Ms Kathy Waghorn

Featured Text

Experienced, enthusiastic, and empathetic editor who is passionate about character-driven stories and well-placed commas.

Nurturing Your Manuscript with Kindness and Actionable Guidance.

Hello, I'm Kathy, a developmental editor, copyeditor, and proofreader.

A Gentle Touch:

My approach to editing isn't just about rules; it's about embracing your unique voice. I use The Chicago Manual of Style as a framework to ensure accuracy while preserving your individuality.

Working Together:

I'll work with you to strengthen the foundation of your manuscript. Whether it's shaping your plot, delving into your characters, refining your prose, or meticulously correcting typos, I'm dedicated to making your work shine.

Services:

Character-Driven Developmental Editing: With an intuitive editing approach designed to help you gain a deep understanding of your characters, together we will unearth their depths, refine their authenticity, and breathe life into the heart of your story.

Copyediting: Perfecting the finer details--grammar, consistency, clarity, and style.

Proofreading: The final polish, leaving your manuscript error-free.

By blending professionalism with a personal touch, I ensure that the technical elements of your book are solid while supporting you at every step of your writing journey.

Freelance experience

Freelance since 2020

Training

UC San Diego Copyediting Fiction - Grade A+ - 2024

Jennifer Lawler Certificate in Fiction Developmental Editing - 2023

Jennifer Lawler: Copyediting Fiction - 2023

Jennifer Lawler: Line editing Fiction - 2023

Story Wizardry Intensive with Sue Brown-Moore - 2023

UC San Diego Grammar Lab - Grade A - 2023

UC San Diego Copyediting 1 - Grade A - 2023

CIEP: Copyediting 1 - 2022

CIEP: Proofreading 1 - 2021

Clients for whom you have worked within the past three years

Independent self-publishing authors from around the world

Penguin Random House

Troubador Publishing

The Wild Rose Press

Galatea

The Publishing Post

Subjects

FICTION:

Contemporary

Romance

Erotic Romance

New Adult

Young Adult

Middle Grade

Fantasy

Magical Realism

Psychological Thriller

Crime Thriller

CREATIVE NON-FICTION:

Travel

Specialised Software

PageProof

Testimonials

I could not be happier with the outstanding job Kathy did proofreading my fantasy romance novella, Feather and Thorn. She is kind, friendly, enthusiastic and overall an absolute pleasure to work and communicate with. Her actual work on the manuscript was fast, accurate and efficient. I was especially impressed that she took the time to leave some informative/explanatory comments, and I felt as though she not only cleaned up this manuscript but also taught me a lot about how to improve the next one. I will definitely be working with Kathy again in the future and honestly don’t imagine wanting to work with anybody else. I could not recommend her highly enough.

Violet Froste, author

Kathy was EXCEPTIONAL! She demonstrated a high understanding of essential editing and proofreading knowledge before I hired her, and I was not disappointed. Kathy is highly skilled, asked great questions, paid attention to our style guide, and polished the manuscript well. I am very grateful for her work and would recommend hiring her for any editing or proofreading job you may have!

Emily Gowor, Gowor International Publishing

Kathy is a highly skilled professional. She was fastidious in her proof-read of my long and complex novel, and was great to work with. She delivered before the timeline and went the extra mile. I highly recommend her.

D. P. Pike, author (Literary Fiction)

Kathy is a real gem, an amazingly talented editor, who offered way more than requested. She was kind, helpful, understanding and did all this without complaint. She helped a newbie in the writing world with gentle suggestions, never once making me feel out of place. I will definitely be hiring her again.

C. L. Mears, author, A Very Tiny Adventure (Middle Grade Fiction)

Having found Kathy feels like winning the lottery and I can honestly say I could never imagine working with another editor. We have now worked on three projects together, and I can honestly say I could not be more impressed by her. She is incredibly knowledgeable, meticulous, efficient and quick, and I am impressed by her work every time. Not only does she do excellent work on my manuscripts but I also feel as if I’m learning so much from her. I’m so grateful for the time she takes to explain the work she does and I can honestly say working with her has had a direct impact on my actual writing. Aside from being a true professional, Kathy is passionate about her craft, friendly, approachable, punctual and all-around a delight to work with. I look forward to working together for as long as she will keep me!

