Testimonials
“Since this is my debut novel, I was quite nervous about hiring an editor. I did my research and queried at least a dozen editors and proofreaders. Karen's sample edit stood out because there was no where I felt she detracted from or 'rewrote' what I already written, but rather she improved it. That held true throughout the entire manuscript. I am so glad I hired Karen to edit this novel. She was incredibly thorough, very prompt with communication, and answered all of my questions in a way that further eased my worry about the process. After this initial experience, I will definitely be asking Karen to edit my future writing projects!”
— Cristen Faulkenberry, author of The LeNoir Legacy
“I cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience with Karen. Every interaction I had with her, from the initial brief through to the final edit, was absolutely a pleasure. Not only was she always punctual and professional, but her work is AMAZING! Her ability to help guide my words into a cleaner, more readable version, while still keeping the story mine, was a thing to behold! I am already looking forward to my next manuscript with this wonderfully talented editor!”
— Kami Larsen, author of A Simple Tale of Water and Weeping
“Karen's edits and keen eyes were the much-needed polish and poke my manuscript needed! She was prompt, thorough, and detailed in her feedback and questions throughout the editing process, and the specifics of the project were clearly communicated from start to finish. If you need an editor—and trust me, you do—Karen is the way and the truth.”
— Ariel Cross, author of A Slayer’s Reckoning
“Karen was great to work with and does a wonderful job. I had a few questions throughout the copyedit process and she was always quick to answer any questions I had. Her suggestions and feedback were always nice and constructive. Definitely would recommend!”
— Maddox Grey, author of A Shift in Shadows
“The decision to hire an editor was the most daunting one for me. I'd never hired an editor, and while I knew it would be a smart investment, there are so many talented and experienced editors to choose from. Karen's sample edit was what set her apart from the others. Her attention to detail was impressive, especially for a clean manuscript that had been edited by a traditionally published author. She provided me with a cleaner manuscript, tracked sheets and a style sheet, and I'm amazed at how she elevated my work to a better version of itself without sacrificing my voice or content. An added bonus was her continued support. She made this entire nail-biting process easy and was a joy to work with. I would hire her again in a heartbeat.”
— Scarlet Kay, author of Shadows: Holy Knights
“I have worked with many contractors in my professional and personal creative careers, and Karen is, hands down, one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of working with. The quality, punctuality of her work, the way she goes above and beyond because of her sheer passion to help you make your project as good as it can be, her speedy replies to questions and personal empathy and warmth — and, to risk pleonasm, the sheer excellence of the finished product (to say nothing of the competitive rates in a crowded marketplace) — I cannot recommend Karen strongly enough and continually plug her work in conversations with friends and fellow authors, because I really do believe in what she is trying to do. I have learned and grown as a creative thanks to her assistance and I look forward to many collaborations in future! Do yourself a favor and work with Karen on your next project; you won't be sorry.”
— Daniel Brown, author of Novel Interventions
“When I first started seriously thinking about hiring an editor I was admittedly apprehensive, with all the usual thoughts of ‘What if they don’t get it? What if they ruin my writing? What if it’s a waste of my money?’ I’m happy to say my fears were quite unfounded. Karen’s editing skills have helped my stories to reach heights I hadn’t thought possible, and I’m looking forward to working with her again.”
— Jay Kerschner, author of The Parasomnic Chronicles
“After a disastrous episode with another editor, I was blown away by the level of professionalism and service I received from Karen. She not only corrects my grammar, but her meticulous attention to detail showed when she caught continuity errors and other infinitesimal mistakes while editing the first four books in my DNA Strand series. My voice is still very much intact, but her suggested changes bring a beautiful polish to it. She responds to emails quickly, makes quality critiques, and has never missed a deadline. I love working with her.”
— Jordana Wells, author of DNA Strand series
“Karen is currently working with me on my 110,000 word fantasy novel, and so far she has been AMAZING! She answers any questions or concerns I have (almost immediately too! She is super fast at replying to emails!) and I feel completely confident my book will be the best it can be under her guidance. Some specific areas she has helped with are showing vs telling, PoV issues, and taking out all the little unneeded words in my manuscript (I have a problem with going into too MUCH detail sometimes). Even though she makes suggestions and helps reword awkward sentences/paragraphs, she doesn’t change my style of writing. I can still “hear” my author “voice” when I read the revisions she has suggested. I would recommend Karen to anyone who is looking for a seasoned, talented editor. She’s fabulous!”
— Shiriluna Nott, co-author of the Chronicles of Arden series
“Look no further for the perfect editor. I initially chose Karen to edit my YA fantasy novel given her impressive education, skill sets, and that she had edited similar books. From our very first interaction, Karen demonstrated a strong, passionate editing philosophy and I immediately felt comfortable working with her. She made many skilled observations that allowed me to polish my novel without changing my voice, which is something of utmost importance to an author. Karen goes above and beyond the scope of an ordinary editor because she possesses a genuine interest in her client’s projects and wants to see them succeed. I highly recommend her and I can’t wait to work with her again.”
