About Me
Hi! I’m Kerry, a diagnostic editor for novelists. I love books!
I also help experienced novelists find out exactly what isn't working in their manuscript — and why.
My Goodreads to-read list currently has 1,181 books on it and at my current rate of about 100 books a year, it would only take me 11 years to get through them all. But it won’t stay at that number, since I’m constantly reading about new books and thinking, oooh, that sounds good!
I started reading and writing very early and have never stopped. My mother used to think that I was deliberately ignoring her when she called me to set the table for dinner or mow the lawn--I wasn’t (promise, Mom). I was so wrapped up in whatever place, whoever’s brain I was inhabiting at that moment, that the real world around me dropped away and I disappeared into the story. To me, there is no magic like book magic.
As a writer, I know how scary and exhilarating it is to put your work out into the world. There have been times that I’ve panicked (seriously: heart racing, tunnel vision) when I share my pages. While I’ve been lucky to not have had a devastating workshop experience—all that panic for nothing!—I know that is not the case for many. That’s one of the many reasons I believe in the power of book coaching.
Writers often tell me what stands out is how specific and direct the feedback is — not padded, not vague, and never generic.
My approach weaves together:
Craft clarity: structure, character arcs, pacing, tension, voice, and emotional resonance
Strategic thinking: what your story is about and how its elements work together
Diagnostic precision: naming exactly what's not working structurally — not just what feels "off"
Direct, honest feedback: I'll tell you clearly what needs to change and why, not just what's working
My Professional Life—Writing and Otherwise
Author Accelerator Book Coach—Certified in 2020
Co-founder of Shadows & Secrets with fellow coach and author Samantha Skal. Are you a mystery, thriller, suspense, or horror author? Check out our Retreats and online coaching community, the Society!
Worked 16 years as an editor and project manager for educational publishers and a digital marketing agency
Communications Director for International Thriller Writers
Women Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and Sisters in Crime (SinC) Mentor
Got my BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College and an MS in Journalism from Columbia J-school. My story about a Coney Island circus school was picked up on the AP newswire.
Currently querying my historical novel about a badass female pirate and working on the first draft of a paranormal thriller.
“Published” my first story in second grade. It was about a boy who went into the sea to live with octopi.
Other Things I Love
Hedgehogs
They are sweet yet sassy, goofy, and nocturnal.
I follow way too many on Instagram.
Wine + Cheese
My husband owns a store that sells mainly these two things and someone has to do quality control.
Cooking, Baking, and All Things Food
Goes well with wine. Though I think I’ve killed my sourdough starter.
We had a good run.
What You Can Count On
Stories are how we practice empathy—how we try on lives we’ll never live and widen what we think is possible. In my coaching, my values look like this in practice:
Clarity over haze.
I’ll be warm, but I won’t be vague. You’ll get specific notes, concrete next steps, and a plan you can actually follow.
Craft is a practice.
We’re not chasing perfection—we’re finding exactly where the structure needs to change and why. The goal is for you to leave with real clarity, not just encouragment.
Your voice stays yours.
I won’t write your book for you or try to make it sound like mine. My job is to help you hear what your draft is doing, what it wants to do next, and how to make that intention land on the page.
Every read is human.
I don’t use AI to evaluate manuscripts, generate feedback, or shape a diagnosis, full stop. Every page you send me, I read myself. What you get back is straight from my brain, my judgment, and my expertise.
More room at the table.
I’m committed to reading broadly, recommending widely, and amplifying writers and books that deserve more visibility. I’m still learning, always, and I try to bring that humility into every conversation.
And yes—there’s a tiny bit of book magic here: the steady, unglamorous kind. The kind where one smart choice at a time becomes momentum, and momentum becomes a finished book.
What Writers Say
Not sure where to start?
If none of these quite fit — but you still think we should work together — tell me where you're at and what you're working on. Let's figure out together whether there's a way I can help.