copyediting, developmental editing, & copywriting services by Patrick Kelly, certified copyeditor

  • Mechanical editing for punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc.

    Reach out for a quote for my copyediting services.

  • Big-picture editing focused on character development, dialogue, plot, themes, continuity & consistency, etc.

    Reach out for a quote for my developmental editing services.

  • Generating compelling, descriptive, text for a service, product, instruction manual, etc.

    Reach out for a quote for my copywriting services.

You finished that manuscript!

But you’re not sure it all flows. You’re not sure that character’s voice remains consistent throughout. You’re not sure each scene logically follows the one that came before.

Or maybe you’re just not sure all your periods and commas are in the right place?

Or… maybe you haven’t actually finished that manuscript at all? Maybe you’re stuck on mechanics, or wondering whether the whole document hangs together and says what you want it to say?

Whatever the case:

I can help!

I’m a certified copyeditor with a strong penchant for developmental editing in the realm of fiction. Make no mistake: I also love mechanical editing; getting into the nitty-gritty of grammar and punctuation and sentence structure is something I’ve always enjoyed. But what really floats my boat is helping with the bigger-picture stuff: themes, motifs, character voice, character motivation, internal logic, etc.

I love working with writers of all kinds, but there’s something especially satisfying about helping take a good writer’s work into the realm of greatness.

Let me help you access the infinite wealth of story and character lurking just beneath the surface of your conscious mind!

Read a little bit more about me and my experience & qualifications here, or go ahead and drop me a line to get rolling on your editing project today!

So, you’ve done the impossible:

Careful, conscious editing by a real human being.

Success Stories

Ready to add your project to this short-but-mighty (and ever-growing) list?

Good call. You’ve chosen wisely. Reach out to get started!

  • OK so technically this book was edited and released by Seattle’s mighty Fantagraphics, but I did carefully edit Ms. Graham’s previous self-published version, so I like to think I simply made a Fantagraphics editor’s job easier down the line :)

  • Full disclosure: if it seems like Ms. Graham has a constant early editor (myself), that’s because she’s my partner, and I’m exceedingly fortunate to get first crack at checking her work (not that she ever needs much editing, anyway).

    The Devil’s Grin is also slated to be published by Fantagraphics, and I claim no ownership over their future editorial choices (and also hope I’m not stepping on any toes by including this book in my portfolio). I’m mostly just eager to brag about getting to edit my partner’s incredible work!

  • I provided a developmental edit of the pilot TV manuscript for Stillpeak by Delaney Taylor. Here are a few things Ms. Taylor had to say about the process:

    “Your editing work on the manuscript was thoughtful and inquisitive and picked up on little details that I hadn’t even considered!”

    “I felt as though we had a mutual understanding and respect for one another, as well as a solid repartee that made me as the writer feel understood and valued.”

    “Your project management skills were excellent. Your understanding of my time and setting a realistic schedule with plenty of buffer time from the very beginning helped me stay on track. You were always very punctual with your edits/responses/comments/emails which made me feel prioritized and valued as the writer.”

The Lore of the Editor

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and I recently obtained my copyediting certification from the University of Washington. I’m officially licensed to edit, baby!

Storytelling has always been a central force in my life. I grew up with a deep love for fiction novels, comic books, and video games, and that love hasn’t diminished as I’ve grown older. On the contrary, my love of a good story has only deepened! I’m particularly obsessed with tabletop RPGs and their unique format for building highly unique, collaborative, ever-evolving stories as a group.

I live in Seattle with my partner Alex and our two cats, Margot and Laszlo.

Certificate in Editing

Awarded: Jun 13, 2024

VERIFY

What the hell does “Pitch the Baby” mean?

Look, names are silly, OK?

I grew up playing in bands, so of course I had to assign an artsy-fartsy “band name” to my lil baby copyediting business instead of just using my normal human name.

So why “Pitch the Baby”?

The short answer? It’s a great song by the Cocteau Twins, one of my favorite music groups of all time. The longer answer? The name “Pitch the Baby” is also meant to oh-so-cleverly work on two levels of meaning at once:

Kill your darlings

“Kill your darlings” is a common bit of folksy advice given to writers about not getting too attached to parts of their manuscript that don’t ultimately serve the greater narrative, thesis, voice, or story. “Kill your darlings” (or in this case, “pitch the baby”) represents the hard, sometimes unglamorous work a writer and editor must do together to make sure the final edited manuscript accurately conveys the author’s vision, voice, and meaning.

Pitch that baby!

See, it’s like another way of saying “go forth and sell that beautiful manuscript, confident in the knowledge that the work is as tight, compelling, and readable as possible, thanks to the combined effort of you, the author, and me, the editor. Pitch that baby!”

Like I said, names are silly, OK? Just go with it.

Love the name? Hate the name? Don’t care about the stupid name and just want some editing help already?

Now we’re talkin’. Reach out to get started!