Misty Bourne - Editor
I'm a professional word nerd specializing in fantasy, New Age, self-help, TTRPGs (proficiency in 5E D&D) and other complex content.
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Overview
I'm a seasoned publishing professional providing editing, writing, proofreading, project management, and consulting services for complex content of all sorts.
My preferred genres are fantasy, alternative spiritual paths, self-improvement, and tabletop RPGs, which also happens to be my specialty (especially D&D 5E). I've worked successfully with such TTRPG companies as Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, Hit Point Press, and 2CGaming in editing, proofreading, writing, and consulting.
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"Misty is everything I need in an editor—conscientious of deadlines, inquisitive, thorough, and receptive to feedback. 10/10, will work with again!"
My preferred genres are fantasy, alternative spiritual paths, self-improvement, and tabletop RPGs, which also happens to be my specialty (especially D&D 5E). I've worked successfully with such TTRPG companies as Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, Hit Point Press, and 2CGaming in editing, proofreading, writing, and consulting.
~
"Misty is everything I need in an editor—conscientious of deadlines, inquisitive, thorough, and receptive to feedback. 10/10, will work with again!"
- Bill Benham, D&D TRPG Producer | Wizards of the Coast
"Working with Misty has been a transformative experience for both our processes and our products. She is a delight to work with, timely, responsive, and incredibly detail-minded. I cannot speak highly enough of her professionalism in every sense of the word."
- Jon Kelly, Founder and CEO | 2CGaming
"Thorough, communicative, and attentive to deadlines, Misty is everything one could want in an editor. I can trust her to be the final eyes on many projects."
- Tanya Rowe, General Manager | Hit Point Press
"Misty’s supreme communication skills, conscientiousness, and reliability make her a pleasure to work with. Furthermore, her ability to stay calm and produce quality results under pressure and in unpredictable situations are unparalleled. She’s a consummate professional and I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to work with her again."
- Jason Bucholz, Editorial Matchmaker | kn literary
"Misty is an angel from above. She is so easy to work with, and her quality of work is superior. I especially love how well she communicates throughout projects and always delivers on time!"
- Laura Hatajik, Product Manager | Biddy Tarot
Languages
English (AUS)
English (CAN)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Cozy Mysteries
Epic Fantasy
Gaming & LitRPG
Non-Fiction
New Age
Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Writing & Publishing
Certifications
- Communication Skills for Women
- Davenport University Leadership Development Program
Work experience
Owner, Editor, & Consultant
Self-employed
September, 2015
–
Present
(over 7 years)
I meet the publishing needs of several clients. I copy edit manuscript, proofread typeset materials, handle project and metadata management, provide consulting services, assist with art direction, and manage production. I create books, marketing materials, and periodicals, as well as more complex works such as tabletop RPGs and catalogs. I specialize in TTRPGs and their unique intricacies.
Necessary Attributes: extreme attention to detail, accurateness, exceptional organization, clear communication, MS Office proficiency, Adobe Acrobat proficiency, reliability, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, adherence to deadlines, outstanding customer service, efficient project management, quick response time, thorough understanding of data administration
I've been honored to serve many clients, including:
2CGaming
Alee Anderson Editorial
Biddy Tarot
Chartwell Literary Group
Creative Enterprises Studio
Cubicle 7 Games
HarperCollins
Hit Point Press
Ink and Well
kn literary arts
Ramsey Solutions
Stratasan
Thinkspot
Wizards of the Coast
Production Manager
2CGaming
December, 2020
–
December, 2022
(about 2 years)
As 2CGaming’s production manager, I managed our content pipeline, maintained production schedules for our products, provided visibility into production status, and managed deliverables across company departments. I researched print production options, QC'ed physical print products, and maintained communication with external vendors. I also worked as 2CGaming’s managing editor maintaining our style guide, implementing reprint corrections, and copy editing our products. What I didn't proofread and copy edit, I managed an external team of editorial professionals to handle, reviewing their marks before publication and providing feedback for improvement.
Necessary Attributes: adaptability, understanding of all aspects of book publishing (especially physical print production processes), firm grasp of interconnection of deliverables between teams, experience with tabletop roleplaying games, extreme attention to detail, exceptional organization, assertive and graceful communication, efficient project management, MS Office proficiency, Adobe Acrobat proficiency, reliability, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, creative problem-solving, conflict management, commitment to professional growth
Managing Editor
HarperCollins
September, 2012
–
August, 2015
(almost 3 years)
As the Managing Editor, I was accountable for a range of responsibilities that ensured the ongoing creation and execution of our product plan. I evaluated the title plan based on selling cycles and I recommended development actions from the ideation to the publication of a product. I planned monthly and quarterly product reviews and gathered data for evaluation, and turned complicated data into easily digestible formats. I set all of our group’s products up in the system, prioritizing accuracy at all times. At all stages of development, I determined the need for communication across departments (sales, inventory, marketing, editorial, production, creative) and often initiated those communications. I served as a liaison between our department and other departments, as well as facilitated teamwork within our department. I reviewed financial product forms for accuracy and performance standards. I assisted the group in preparing for and improving our tri-annual Sales Conference, especially by generating clear expectations and deadlines and keeping everyone on track. I organized and managed multiple projects and an average of 150–200 SKUs simultaneously. I aligned and directed processes across two teams, overcoming geographical and cultural differences on a regular basis.
