed the worst by-products of the brisk maritime commerce in Atlantic seaport cities in the first half of the ninete... read more
The fairy tale has become one of the dominant cultural forms and genres internationally, thanks in large part to its many manifestations on screen. Yet the history and relevance of the fairy-tale film have largely been neglected. In this follow-up to Jack Zipe... read more
From Cinderella to comic con to colonialism and more, this companion provides readers with a comprehensive and current guide to the fantastic, uncanny, and wonderful worlds of the fairy tale across media and cultures. It offers a clear, detailed, and expansive... read more
Television has long been a familiar vehicle for fairy tales and is, in some ways, an ideal medium for the genre. Both more mundane and more wondrous than cinema, TV magically captures sounds and images that float through the air to bring them into homes, schoo... read more
A hundred years before Rapunzel, there was Persinette. Before the Old Witch ever locked Rapunzel in a tower, a Fairy set out to change Persinette's destiny.Read the French fairy tale that inspired the Grimm Brothers' "Rapunzel," learn about the authoress Mlle ... read more
An ambitious architect. An uprooted playboy. A glittering resort. A secret, deadly project. Jenna Donnell is determined to escape her cursed past and become a famous architect. She lands her dream job with the most prestigious firm on the planet Zenith. But he... read more
Ten years ago revolution swept the planet Corizen, toppling the oppressive monarchy and ushering in a new age of democracy. Andie Morten, once a revolutionary hero, has hidden her past with the hope of quietly enjoying Denicorizen life with her husband Casey a... read more
All her life Andie Donnell has dreamed of being a skiff pilot for the Armada, the sophisticated military fleet charged with keeping order throughout the Planetary Union. But what started out as a childhood passion ultimately turns her life upside down and stra... read more
“Heart and philosophy buoy this dark tale, in which the hero is reminded that “there is a lot of strength in being humble,” and audiences experience the epic in a relatively slim volume. A hero’s first adventure turns out to be a grand and satisfying one.” —Ki... read more
When Mira Kaul’s parents are killed by a troll, she is forced to serve the whims of the town’s prickly miller, Shem Langheart, because no one else will take in another mouth to feed. Now at age eighteen, she seems doomed to remain as a maidservant to an ungrat... read more
It is the height of the Gurlish Wars. Sergeant Tamas, a young infantryman in the Adran Army, struggles to keep his squad alive despite the blundering incompetence of their superior officers. Not only does Tamas have the curse of being an ambitious commoner in ... read more

Kristy has 16 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

J. Michael W.

J. Michael W.

Jul, 2023

Great as always.
J. Michael W.

J. Michael W.

Mar, 2023

Great as always.
J. Michael W.

J. Michael W.

Sep, 2022

Good job as always.
J. Michael W.

J. Michael W.

Mar, 2022

Great, helpful feedback.
Stewart F.

Stewart F.

Dec, 2021

Very helpful, easy to work with and her work is very impressive!

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