Aurora Reed, author, Spearcrest Saints, Spearcrest Prince, Spearcrest Wolf (New Adult Romance)

Second time working with Kathy, and it has been a joy. She delivers work on time, and to the highest standard. Highly recommended.

Lee Wood, author, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Lucky Break (Crime Thriller)

Kathy was a pleasure to work with! She is warm and enthusiastic about literature and she shared valuable feedback, which included a deep understanding of the manuscript and unique insights that will improve the story. Very grateful to have worked with her

Jasmine Angelique, author (Literary Fiction)

Kathy was an absolute master. Not only did she do an amazingly thorough job on the proofreading she went above and beyond to help me get the book out on a tight timeframe. I 100% will be using her on all of my upcoming projects. Highly recommend!!

Jessica Dodge, author, Misplaced Magic (Magical Fantasy)

Kathy dove headfirst into my manuscript, doing any requisite research and going beyond that to be able to provide a comprehensive background for my story. She broke down every chapter and guided the narrative for a more streamlined result. Her analysis helped me discover things about my writing style that I wasn't previously aware of. She was sensitive to my stylistic preferences, kept consistent clear notes for continuity, and strengthened my writing rather than diluting it. I'm convinced I'm a better writer with her as my editor and won't work with anyone else.

Zee Lacson, author, Reviel (YA Magical Realism)

Kathy was just amazing to work with. Her initial reply was by far the most insightful, calming, funny and confident of all the consultants I reached out to. I am so happy with the end product and I've learned so much from this feedback/editing. It was such an easy process. Receiving edits to creative work is a bit anxiety inducing, but I have to say that Kathy really made me feel comfortable and, actually excited to keep writing.

Steve Miller, author (YA Fantasy)

Kathy has proofread regularly for the Wild Rose Press since March 2021. She is thorough in finding errors and tactful in her comments, and returns completed proofreads promptly. Kathy is one of my best proofreaders.

Eilidh MacKenzie, The Wild Rose Press

Kathy edited my book It Was a Riot and I couldn't be happier. Not only did Kathy polish the manuscript and make it publication-ready, but she also left comments that a beta reader would usually give. Kathy went above and beyond to make my book perfect and I am very appreciative. I will be hiring her for my next book.

Dan Hall, author, It Was a Riot (Upmarket Fiction)

Submitting a manuscript to an editor can be a nerve-racking experience, but Kathy has such a sweet and gentle way of handling errors that is more uplifting than critical. Her work is thorough and with plenty of explanation to help authors understand their issues to keep from making mistakes in the future. She did phenomenal work on my novel, pointing out ways I can improve my writing while offering sincere encouragement that I'm on the right track. This was my first experience with an editor and I can't imagine it ever getting better than Kathy. If you're looking for quality work and a compassionate disposition, she's the editor for you!

Maria Wallace, author (Romantic Suspense)

Kathy showed willingness to cooperate and a great work ethic that shone through at every stage of the process. She shaped my book from, effectively, a rough draft to a finished piece of writing I could be proud of. I learned so much through Kathy's experience and professionalism, and I would highly recommend her to any aspiring author.

Liam Bellamy, author, The Boy Who Feared His Own Reflection (Middle Grade Fiction)

This has been such a great experience. I worked with Katherine a year or so ago, and based on her great editing and input, I had finished a second version of the manuscript to give to her. I couldn't have gotten to this milestone without her assistance and great enthusiasm. Her experience without a doubt, made the work much much better. But I have to say, her enthusiasm for writers and the level of attention she gives, are what pushed me past the finish line.

Steve Miller, author (YA Fantasy)

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Romance