YOUR WORDS
ARE MAGIC.
As a writing guide, editor, and midwife of story for the past 19 years, I’ve helped thousands of writers—first-time writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and most everyone in between—write what’s real for them while staying attuned to their writing’s audience and purpose.
Through our work together, my clients have become published authors, gotten into dream schools, created informative and articulate websites, written powerful letters, landed inspiring jobs, begun poetry careers, and learned more about themselves than they ever thought possible.
Whether you’re writing a book, creating a website, applying to a program, working on a grant, developing a memoir, putting together a paper, devising a script, or penning poetry, I’ll support you at whatever level you need—from brainstorming to line editing to honing a gorgeous and eloquent finished product.
If you’re about to begin writing or are stuck partway through, I’ll help you get words on the page or find your way through dead ends and tangles. If you’ve already created a draft, I’ll read it carefully with professional editing eyes: from word choice to grammar, structure to flow, spelling to story, I’ll ensure that your writing is clear, concise, correct, and compelling.
Why Work With Me?
I wrote my first chapter book at seven, graduated from Yale with distinction in the English major, and have been a professional editor and writing guide since 2005. I’ve written for an international magazine; have published poems, essays, and short stories; have written and co-written several theatrical scripts and librettos, and currently manage an online editing company. I’ve worked with thousands of clients—from published authors, to high school students, to writers who speak English as a second language—on books, application essays, academic articles, poems, plays, dissertations, manuscripts, letters, chapbooks, and websites. In 2023, I edited two full-length books (coming out in 2024, one through Monkfish Publishers and the other through North Atlantic Books). I’m also a professional storyteller.
I have a ridiculously fastidious eye. In addition to precise proofreading, I hone grammar, word choice, and the technical bits of your writing.
I also offer suggestions regarding readability, flow, tone, and other elements of style. Depending on the project, I can support with broader content development and editing, focusing both on details and the whole.
I take the time to understand who your audience is, so I can tailor my guidance and editing for the specific readers you want to reach.
I read a lot—fiction (most genres), nonfiction, poetry, young adult fiction, picture books, cookbooks, instruction manuals, essays, mythology, plays—and it shows in my editing and writing guidance. I know what makes different genres work, and at least an extent of what’s possible within them. And I want to share that with you and your work.
I honor your unique writer’s voice. Your revisions will hum and lilt to the rhythm and tune of your own way with words.
I love asking you detailed, pointed questions to help draw out your writing’s clarity and essence even more.
I welcome your questions and dialogue throughout the editing process—and you always have the final say in any and all changes.
I offer developmental editing, line and content editing, and copy editing, as well as overall project support, guidance, and brainstorming. (It’s okay if you don’t know what kind of editing or support you need—just fill out the form below or schedule a free call with me and we’ll discern your needs together!)
what WRITERS say
“Much more than an editor, Kirsten is a midwife of story. Her deep knowledge of myth and folklore, her love of words, and her professional ethic and academic training offer a clarifying gaze into prose that both blesses and challenges the lucky soul who finds themselves working within her purview. My book would not exist without Kirsten, and I don't know what would have become of it if I had never asked her to work with me. There is no other person I would rather have accompany me through the often confusing, predictably terrifying, and infinitely rewarding labyrinth of writing a book. If you are searching for a person who can follow your creative journey to the underworld and back, look no further than Kirsten Webb.” – Simon Yugler, author of Psychedelics and the Soul: A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology, and Cultural Repair)
“Kirsten's wizardry with words is truly remarkable. Her innate ability to bolster an argument is impressive, and her unwavering support has been a source of inspiration and comfort during stressful times and tight deadlines (especially during writer's block). I cannot recommend her highly enough for all your writing needs. I am so grateful to have found Kirsten—she is a true gem who will greatly enhance your writing and make your work shine.” – Anonymous, academic researcher & writer, client for the past nine years)
"Kirsten possesses the magical, almost impossible combination of skills that a brilliant editor needs: empathy, imagination, intelligence, linguistic acuity, and a meticulous attention to detail. Whether it’s a poem, an essay, or a novel, she’s able to zero into the heart of the project and transform it into the best piece of writing it can be, all without losing the writer’s original voice. It’s scary for a writer to entrust their vision to any editor. With Kirsten, your work will not only be in the care of a brilliant mind, but of a kind and compassionate person." (P. D., poet and novelist)
I offer reasonable rates and am open to sliding scale.
To work with me, just fill out the form below.
You can also schedule a free 15-minute Inquiry Call with me by clicking here.
Please include:
• A few sentences describing your project and where you are in its creation process
• What kind of support you’re seeking (Coaching? Editing? A mixture?)
• Your project’s approximate word count (if applicable)
• Your deadline (if applicable)
I’ll respond promptly with a quote and next steps!
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