Kristy Gilbert - Editor
Fantasy editor and book designer (10+ years) who has worked with authors like Brandon Sanderson, Charlie N. Holmberg, and Brian McClellan.
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Overview
I'm a science fiction & fantasy editor and book designer with over a decade's experience in books, comics, and games. As an independent editor, I've either edited or designed books for 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’s talents and hard work on the book’s layout and design can be seen on every page."
—Brandon Sanderson, fantasy author
"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
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Comics & Graphic Novels
Epic Fantasy
Magical Realism
Military Science Fiction
Urban Fantasy
Young Adult Fantasy
Non-Fiction
Finance & Accounting
Home & Garden
Certifications
- BA in English (minor in editing)
- MA in English (emphasis in folklore & fairy tales)
Work experience
Executive Editor & Book Designer
Self-employed
April, 2011
–
Present
(over 11 years)
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.
Work according to the following style guides depending on clients' needs: Chicago Manual of Style, APA, MLA, and AP.
Production Editor
Dragonsteel Entertainment
June, 2022
–
Present
(6 months)
Line edit, copyedit, and proofread novels written or co-written by Brandon Sanderson. Design complex print layouts for the four Secret Project novels (the foundation for the largest Kickstarter on record). Eesign ebooks for various titles. Write in-house style guides for Dragonsteel to promote consistency across the entire Sanderson portfolio.
Managing Editor
Pegasus
January, 2022
–
Present
(11 months)
Edit, design print layouts for, and design ebooks for Charlie N. Holmberg's self-published titles. Manage all Pegasus titles in KDP and IngramSpark. Liase on Charlie's behalf with conference organizers, cover artists, and marketing professionals.
Adjunct Editing/Publishing Faculty
Brigham Young University
August, 2018
–
December, 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.
Adjunct English Faculty
Weber State Univeristy
August, 2017
–
April, 2018
(8 months)
Taught intermediate writing using a themed approach.
Adjunct Editing/Publishing Faculty
Brigham Young University
August, 2015
–
December, 2016
(over 1 year)
Taught a substantive editing course for the BYU editing curriculum; focused on book editing for both nonfiction and fiction; used The Chicago Manual of Style.
Taught 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.
Managing Editor
The Folklore Historian
September, 2013
–
January, 2014
(4 months)
Copyedited scholarly articles in Chicago Manual of Style; laid out and typeset the journal in InDesign.
Associate Editor, Technical
General Dynamics Information Technology
September, 2011
–
June, 2013
(over 1 year)
Edited theses, articles, and conference proceedings from students and faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Senior Editor, Developmental Editor, Staff Editor
Leading Edge Magazine
July, 2008
–
June, 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 (55 selected works)
Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archive)
Sanderson, Brandon
Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 3
Morrison, Grant, Paquette, Yanick
You're My IT: Nerds of Happy Valley Book 1
Holmberg, C. N.
Neom
Tidhar, Lavie
Ghost Station
Wells, Dan
The Devouring Wolf
Parker, Natalie C.
Blood Tally (Valkyrie Collections Book 2)
Brian McClellan
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, witches, and even Death himself to collect on deals made with humanity.When Alek is forced to take a job from a local vampire hunting down a... read more
Veins of Gold
Charlie N. Holmberg
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 father for the gold rush, Gentry and her siblings labor to survive alone in the inhospitable west. When bizarre natural disasters begin ... read more
The Mad Lancers: A Powder Mage Novella
Brian McClellan
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 a distant crown.Young war hero Ben Styke commands a colonial garrison in a sleepy frontier suburb. When the governor’s cruel brother sto... read more
Zero G (The Zero Chronicles)
Dan Wells
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 malfunctions it wakes him early, like 105 years early. At first he's excited to be the only one awake - he has the entire ship to himse... read more
Siege of Tilpur: A Powder Mage Story
Brian McClellan
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 an army where rank is purchased rather than earned, he is also a powder mage. His magical ability to manipulate gunpowder is frowned upo... read more
Mask of the Wizard
Vincent Riddle
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 ungrateful guardian and his nosey son, Jarin.But one night, a riderless horse wanders out of the forest near her home. Its saddle bears the in... read more
Eloy's Discovery (The Eloy Trilogy Book 1)
Kara Timmins
“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.” —Kirkus ReviewsTo break the chains of his past, one boy must embrace his destiny…Eloy never thought he’d leave his family’s ancestral home ... read more
The Legend of Sirra Bruche
Heidi J. Leavitt
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 strands her on a hostile, savage planet. To make it home again, she'll have to survive a revolution . . . and perhaps find love along the way.