— Amie Irene Winters, author of Strange Luck
“When looking for someone to edit my first novel, I sent samples to many potential editors. The edits I got back were mostly unsatisfactory in that these editors wanted to alter my style or my character’s voice. But Karen didn’t do that. She correctly identified problems and offered suggestions that made my writing much stronger. I even learned a thing or two I never knew before. In the end, I decided it would be well worth it to forgo less expensive editors (who seemed to lack both experience and knowledge) and go with someone I felt confident knew what she was doing and wouldn’t kill my voice. Ultimately, I estimate I accepted nearly one hundred percent of the changes Karen recommended. I definitely hope to use her in the future.”
— S. Lee Benedict, author of The Heart Thief
“In the course of a long career writing analytic reports and technical monographs, I became well acquainted with professional editors. Taking up writing fiction a few years ago, I had difficultly finding an editor who could satisfy my requirements, and so released three novels that were largely self-edited. Recently, a fellow author recommended Karen, and I could not be happier. She is responsive, diligent, meticulous without being overbearing, and affordable. Most importantly, she has a fine feeling for a writer’s style. In the past, I have had to ‘train’ editors to not attempt to reduce my writing to their notion of acceptable ‘lowest common denominator’ verbiage, which has generally not been a congenial exercise. Imagine, therefore, my delight that there was none of this with Karen. From the first, her suggestions enhanced the writing without altering the voice — a rare and wonderful thing in my experience. I recommend her services without reservation and look forward to working with her again in the future.”
— Owen O’Neill, co-author of the Loralynn Kennakris series
“I chose Karen because I liked her work on the Nightfall series. She is fast, incredibly responsive to emails, and has an eye for fine details. She caught inconsistencies in my manuscript (minor character names, relationships) that I would have never noticed. Karen offers a very light touch with her editing, leaving my voice and vision intact but polished for clarity and readability. After the editing process, I feel absolutely confident that my manuscript is error free and of the highest professional caliber. IBGW is far and away a superior service; in addition to line editing, I also received proofreading by another editor, Tia Silverthorn Bach, to give my book another set of eyes before release. Another thing I love about the service is that you pay less if your writing needs less editing. As an independent author, this is a huge help in an industry that more often than not tries to exploit artists. There’s no other service that offers affordable and comprehensive services that I’m aware of. I would absolutely recommend Karen and IBGW to any authors looking for amazing value and flawless quality.”
— Michael J. Bode, author of The Mirrored City
“Choosing an editor for the first time is incredibly hard. It’s like choosing a babysitter for your toddler. However, Karen easily hits the top of the charts. She’s quick, has a keen eye, is easy to communicate with, and open to answering any and all questions you may have. Far from changing the fundamentals of what makes my writing style my own, Karen polishes what’s already there to a shine. I couldn’t believe how more fluid my manuscript was after she dug into it. It’s incredibly comforting to have someone like Karen in your book’s corner. I’d trust her with my work any day.”
— J.D. Miller, author of The Steel Harvest
““I’m not new to self-publishing. I have four novellas on various eStorefronts and have managed to achieve a success of which I’m proud. I just finished my first book in my Young Adult series. Even after an expensive annotation by a reputable company, numerous edits, and Beta readers, it didn’t feel right. I searched for a fresh pair of eyes for one final proofing and I found Karen. All I can say is thank goodness I did. Her proofread was amazing. She cleaned up my grammar and polished my manuscript to its finest. I now feel confident I can self-publish and offer my readers an enjoyable read skillfully edited. Karen is professional in every way. I have experienced several editing nightmares and the hunt for an editor who is thorough, knowledgeable, easy to work with, and right on target with her edit is a daunting task. I found all those skills and more in Karen. She is a positive force for me as I grow in the craft of writing. From now on, Karen will be the final pair of eyes to edit my future endeavors before publication.
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— Clara Bush, author of The Other Kind series
“Great suggestions, thorough feedback and excellent communication. I hope to work with Karen on my next projects!”
— Andrei Saygo, The Squeamish Vampire
“Karen has been incredible. She knows her craft well and has provided clear and valuable advice on how to improve my sentence structure as well as being very professional. Going through my manuscript with her edits I can absolutely say I am very happy with the results.”
— D.L. Farmer, Fractured Weapons
“In searching for a book editor, it was important to me that the person not only proofread the document for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, but also edit the content for clarity, technical and structural issues, character inconsistencies and pace. As a first-time novelist, I was fortunate to find Karen. In addition to being efficient, professional and extremely knowledgeable, she educated me on the editing process. While working with Karen, you will quickly learn Excellence is her standard. She is extremely thorough and takes your draft from its infancy stage to a polished product. I believe in doing business with people that have the same professional values that I have; you have fewer issues that way. If excellence matters to you, then you’ve found your editor.”
— Deborah McKenzie, Writer, Middle Grade Fiction
“Working with Karen was an absolute joy. Her support and guidance was exemplary and the meticulous attention to detail was jaw dropping. Karen is insightful and I have learnt so much about the writing and editing processes from this collaboration. I look forward to working with her again soon.”
— F D Ashley, Three Minds