From Our Clients

"Marti took my trilogy from a 6 to a 9. My co-author and I had hired a variety of editors over the years for these books, but I was never happy with the result. Marti has an incredibly keen eye and sharp mind, finding innumerable errors and pointing out many ways to improve the overall flow. She also helped me find and close many plot holes. She pointed out several areas where simple additions brought big improvement. She is very gracious with her feedback, applying only the amount of pressure requested. Working with her was amazing, I became a better writer through the process, and I'm so excited about massive leap in quality my series has undergone as a result."

~Josh Foreman, co-author of The Scarred King series

"The Editing McKennas have taken care of me and my writing through all three novels in my series thus far, and I'll be calling on them to continue the tradition for the future installments as well. They're easy and pleasant to work with and strike just the right balance between suggested improvements and letting me do my thing. I highly recommend them for whatever you're working on."

~Michael Alan Peck, author of The Commons series

"I've published four novels with Bantam Books. In the process, I've worked with a number of copyeditors to catch errors and prepare manuscripts for typesetting. I found Marti to be just as good, and in several instances better, at finding mistakes and identifying ways to improve the novel project I hired her to work on. She has an excellent ear for language and is very skilled at finding ways to reword sentences to make them clearer and more concise. In addition, she has a strong sense of character and plot. She provided a number of invaluable suggestions for punching-up character motivation and development. She was also particularly helpful in making sure that all of the plot elements of the story were logical, fully supported, and internally consistent. For anyone in need of a comprehensive edit at the line-by-line, character, and story level I highly recommend her. She is extremely professional and knowledgeable, with a diverse background and a wide-range of experience that makes her suited to just about any project."

~Mark Budz, author Idolon, Clade

"Bridget is a timely, professional, and excellent copy editor. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship."

~Meryl Yourish, author of The Catmage Chronicles

"Marti edited my mystery novel and I couldn't be more thrilled with either the result or the process. Working with her was a truly a joy. She's patient and funny and completely awesome. She not only corrected my mistakes, but pointed out places where my writing was passive, and discovered oversights and plot holes that could destroy a first-time mystery writer's credibility. I'm a better writer for working with her. I feel like she understands my characters as well as I do, and is invested in the quality and success of my book. I loved working with Marti so much that I'm naming a character after her in the sequel!"

~Christa Charter, author Schooled, Pwned, and Griefed

"I had a couple of strong candidates for proofing my first novel, but my instincts told me to go with Marti. She was fast with her reply and seemed like she'd be in my target readership even if I didn't bring her on as a final proofreader. Those instincts did not disappoint: I couldn't have been happier with Marti's work. She gave me an honest and accurate estimate and a reasonable timeline for proofing. Then it quickly became apparent that she also had invaluable feedback to offer that went beyond mere proofreading. She never pushed and didn't try to pressure me into accepting anything beyond what I'd initially asked for, but her comments and suggestions were so good that I incorporated nearly all of them—all the while staying within her original estimate. Publishing a novel is all about putting your team together, and with Marti and The Editing McKennas, my team's unbeatable. For her energy, enthusiasm, judgment, professionalism, and more, I give her the highest recommendation. You'll be glad you brought her on."

~Michael Alan Peck, author The Journeyman

“Bridget not only improved this book by leaps and bounds, I know her recommendations have made me a better writer overall.

Over the last couple of years, I've discovered the that hardest part of the writing process for me isn't starting. It's not even finishing the first draft. It's opening an edited manuscript and seeing what an editor changed, commented on, and didn't like. Talk about approach resistance.

Luckily I have Bridget for an editor, who may have been able to intuit how hard this can be, and helped make it less so. Even accepting minor changes she makes is an opportunity to learn and improve my prose, and her notes are constructive in a way that makes me think hard about what I've written. Thanks for helping me get over that approach resistance, and if any writers out there need good editors, I cannot recommend Bridget and Marti enough.”
~Jason Mical

“I had the pleasure of working with Bridget on a fantasy/action tale, and it was fantastic. She really took the time and effort to delve into my plot and characters. She not only made note of the myriad grammar and punctuation issues I had, but also made fantastic suggestions for cuts and additions to help the pacing of the story. What I appreciated the most was that when she’d make an edit, she’d explain why she thought the edit was needed. In this way, the review process became a learning one. As I continue to write, she’s given me helpful guidelines that streamline my writing the first time around. In the end, I felt that she was as invested in the success of this story as I am.”

~Jerry Darcy

“Bridget McKenna is the perfect editor. She knows what it takes to help a client shape up a novel the way a personal trainer can help shape a client’s body. She is tough, but kind and empathic. She knows that writing and publishing one's work is difficult and highly competitive and she also knows how deeply important and personal writing is to the author. In graduate school I learned about group leadership styles. Some leaders are socio-emotional leaders. They have the ability to support and rally the group members. Others leaders are task-oriented. They make sure that the nitty-gritty of the work gets done. Bridget combines both. When I used her services in her Thriller Doctor days she helped me with the content of my novel, teaching me how to craft my mystery so that it would have a chance to be represented and eventually be published. She also emotionally supported me through the frustrating exercise of querying agents, and when I found one Bridget was in my corner all the way. If you have a writing project and are looking for editing services you will not be disappointed by using Bridget McKenna.”

~Dr. Ira Kalina, clinical psychologist and author of "Final Shot: A Psych 'n' Roll Mystery" www.psychnrollradio.com

“I’ve worked with Bridget on numerous projects. No matter how polished the work I hand her, she can always buff it to a higher gleam. Her precision and concision always exceed my best efforts. Her broad experience, skillful ear, supportive critique, and artful eye...simply deliver. Even now, it’s hard to resist handing her this testimonial for a quick going-over. Her value extends beyond single-job editing, too—she teaches me valuable lessons every time we work together. Whatever she’s asking, she’s worth double.”

~Fran Stewart

“I worked with Bridget for several years, and she edited numerous short stories and a novella of mine. In each instance, I found her edits made my writing much stronger. I count myself fortunate to work with such a professional, who not only knows writing, editing, and publishing, but also that arcane art of book doctoring. She knows when, where, and how a story will break down or fail to keep the reader engaged, and offers fantastic suggestions! Her lessons and insights contributed so much to the writer I am today. I cannot recommend her strongly enough—but I shall try! I would engage her without hesitation, no matter the writing project, knowing that working with her improves the quality of my writing.”

~R.K. MacPherson, author of Stormcaller, Assassins

“Bridget’s edits are always sharp and constructive. She takes the time to explain her thoughts and show you how to be a better writer. When it came time for me to publish my work, she was a godsend. She understands every aspect of the process, from first-draft edits all the way to the finished product. She took my story to the next level, dressed it up into a bright and professional package, and presented it to me with a smile. I’m so happy with the end result and I would recommend her to anyone.”

~John Kratman (Harry the Crow)

From Our Clients

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