How I Turned a Childhood Hobby Into a Career

One of my core childhood memories happened during a family trip to Myrtle Beach. It took us eight hours to drive there, and we stayed for a week, but I never once saw the ocean. Why? Because I spent the entire time hiding in a closet, playing with my oddball collection of action figures.

Those figurines were the main characters for the stories in my head, and I was obsessed. While everyone else was playing in the sand and surfing waves, I was concocting damsel-in-distress scenarios and making my toys trade witty banter.

When I got older, I discovered a new passion: books. I realized I could read and write the same types of stories I used to make up for fun. In a way, it felt like I was still playing with those figurines, only now, the characters lived on the page instead of in a closet.

My experience as a reader and writer eventually led to beta reading, where I discovered a knack for developmental feedback. This prompted me to enroll in courses, where I learned to specialize in romance and fantasy. I’m constantly taking new classes for professional development and am currently working toward my Club Ed Certificate in the developmental editing of fiction.

I'm drawn to atmospheric stories, with a penchant for the paranormal, gothic, and dark genres. But I enjoy working with everything from young adult to contemporary.

When I'm not immersed in the world of words, you'll find me spending time with family and savoring the drizzly grays of the Pacific Northwest, fueled by copious amounts of coffee.

Contact me for a free sample edit!

Member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and Club Ed Freelancers
Developmental Editing of Fiction: Beginning, EFA
Intermediate Developmental Editing for Fiction, Club Ed
Editing Romance, EFA
DE Detective: Using Sentence-Level Clues to Track Down Developmental Problems, Club Ed
Payoffs: Editing for Powerful Story Resolutions, Club Ed
Editing Short Stories and Novellas, Club Ed
POV and Perspective for Editors, Club Ed
Editing for Plot and Story Structure, Club Ed
Copyediting: Beginning, EFA

Want me as your ally in the publishing process? Contact me for a free sample edit!

