Overview
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.
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.
Services
Fiction
Languages
Work experience
Self-employed
I own and run Magpie Literary Services, providing tailored editorial and author services to aspiring, professional, and independent authors. Magpie offers both developmental editing and fast, precise copyediting and proofreading services, alongside critique and feedback packages, beta reading, manuscript analysis, and author coaching. Magpie's aim is to 'make stories soar' through supportive one-to-one editorial relationships with clients, and I'm proud to have forged long-term personal collaborations with some of our wonderful authors, providing consistent support and reliable editing services throughout their long-running and popular series.
Fisk Literary Services
I signed to Fisk Literary in 2016 where, as an associate freelancer, I researched and wrote articles, blog posts, and website content for clients, undertook ghostwriting and proofreading assignments, and provided editorial and proofreading services on both fiction and non-fiction projects. Our clients included independent and aspiring authors, and both large corporate and small business clients, so I was able to enjoy working on a wide range of projects from tech-forward articles to English language rewrites, as well as working with creative writers.
Working one-on-one with clients on their fiction projects was extremely rewarding, and I discovered how much I enjoyed sharing my expertise and experience as a writer to help authors make their stories shine. When Fisk Literary closed its doors, it seemed natural to branch out and start my own company focused on author services.
Self-employed
Providing editorial services, developmental editing and copyediting, beta reading and critique, proofreading, rewrites, fact-checking and other feedback as a freelance contractor. I've worked on independent author-direct projects, and as a lone contributor or in-house team member (freelance/project-based) for a number of small and medium-sized presses, including but not limited to Random House eKhaya, Constable & Robinson/Running Press USA, Wild Child Publishing, Books of the Dead, Totally Bound Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, Crossroad Press, and Macabre Ink Publishing, while my indie author clients have included best-selling Amazon chart-toppers and Kindle Storyteller Award finalists as well as up-and-coming or aspiring authors.
I've worked across multiple genres from historical to romance, mystery, erotica, and contemporary fiction, though I do love horror and sff/speculative fiction, especially of the genre-bending variety.
Kezia has 9 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
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Oliver E.
Mar, 2024
Keli H.
Mar, 2024
Evelyn H.
Oct, 2023
Eva H.
Oct, 2023
Tim D.
Oct, 2023
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