Kendra Olson
Developmental editor and story coach for fiction writers, proofreader of both fiction and nonfiction
If you’ve revised your novel more than once, but continue to struggle with tangled up plot lines, unruly characters and/or an uncooperative story arc, I can help.
Or maybe you’re still writing your novel, but need some guidance on how to move forward. I can help with that too.
Finally, if you’ve managed to tame your manuscript into a novel you’re proud of, undergone copyediting to ensure your prose is grammatically correct,and now you just need a final quality check before publishing, that’s also something I can assist with.
I’m a professionally trained developmental editor, book coach, and proofreader.
As a developmental editor and book coach, my preferred genres are: mystery/suspense, historical fiction and historical fantasy, magical realism or stories with an element of magic in them (however that manifests), contemporary fiction, and women's fiction.
As a proofreader, I’m able to help with both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts (including work that stands outside of book publishing, such as articles, essays, reviews and so forth).
To read a full list of the courses I’ve taken, click here:
As a developmental editor and book coach, I can help you strengthen your storytelling skills, ensuring your story is compelling and well-written, your characters realistic, and your narrative arc satisfying.
As a proofreader, I can help you make sure that your manuscript is ready for publishing.
I hold an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, which included a module in Editing and Publishing. I have taken courses in the craft of developmental editing through the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), and Club Ed. These courses included carrying out full developmental edits under the supervision of a qualified instructor, as well as completing smaller editing tasks focusing on specific craft elements. I have also taken a course in book coaching through Club Ed.
Additionally, I'm a PQB-qualified proofreader and graduated with merit from the Publishing Training Centre’s Essential Proofreading course.
I regularly undertake new training and am always looking for professional development opportunities. This has included attending the annual conferences of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), of which I'm an intermediate-level member (prior to joining the CIEP, I was a member of the EFA). I am also a member of Club Ed.
More about me
I live in London with my husband and our two cats.
I’m a proofreader for the online magazine The Publishing Post, which is a platform for news and information about the publishing industry here in the UK. The Publishing Post works to make publishing more equitable and diverse.
I also proofread for Distributed Proofreaders, better known as The Gutenberg Library. The Gutenberg Library is a volunteer effort to digitise and archive books, mainly older books which are in the public domain in the U.S.
Before I became an editor, I wrote a novel loosely based around the life of my great, great grandmother who emigrated from Sweden to America in the 19th century. It was published by Pilrig Press.
I used to run a book blog. You can find that here: https://kendraolson.wordpress.com/.