Corizen Rising
Heidi J Leavitt
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 and daughter Tiran. However, violent terrorists opposed to the new government have been striking with alarming frequency and deadly accur... read more
The Quintan Edge
Heidi J. Leavitt
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 her boss hasgiven her an ultimatum: win the contract to design the new resort of the most notorious man in the world by charming his son Z... read more
Persinette (French Fairy Tales & Folklore Book 1)
Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force, Laura Christensen, Giambattista Basile, Brothers Grimm
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 de La Force, and discover answers to questions such as why Persinette's father traded her for a fistful of parsley and how she survived ... 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, schools, and workplaces. Even apparently realistic forms, like the nightly news, routinely employ discourses of “once upon a time,” “happily ... 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 overview of contemporary themes and issues throughout the intersections of the fields of fairy-tale studies, media studies, and cultura... 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 Zipes’s award-winning book The Enchanted Screen (2011), Fairy-Tale Films Beyond Disney offers the first book-length multinational, multidisc... 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 nineteenth century. She argues that charitable institutions and societies emerged in this era because they captured and contained the disconte... read more
Rift
Heidi J. Leavitt
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 away from Jenna’s job and Jimmy’s father, never looking back. They created a sanctuary for themselves and their children on the other side ... read more
Calico Ball (Timeless Western Collection Book 1)
Carla Kelly, Sarah M. Eden, Kristin Holt
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.Timeless Regency Collections:AUTUMN MASQUERADEA MIDWINTER BALLSPRING IN HYDE PARKSUMMER HOUSE PARTYA COUNTRY CHRISTMASA SEASON IN LONDONFALLIN... read more
Wedding Wagers (Timeless Regency Collection Book 11)
Donna Hatch, Heather B. Moore, Michele Paige Holmes
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 Michele Paige Holmes.A WAGER FOR LOVE by Donna Hatch:For once, Phillip would like to be seen as more than the younger brother of a duke... read more
Where the Sun Sets
Donna Litt
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 with her.Grief-stricken, Vole is magically granted the ability to stop and restart time. Using his powers, he takes his wife on a journey ... read more
Children of Eldair 1
Jemma M. Young
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 damaged Embera has been through until he is suddenly pulled into a vision that takes him on an adventure across time and worlds. Turns out Emb... read more
Eloy's Challenge (The Eloy Trilogy)
Kara Timmins
“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, Eloy becomes frustrated, lost and directionless until he meets a guide willing to take him to a Seer hidden deep within the dangerous fo... read more
A Yuletide Regency (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 21)
Regina Scott, Sarah M. Eden, Jen Geigle Johnson, Annette Lyon, Krista Lynne Jensen, Heather B. Moore
'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 her childhood friend Julian Mayes to marry her. She has always admired Julian. Surely one moment under the kissing bough will convince him... read more
Children of Eldair 2
Jemma M. Young
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 on Eldair, a place where powers and mythical races are real. With the help of a religious princess, her flirty sergeant, and her less tha... read more
Midsummer Night (A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 23)
Charlie N. Holmberg, Julie Wright, Annette Lyon, Jane Redd, Amber Argyle, Luisa Perkins
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 great magician Celtin's assistant for two years and has been in love with him nearly as long. After hearing he'll be looking for a wife a... read more
The Search for Ulyssa (Roran Curse Book 5)
Heidi Leavitt
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 worse. For most of her life she has managed to appear normal. But Dina is growing anxious and edgy, desperate to join with her twin essence... read more
Shadows of Zenith (Roran Curse)
Heidi J. Leavitt
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 ragged band of prisoners stages a rebellion, Bren meets the cruel Circe Roran, who claims a mysterious connection with his best friend Ken... read more
Sorcerer Courtship
Rachel Oaks
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 allergy to the sun. (No, seriously, he's allergic to the sun.) Things can't possibly go wrong, right? Created by an all-ladies comic team wi... read more
