SERVICES

Literary & Book Services

For books, I offer free sample edits up to 2 pages (500 words), and $25 for a total of 4 pages (1000 words); this helps me to gauge what's needed for you to achieve your goals.

For shorter projects, please contact me to discuss details.

corporate & educational services

I offer creative concepting, writing, and editing (content edits and line edits) for organizations, including the following:

  • Websites (strategy, inbound, SEO)
  • Thought leadership (blogs, white papers, articles, video explainer scripts)
  • E-learning/modules
  • Educational testing and assessments (reading comprehension passages)
  • Training materials

For individuals, I offer help with essays, executive bios, presentations, and speeches. To learn more, visit career content consultations.

RATES

I charge competitive fees that vary depending on word count, status of the manuscript or project, turnaround time, and technical difficulty. 

In most cases, I charge a flat project fee. For writing coaching, I require a three-month renewable retainer.

Every project is unique. To get an estimate or quote for yours, please contact me per the instructions below.

WORKING TOGETHER

To get started, contact me using the button below. Please include:

  • a description of your project
  • its current status and word count
  • your goals 
  • your deadline or timeframe
  • your biggest concern or challenge

If I'm available, I'll be in touch to schedule a phone call or request a sample of your work.

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

“Kristen is the BEST! If you are looking for an editor to help structure, develop, and take your book to the next level, look no further. Kristen helped me realize what parts of my story needed more detail and emphasis, and which parts needed to be concise and clear. She is punctual, honest, and goes the extra mile to assist in any way she can. Without her my book wouldn't be what it is today. Five stars from me!”

— Zev Kanter, Author, Release Control/Restore Harmony: A 3-Stage Guide to Sustainable Weight Loss & Binge Eating Recovery (Forthcoming)

“I’m writing to let you know how pleased I am with your work. Your objective assessment within your notes is what these stories needed. You have identified the holes, the missing pieces and points of clarification that would make these stories better. I believe I will have a very strong collection of horror stories.”

Lou Rera, Author, AWAKE: Tales of Terror

"It was great having Kristen as the substantive editor for my second book, a book which combined both business and technical elements. Kristen did a great job helping me develop content flow as well as keeping an eye on some of the finer points of my writing style. Her perspective helped me focus on the reader experience and be more thorough in my writing. Kristen helped shape critical elements of the manuscript and worked to make terminology and concepts engaging and easy to understand. She was also very responsive and pleasant to work with. I would certainly recommend working with her."

— David Stephenson, Ph.D., Data Science Specialist and Author, Business Skills for Data Scientists: Practical Advice in Six Key Topics

“Working with Kristen transitioned me from a hopeful writer to seeing myself as a committed author. She has been the only reason I have progressed to the point of completion. She not only held me accountable to timelines, she was consistent and efficient with her input and progress. She kept me on my toes, but did not smother me with intimidating and overwhelming deadlines. I just felt like I wanted to work hard because of the effort she was putting into me. She made my dream of what I wanted to express come to life, but also turned it into a valuable reader experience.”

Leslie Harrington, Author-in-progress, Speaker, and Transitional Health Coach

"After wrestling with a narrative nonfiction manuscript for some time, I finally realized that what I needed was an objective set of eyes on the work, someone to help me craft a more compelling story arc and 'journey.' Kristen's manuscript critique was invaluable, providing me with specific suggestions and ideas. Supportive, yet with a keen eye for detail, she is a delight to work with."

Leslie Karst, author of the Sally Solari mystery series and a forthcoming cooking/food memoir (Spring 2023)*

* The author secured agent representation and a book contract after revising using my notes.

"I was so lucky to find Kristen to help me with my book, Getting the Best Care: Rescue Your Loved One from the Healthcare Conveyor Belt. Kristen has a friendly and approachable nature but she is a stickler for process. That is a great combo in an editor. She helped me to clarify my thinking and to make the book so much better with her editing expertise. She is responsive to emails and never left me wondering. I would love to work with her again!"

Margaret Fitzpatrick, Author, Speaker, and Advocate for a More Rational Approach to Healthcare as We Age

"You were invaluable to me in your editorial review. Implementing your suggestions enabled me to make what I believe is a quantum leap in my work. Thank you so much for your efforts. If my book is successful in the future, you will be directly responsible for helping me get there."

Mark Alan Nisall, Author, Rideshare Revelations from An LA Uber Driver: The Highlights, The Lowlights and The Darkness

"Editor Kristen Havens not only ensured the original text flowed naturally in this English-language version, she also provided valuable insights on how to expand and enhance the book to make it appeal to an even broader audience of English-speaking businesspeople. Her talent, knowledge and facility with organizing and conveying ideas has made the work of expanding this edition a true pleasure." 

— Temel Aksoy, Author, 7 Rules of Marketing that Get Results: Discard the Myths, Follow the Facts [excerpted from the book's Acknowledgments]

"Kristen is an excellent editor and content strategist. Her professionalism, attention to detail and communication skills are superb. She comes highly recommended!"

— Jorgen Hesselberg, Co-Founder, Comparative Agility and Author of Unlocking Agility

"Kristen had a wonderful ability to understand what I wanted to express and then write with clarity and intelligence. She also has a good grasp of working with medical and technical information, which makes her services even more valuable. My book turned out better than I could have imagined and I am thrilled with the result."

— Author (confidential), Amazon.com Bestselling Health Book
"Kristen worked with me on editing my manuscript (which was originally a collection of blogs) into a solid book. She was efficient, resourceful, and collaborative, and really served as a consultant in addition to editor. Kristen hooked into my message and target audience and worked with me on tightening up a manuscript I felt proud to deliver to the marketplace."
 
Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, Author, Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder? Challenging Our Nation’s Fixation with Food and Weight 

 

"Your edit is a gift! You're doing exactly what I hoped you would be doing: copy editing, mixed with excellent content editing. I also love your suggestions and questions — makes me think deeper about the messages I'm trying to convey and how to better communicate them."

— Confidential Client, Business Book Author and Tech Director at a Fortune 500 Company

"After an exhaustive search for a content editor for my first book, I was lucky enough to find Kristen. Kristen is a true professional! She was transparent, punctual, knowledgeable, and informative. Kristen took the time to explain her craft in a way that a newbie like me could understand and use for the future. My experience with Kristen has been so educational for me, and I would recommend her to anybody!"

— Michael J. Pearsall, Corporate Trainer and Author, Purposeful Leadership for a Total Engagement Culture

“I don't know how to thank you. Upon receiving your critique yesterday, I immediately skimmed through it and burst into tears—mostly out of relief. Your thoroughness, kindness and sensitivity just blew me away. I cannot tell you how different your approach was from the very first editor I shared the rough draft of the manuscript with a couple of years ago. I just feel like you have put your soul into it, and you have given me some incredible feedback, all along being so gentle and kind, and really taking to heart how scary and vulnerable it is to share your work with someone you don't know and yet whose opinion you value so highly.”

— L.M., First-time author (Forthcoming)

aqua vintage typewriter