Katherine Kirk - Gecko Edit | SFF and Genre Fiction Editor
- [email protected]
- Website
- www.geckoedit.com
- Organisation
- Gecko Edit
- Job title
- Chief Comma-Herder
- Membership Grade
- Advanced Professional Member
About Katherine
Hi! I’m Katherine Kirk. My friendly, personal approach gives you much more than a basic spelling and grammar check; I provide a human touch that is impossible to achieve through spell-checking software. I do not use generative AI in any part of my editing or formatting process.
I edit in US English and specialize in CMOS. I particularly love science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, and romance.
► Contact me via email or through my website, www.geckoedit.com.
Why the gecko?
Because if I’m doing my job right, I’m like a gecko on the wall of your story, quietly snapping up the errors, inconsistencies, and missteps that bug your readers so that they can immerse themselves in your world.
Services
I offer individual editing services as well as packages of combined services. Please note that my prices are in US dollars. Try my pricing calculator to get an estimate of my rates applied to your project.
Line editing – $0.04 per word
I clear away the clutter that gets in the way of your authentic voice, helping you find exactly the right way to tell the story. I work sentence by sentence to tighten the structure, tweak the rhythm, bring out the characters' distinct points of view, and evoke the right emotions in your readers.
► Find out more about my line editing service.
Copyediting – $0.03 per word
I comb through your text to find typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, punctuation mishaps, and formatting errors. I apply a consistent style so your readers can stay immersed in the story, and I apply Word's paragraph styles so your formatter knows exactly what to do. I'll flag continuity or logic inconsistencies and alert you to problems that might put you or your readers at risk.
► Find out more about my copyediting service.
Proofreading – $0.025 per word
I cast a careful eye over your final formatted text to catch any lingering mistakes so that you can be confident that your manuscript is polished and professional before it goes to the printer.
► Find out more about my proofreading service.
Book formatting – $250 (fixed rate)
I offer book layout and typesetting for novels, in Vellum. This includes custom headers and header backgrounds, custom ornamental breaks, full bleed images, print and e-book optimization, and other bespoke graphic elements. I also offer à la carte proof collation, where I apply proofreader's corrections to your .vellum file, for $100 (fixed rate).
► Ask me about book formatting.
What do I edit?
I work on novels, anthologies, magazines, and more. I am comfortable with most levels of spice. Here are some of my favorite genres and subgenres:
Crime/mystery/thrillers (cozy and not so cozy)
Historical fiction
Literary fiction
Trade fiction
Romance
Science fiction
Fantasy
Romantasy
Queer/Sapphic romance
Poly romance
Book club fiction
Women's fiction
Qualifications
Education
BA English Literature, Philosophy
Training
I've completed all of the CIEP's Copyediting and Proofreading courses and multiple EFA courses, as well as some specialized training such as Line editing for Suspense (Louise Harnby, completed 2023).
► For a full list of training I've completed, as well as speaking engagements and panels I've appeared on, visit my website.
Specialized Software
In addition to Adobe and Microsoft Word, I'm comfortable marking up proofs in Ziflow. I also offer book layouts and typesetting in Vellum.
Happy Clients
► Read more testimonials on my website.
Service
Specialisms
Associated skills
Disclaimer note
The CIEP Directory of Editorial Services should be considered a point of first contact and prospective clients must satisfy themselves that members are capable of the work on offer. The Institute cannot be held responsible for the quality of work provided by any member listed in the directory. The members themselves are responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of their entries in the Directory and the CIEP has not made any attempt to vet them. The institute cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the Directory. Inclusion in the Directory as a freelance does not necessarily mean that the member is self-employed as defined by HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.