Caroline Knecht

Caroline Knecht – Editor

Developmental editor specializing in romance, thrillers, and mysteries. My clients have been published by Kensington, Skyhorse, and more.

Overview

My MFA taught me all the rules for writing fiction—now I want to help you break them.

I have a keen eye for how story should work, and I place a lot of emphasis on character. I love working with new and emerging authors, helping them hone their narratives and find their voice on the page. I try as much as possible to answer the difficult question of How? when it comes to writing fiction.

I welcome projects of all genres, but I specialize in romance, mystery & crime, and speculative and paranormal fiction.

I've worked as a developmental and copy editor for over 10 years. I have experience either in-house or in a freelance capacity for Skyhorse Publishing, Kensington, Simon & Schuster, McGraw-Hill, and HarperCollins. I also teach writing in the university setting, and I've worked as a writing coach.

I love to laugh and have fun—humor is super important to me. (So is my cat.) Let's talk about your work!
Services
Fiction
Contemporary Romance Historical Romance Horror Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Paranormal Romance Romantic Comedy
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Master of writing and publishing
  • Master of fine arts (fiction writing)

Work experience

Cleveland State University

Aug, 2017 — Jan, 2022 (over 4 years)

As part-time adjunct faculty, I help students hone their writing skills and develop an academic writing voice.

Self-employed

Sep, 2008 — Present

I currently work full-time as a freelance editor and proofreader. My clients include independent publishers, court reporters, and self-published authors.

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
The Seven Month Itch (Chance at Love)

Peart, Tanvier

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
On Cloud Nine (Perks & Benefits Book 3)

Stone, Denise

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Stuck

Bellas, Emily R

Made with Reedsy
Kill Shot (Zero Day Trilogy)

Landry, Sheri

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Waiting to be Written

Legaspi, J. Peter

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Dark Hour

Lanter, Erin

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
My Totally Sparked New Year (Holiday Girl)

Furnas, Audrey

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Sins of a Rogue: Conrad Chronicles 2

Mackenzie, C.K.

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Party School: A Novel

Hart, Jon

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Green House Haunting

Olivia Y

A terrible tragedy dead and buried. Can a young woman dig up the haunted truth without falling into madness? Andy Watts needs a break. So when the struggling journalist is asked to revisit a f... read more
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Cruel Saint (Vicious Empire Book 1)

Kayne, Luna

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Triangle Forest

Flora, Edward J

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Brendan & the Beast

Beckman, Fox

Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
My Totally Elfed Christmas

Furnas, Audrey

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
DEAD FRIENDS

Hooper, Miles

Taken (Deep Ops)

Zanetti, Rebecca

Caroline has 89 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Mollie B.

Mollie B.

Feb, 2024

Pinned
Caroline is a rockstar!!! This was my very first experience with a developmental editor, and she absolutely blew me away. She handled my manuscript with such care and attention to detail that I had no doubt that she was genuinely invested in my story. She has a wonderfully supportive editing style—for someone whose internal monologue is a constant stream of, “Lalala, I have no idea what I’m doi...
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Kari B.

Kari B.

Dec, 2023

Pinned
There's a reason I keep coming back to Caroline - she's fantastic. Her attention to detail is impressive. We've worked together on a trilogy and she's done a great job of cross-reference earlier books with the newest one to ensure everything lines up and is accurate. She's also always responsive and helpful in her messages.
Jaime R.

Jaime R.

Aug, 2023

Pinned
This is my second time working with Caroline and I'm so happy to have found her. Caroline has a great eye, keeping up with all the elements of my story and making sure they are cohesive, consistent, and clear. She gives me a really detailed style sheet that is in depth and such a great asset for my writing. I love working with her and I love how she polishes my work to really make it shine. I f...
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Kinsey S.

Kinsey S.

Sep, 2024

I have worked with Caroline a few times now, and I have only become more and more impressed with her skill and insight as an editor. Caroline has an amazing ability to see what I was TRYING to write even when it bears little resemblance to what I actually wrote, and offer just the right feedback and suggestions to help figure out how to bridge the gap between intention and execution. She has ...
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CK M.

CK M.

Jul, 2024

I've worked with Caroline on 12+ books now, and she's thorough, communicative, and friendly. She catches even the smallest things and makes the story tighter.

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