Book editor Kristen Hamilton is the owner and sole employee of Kristen Corrects, Inc., where she provides manuscript editing services for self-publishing and traditionally publishing authors. Several authors whose books she has edited have won awards and have topped Amazon's best sellers lists. Reading is Kristen’s passion, so when the workday is over, she can usually be found curled up with a good book alongside her three cats. In her free time she enjoys playing video games, dancing adult ballet, speaking French, watching scary movies, tending to her courtyard, and traveling to tropical destinations. She lives with her husband and sons outside of Boise, Idaho.
When it comes to all the elements that go into a successful novel—good pacing, character development, plot progression, and the story itself, for example—there’s a lot that can go wrong. As the writer, you don’t have the perspective. Things might work in your head but don’t… Read More »How to Work with Beta Readers
1. What genres of books does Kristen edit? Kristen edits a wide range of books under the fiction genre, including general fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, thriller, and mystery. She also commonly works with memoirs (creative nonfiction) and literary fiction. Above all else, she prefers… Read More »FAQs
I’m just going to say it: If you’re a serious author, you need to be a part of a writers’ critique group. But if you’re an introvert like me, you might be a little hesitant in meeting with a group of strangers (they’re authors, too…but still!) and baring… Read More »4 Best Tips for Joining a Critique Group
As a fiction book editor for self-publishing authors, I’m constantly interacting with authors who are brand new to the world of book editing and publishing. And while I’m always doing free sample edits to help determine what type of editing your manuscript needs, it’s not… Read More »How to Tell if Your Book Needs Developmental Editing
Characters drive your story’s plot and help readers connect emotionally with the narrative. Well-developed characters make readers care about what happens to them, which keeps them invested in the story. Essentially, characters and their level of development are one of the key parts that will… Read More »Everything You Need to Know about Creating Great Characters
Self-publishing your book is not for the faint of heart. While self-publishing has tons of benefits such as bigger royalties and complete control of your rights, it’s also a time-consuming task that will launch you into a whole new universe. The majority of my author… Read More »The Ultimate Checklist for Self-Publishing Your Book
When you’re writing a high-stakes action scene (like a shootout between your character and the bad guy, or a life-changing car accident), one of the greatest disservices you can do to yourself as an author is to write the scene so that the pacing goes… Read More »How to Slow Down Time in an Action Scene
In my nearly ten years as a book editor, I’ve edited a range of books with touchy subjects: extreme political beliefs, sexual content, or other taboo or risqué topics. (And full honesty here: Some of these books go against my personal beliefs or even make… Read More »How I Handle Editing Touchy Subjects
“Even after it’s printed, something will drive me crazy.” I’ve heard this line from somany authors, especially those who are publishing a book for the first time. Many first-time authors find it difficult to stop making minor tweaks on their book, even after it’s been edited.… Read More »No Book Will Ever Be “Perfect”
If you’re a self-published author, it’s going to happen eventually: You’ll get a negative review on your book. What a drag, right? Feelings of self-doubt come rushing in. You might start to wonder where you went wrong and what you could have done differently. This happens… Read More »How to React to a Bad Book Review