Apprehension
Mark Bergin
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 to jail. Kelly must ignore this looming doom and focus on protecting a boy from his pedophile father in a slam-dunk trial. Except the ho... 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 Batman, escaped the collapse of his dimension and ended up in this part of the Multiverse. Get all the answers in this new five-part st... read more
Uncanny Collateral (Valkyrie Collections Book 1)
Brian McClellan
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 occasion. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, Alek is the best in the game. As a literal slave to his job, he doesn’t have a choice.When Death... read more
Swamp Thing by Nancy A. Collins Omnibus
Nancy A. Collins
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 called Father Tocsin has come to Houma to test his followers with a fatal poison. But when Tocsin indoctrinates one of his friends, Swa... 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 financial district forces him to team up with a bizarre private eye. Movies of death are being filmed in Gotham--and Batman may be the next st... read more
High Level
Rob Sheridan
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, and cybernetic sprawl that have arisen in the centuries since civilization collapsed are the only world she's ever known. Until a child ca... 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 John Byrne can deliver! Picking up in the wake of the events of "The Tenth Circle" saga in JLA, this series reunites Robotman, Elasti-Gir... read more
Eloy's Legacy (The Eloy Trilogy)
Kara Timmins
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 their limit and threaten the bonds of their fellowship.All the while, looming in the distance is a foe Eloy does not suspect, a creatur... read more
Eloy's Challenge (The Eloy Trilogy)
Kara Timmins
“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, Eloy becomes frustrated, lost and directionless until he meets a guide willing to take him to a Seer hidden deep within the dangerous fo... read more
Clever Maids, Fearless Jacks, and a Cat: Fairy Tales from a Living Oral Tradition
Best, Anita, Greenhill, Pauline, Lovelace, Martin, Blair, Graham
The Last Faoii: Book 1 of the Faoii Chronicles
Nelson, Tahani
Faoii Betrayer (The Faoii Chronicles)
Nelson, Tahani
Unofficial STEM Challenges for Minecrafters: Grades 1–2 (STEM for Minecrafters)
Sky Pony Press, Brack, Amanda
Unofficial STEM Quest for Minecrafters: Grades 1–2 (STEM for Minecrafters)
Morris, Stephanie J.
Delilah's Desserts (A Tangerine Street Romance Book 4)
Melanie Jacobson, Heather B. Moore, Julie Wright
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 bed-and-breakfasts. Delilah's Desserts, situated in the middle of this charming collection of shops and cafés on Tangerine Street, is a ba... read more
Batman: Black & White Omnibus
Various
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-boiled adventures. With stories and art by a stellar line up of comic industry creators including Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), Frank Miller (Th... read more
Visual Grammar: Design Foundations for Editors
Gilbert, Kristy
Jestin Kase and the Masters of Dragon Metal
J. Michael White
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 Magic are crippled by their own corruption and unable to push back against the Great Dark. Monsters from Babylonian myth, demons, and the e... read more
Two-Damage My Heart: Nerds of Happy Valley Book 2
Holmberg, C. N.
Kristy has 14 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Good job as always.
J. Michael White, September 2022
Great, helpful feedback.
J. Michael White, March 2022
Very helpful, easy to work with and her work is very impressive!
Stewart Fields, December 2021
I could not be more impressed with Kristy's timely, clear, and incredibly thorough editorial feedback. Kristy is an exceptionally attentive reader who will pick up on both issues and opportunities at multiple scales, describe them in detail, and follow up comprehensively on any questions you may have. If you want an editor who will dive deep into nuances of your storytelling, I cannot recommend...
Read more
Justin Murray, November 2021
Really knows her stuff. Caught a lot of items I never would have noticed on my own. My only complaint is that I didn't start working with her earlier in the drafting process. She is going to be my go-to editor from now on, from start to finish.
J. Michael White, November 2021
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Britta Jensen
I'm the award-winning author of three books. I have edited books and taught creative writing for the past eighteen years. Let's talk!
Austin, Texas, USA
Karen Bourne
Former agent/editor with extensive experience in the publishing industry. Reader of genre fiction. Dedicated to improving your manuscript.
New York, NY, USA