Necessary Attributes: extreme attention to detail, accurateness, exceptional organization, empathy, clear communication, MS Office proficiency, problem-solving, advocating skills, coaching abilities, reliability, assertiveness
Portfolio (19 selected works)
Tyrants & Hellions
Steven Gordon
There is no substitute for a quality antagonist. Within these pages you will find fifteen villains your players will love to hate replete with schemes, minions, and lairs, and spanning levels 1 to 20. There’s so much content here you could run three unique campaigns from level 1 to level 15 just using the villains from this book, without reusing anything, and still have villains left over. It ... read more
Total Party Kill Handbook, Vol. 1
Steven Gordon
Dungeon Masters rejoice and players beware! The Total Party Kill Handbook is here to help you take your game to the next level of challenge and fun with 25 encounters, running from level 1 to level 20, all designed to be dropped into your existing campaign. Every encounter can be scaled up or down to fit groups that are several levels higher or lower, and the tactics scaling sections let you m... read more
Total Party Kill Handbook, Vol. 2
Steven Gordon
Are your players crushing your carefully constructed encounters or overcoming your mightiest villains with ease? The Total Party Kill Handbook - Volume 2 is here to remind overconfident heroes that you are a DM to be feared. Within its pages you will find encounters all types, ranging from simple 1st-level adventures to unstoppable gauntlets of death. Fully compatible with the 5th Edition of t... read more
Total Party Kill Bestiary, Vol. 1
Ryan Servis, Steven Gordon
When you need a 5th Edition monster to put the fear of certain defeat in your Players, the Total Party Kill Bestiary provides. No longer will pesky paladins and devious warlocks trivialize your encounters. The creatures within these pages are among the most powerful, devious, and borderline unfair ever put into print. With tactics, lore, ecology, treasure, and much, much more, each of the hund... read more
The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings
Brigit Esselmont
The 3rd Edition of The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings has arrived!Finally! Here's a fresh, modern, and practical guide to the meanings of the Tarot cards that makes reading Tarot as easy as reading your favourite magazine!Brigit Esselmont, Founder of Biddy Tarot (the #1 Tarot card meanings website), shares her most comprehensive guide to the Tarot cards yet!Inside The Ultimate Guide to ... read more
Tome of Beasts 2: Lairs
Larwood, Phillip, Lee, Jeff
Epic Legacy Core Rulebook
Servis, Ryan
Epic Legacy Campaign Codex
Servis, Ryan
Underworld Lairs for 5th Edition
Lee, Jeff, McFarland, Ben, Pawlik, Kelly, Welham, Mike, Merwin, Shawn
Intervention (Intervention Series Book 1)
Terri Blackstock
"Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction: staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment—and her interventionist is found dead at the airport—Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all. Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she ... read more
Because You're Mine
Colleen Coble
Amid the beauty of Charleston, not all is as it seems.When her husband Liam is killed by a car bomb while their Celtic band is on tour in Charleston, singer and Irish beauty Alanna doesn’t quite know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but Alanna knows she can’t lose the only piece of Liam she has left.Alanna’s manager offers her a marriage ... read more
Portrait of Vengeance (A Gwen Marcey Novel)
Carrie Stuart Parks
“Rich characters, a forensic artist’s eye for detail, and plot twists—Carrie Stuart Parks hits all the right notes!” —Mary Burton, New York Times bestselling authorAn unsolved case. A tempest of memories. The future’s at stake—and time is running out . . .Gwen Marcey has done a good job keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho,... read more
The Tukor's Journey
Jeannine Kellogg
Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist, Juvenile Fiction IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™, Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book Silver Winner Children's/Young Adult Reader Views Literary Awards Children's Book of the Year and 1st Place Young Reader Royal Dragonfly Book Awards Honorable Mention Siblings Mitch, Tony, and Jovi discover that mysterious creatures called Grezniks are close to achi... read more
The Fifth Avenue Story Society
Rachel Hauck
An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.Uber driver ... read more
Fragments of Light
Michele Phoenix
An impossible decision in the chaos of D-Day. Ripples that cascade seventy-five years into the present. And two lives transformed by the tenuous resolve to reach out of the darkness toward fragments of light. Cancer stole everything from Ceelie—her peace of mind, her self-image, perhaps even her twenty-three-year marriage to her college sweetheart, Nate. Without the support of Darlene, her qui... read more
A Harvest of Thorns
Corban Addison
A beloved American corporation with an explosive secret.A disgraced former journalist looking for redemption.A corporate executive with nothing left to lose.In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a garment factory burns to the ground, claiming the lives of hundreds of workers, mostly young women. Amid the rubble, a bystander captures a heart-stopping photograph—a teenage girl lying in the dirt, her body broken... read more
Rachel Cruze shines a spotlight on the most damaging money habit we have: comparing ourselves to others. Then she unpacks seven essential money habits for living the life we really want - a life in line with our values, where we can afford the things we want to buy without being buried under debt, stress, and worry. The Joneses are broke. Life looks good, but hidden beneath that glossy exterio... read more
Misty has 1 review
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Let me just say wow! What a joy it was to work with Misty! She is not only someone who understands the vision you are attempting to create, but is patient and pays attention to every detail. She is not the type of person who you feel must be micromanaged, but someone who you can trust to add her own insights and catch specific things in your manuscript you would have never thought about. She he...
Read more
Alexander Boehme-Mason, July 2021
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