Kezia Kynaston-Mitchell – Editor

Hi, I'm Kezia; I specialise in developmental editing for fantasy, science fiction, horror, historical fiction, and romance. I work with authors at all career stages, and particularly enjoy empowering new writers to reach their creative goals, as well as helping more experienced folks strengthen their work and expand into bigger markets.Whether you're planning to self-publish, approach an agent or publisher, or just want an in-depth assessment of your story, my 15+ years experience in publishing could help give your work the best chance of success.

My journey into creative writing and editing held a few plot twists, so I know every story is, like its writer, unique. I will preserve your work's authentic voice while polishing it to the highest level, and my wide-ranging experience makes me a great fit for anyone seeking a well-rounded, adaptable editor.

I have a strong feel for tone and style, but I'm also eagle-eyed enough to analyse and strengthen both the structural elements of a story, and the details of grammar, syntax, and continuity. My academic research background (I was pursuing my doctorate until chronic illness necessitated a more WFH-friendly career) equipped me with strong organisational and detail-oriented skills, well-suited to historical fiction and intricate world-building. More recently, I was fortunate enough to take PEN/Hemingway Award winner Brando Skyhorse's course on novel structure and storytelling via Wesleyan University.

I'm comfortable working with English-language stories of any setting. I live in the UK, but have spent time in and written in North America and South Africa, where I was a two-time finalist in the International Horrorfest literary competition, alongside Hugo and Bram Stoker Award alums such as Ramsey Campbell, Nerine Dorman, and Damien Angelica Walters. Horror and speculative fiction are two loves of mine; much of my award-winning and award-nominated writing has been in those genres, though my poetry has also appeared on radio, in mixed-media exhibitions, and in literary journals and magazines.

I've also written and edited several romance genres, including historical, and Amazon Top 10 bestseller and recent Kindle Storyteller finalist Emma V. Leech is among the authors with whom I've built long-term relationships, providing editorial input and support on several multi-book series.

I know how much effort goes into writing. I will critique thoroughly, but never without suggesting solutions or highlighting the best features of your work. With my extensive experience in narrative structure and storytelling, I can help identify and expand on your manuscript’s strengths, while addressing aspects that may need work, and offering practical suggestions to develop them, without taking away the uniqueness that makes your story yours.

I offer flexible, budget-friendly services, always including follow-up discussion to ensure you have the support to implement any changes you decide to make. So, whatever your experience level or goals, I'd love to hear from you, and I’m always happy to answer questions.

Get in touch today and, together, we can make your story soar.