Open book lying next to a blue cup and saucer with steam rising from it. Book and cup are sitting on a wooden table. Background is of sunlit green grass.
Headshot image of Kendra Olson. She has long reddish-brown hair and wears glasses and dark blue and white stripes. Background is of green foliage.

Developmental editing for fiction writers, proofreading for both fiction and nonfiction
writers

I help fiction writers strengthen their storytelling skills, and both fiction and nonfiction authors prepare their work for publication.

After working with me, you’ll:

  • have a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your writing, and how to improve any weaker areas .

  • know what you need to do to take your current draft to the next level.

  • feel confident about the next step in your writing, revision, or publication process.

Photo of Kendra Olson, a white woman with long, reddish brown hair. She wears glasses and a blue and white striped dress and is leaning against a tree. Dark greenery in background.

Hi, I’m Kendra.

I’m a developmental editor and proofreader.

I help writers, both new and experienced, to hone their craft and publish their best work.

Services

A selection of books I’ve developmentally edited

Book cover for Planting Pearls, Selkie Moon Mystery Series, by Virginia King. Woman walks along a bridge over water, surrounded by palms, towards a creepy looking house. Background is dark and full of shadows. Title in yellow capital letters at top.
Book cover for A Thief and a Gentlewoman by Clare Sager. Silhouette of a person wearing a coat and tall boots and holding a dagger in their right hand. Background image of a grand mosque bathed in blue shadow with gold sparkling at bottom right.
Book cover for Daughters of Fire and Sea, Book One, by Holly Karlsson. Fantasy image of two women looking forward against a dark sky filled with a circle of fire and sea ice. Sailing ships in foreground.
Book cover for The Last Witch Queen by Allison Carr Waechter. Cover image features two women standing amidst swirling blue waves and silvery pink leaves. The woman on the left holds a dagger.
Book cover for A Sleuth and a Charlatan by Clare Sager. Silhouette of a person wearing a coat and long boots against a purple stone tunnel in darkness. Light glitters at the top right of the image. Title in gold cursive over the person's image.
Book cover for The Hasty Visitor's Guide to American Fairy Hills by R. Jean Stevenson. Forest green background with golden and white leaves surrounding the title along the edges of book. At bottom is a dark branch supporting a golden egg.
Book cover for Leaving Birds, A Folktale Companion to Laying Ghosts, by Virginia King. Raven-like bird huddles on a bare branch against a dark, stormy sky. Title in white letters at top of central image.
Portrait of Virginia King, a white woman with short blonde hair. She is smiling and wears a red turtleneck underneath a black top with a vertical gold stripe down her right shoulder. Around her neck is a gold necklace.

“I’ve worked with other editors over many years and Kendra has a rare mix of qualities necessary for effective structural/development editing: positive support, attention to detail, truthfulness, and the ability to identify the layers below the surface of the work.”

—Virginia King, author of the Selkie Moon Mysteries