Rates are based on the EFA rate chart

Testimonials

“Jinx produces very high-quality work with a fast turnaround. She highlighted everything good about the manuscript, including her emotional reactions to the characters and events, while also pinpointing moments that broke the reader's immersion or sections that needed more clarity. I especially appreciated that she provided both a reader's report and in-line comments that didn't merely repeat the same information but instead built on one another to flesh out the good and the "needs work" parts. Highly recommended.”
~ hollyjennings85
“I've worked with Jinx several times now to provide deep-dive beta-reader reviews of chapters in my story. She gives thorough and honest feedback, and I'm always very impressed and satisfied by her sharp attention to detail. Her criticisms are well placed and help me improve upon my story, and her detailed character impressions (including their evolution) helps me to maintain their authenticity to the reader. I will always recommend Jinx for her skills, timeliness, and tact.”
~ jeffhoward78
“Jinx's beta reading services are phenomenal, with incredible professionalism and attention to detail. She finished the project way ahead of the deadline, and gave me constructive criticism that I can use to enhance my manuscript. Highly recommend!”
~ viciousdemon13
“Amazing! I will be coming back when I finish my novel. I'm writing my first novel and wanted some insight into my first two chapters. Jinx delivered exceptional comments that were motivating and informative. With this guidance, I know exactly what to work on to strengthen my novel. I can't wait to finish the story and return for more feedback. I highly recommend this service.”
~ willowp344
“Jinx is my go to person when I need someone to look at my manuscript. Great attention to detail. She reads everything thoroughly and really provides excellent input. Thank you!!!”
~ scientess
“My first beta read and BOY HOWDY was every penny worth it. It's easy to write something. And re-write it. And then again. But you just will never know how it reads until you have someone else read it. Jinx did a fantastic job of presenting what was good and what was bad. I believe every reader is their own expert reader of their experience. But this was awesome feed back. A few things hit me like "OHhhh.... yeah, I definitely need to change that.... ooof, how did I not see that?!" So thank you. Two thumbs up. Will use again.”
~ demiancombs
“I really enjoyed working with Jinx again, the feedback is always really helpful and makes me think about things I hadn't considered, or errors that I wasn't picking up on myself. The report is really helpful too as I can zero in on things that are/aren't working and what areas I need to focus on which is invaluable to a writer! I'd be more than happy to work more on future chapters if she was OK with that!”
~ imogenlily8
“Jinx's feedback and comments are incredibly helpful. I appreciate so much both her Reader's Report, and also the real-time comments in the margins. She's a really great reader: caring about the characters, attentive to details... And also offers big-picture comments about structure. So, all-in-all, it's been a great experience with two sets of early chapters, and I look forward to sending more so such a supportive, careful reader. Also very professional and prompt!”
~ teresa_i
“This was great! I was a bit hesitant to go with a beta reader, but I am so glad I did. My draft felt like it was missing something and with the provided reader report and reactions, I now know what it was missing! Thank you so much!”
~ travljunkie
“A fantastic beta reader! I can only echo my previous reviews. Jinx has delivered ahead of schedule and provided very thoughtful feedback with great attention to detail all five times I’ve worked with this seller so far. I will continue work with Jinx on this and future projects.”
~ ultima_scribe
“The service Jinx delivered was fast, thorough, and very encouraging. She provided an indepth reader's report and asked questions that helped me to clarify ideas in writing that had seemed only to clear in my head. I would very much like to work with Jinx again.”
~ bine39731
“Extensive and thorough reader report that went over Character, plot, flow and addressed all my worries! She even used some examples when pointing out critiques which was very helpful for me!”
~ mayorofmars
“Working with Jinx was enjoyable and effortless. It was like having someone who understood my characters, even observing things about them that maybe I hadn't considered. What I liked best, however, was how if she found aspects of the story that needed improvement, Jinx provided helpful tips on how to do so.”
~ yasports91
“I could not be more pleased with my order. Jinx did an alpha-read of the 95,000 word, first draft of my novel. It was helpful on many levels. Her review comments at the end helped me understand what was and wasn’t working with my characters. Her notes throughout the document were most helpful in identifying plot holes. She pointed out what needed clarification… and of course much more. It was worth it. I would work with her again.”
~ janellewiseh472
“It was wonderful to hear her thoughts on my unfinished work. I have worked on and off for quite awhile. And, though I have shown it to my friends, I have always been a bit skeptical about their opinions because of the friendship bias. Having a complete stranger read it and give opinions on it was so encouraging. I am so overjoyed at having done this. And the price was awesome! I highly recommend this to any writer. Thanks!”
~ blmorron
“It's always great to work with Jinx, she always gives detailed feedback and helps me to consider things I haven't before. Her feedback is always believed promptly and in good time, and I know I can talk to her and ask questions which is really great.”
~ imogenlily8
“Amazing!!! I’m so glad I chose her. The feedback provided was very in depth and helpful. All of my questions were answered and all of my concerns were addressed, and more. Would definitely recommend her, I know I’ll be back in the future.”
~ chernecia
“I am writing an episodic story and asked Jinx to review the third installment. Jinx also reviewed the first two episodes. I love working with her, because she's so detailed about what she likes, what works, and what can be improved. It's great knowing which parts of the story she finds funny or sad, and how she feels about the characters evolving. She also provided some thoughts in specific areas that I requested up front. I find these reviews extremely helpful, as it lets me know how my story is registering. I find myself looking forward to the next review.”
~ jeffhoward78
“As always, Jinx does such a wonderful job analyzing stories. I keep coming back! Seriously, look no further. Jinx is your person!”
~ scientess
“Very positive, Jinx was always happy to answer any questions and replied very promptly. Her feedback was detailed and insightful and helped me think about things I hadn't considered. She was very open and I felt she really understood what I was after. I wouldn't hesistate to book her again.”
~ imogenlily8

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