Krysta L. Winsheimer
Editor. Writer. Muse.

Ultimately, this journey isn’t about me—it’s about you and your story. But trusting an editor with your story is a weighty decision (hello, emotional and financial vulnerability). Here is a bit about my personal peregrination to help you decide if we should wander together:

Nothing about my path has been linear or exceptionally logical, but that’s what makes life exciting, right? I have been an editor in some form or fashion for the past twelve years. Most of my prior editing experience focused on nonfiction work (primarily strategic intelligence assessments and foreign policy articles for military commanders and U.S. policymakers), but I realized my true passion is working with fiction writers. I currently serve as an assistant editor and/or first reader for two small presses.

I have a Certificate in Editing from the Poynter Institute/ACES, and have completed training in developmental editing and copyediting with the Editorial Arts Academy, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and Club Ed. Additionally, personal and professional growth are written into my business plan, so I’m continually attending webinars/trainings and reading copious books focused on the crafts of writing and editing.

I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) which means that deadlines, transparency, and high-quality deliverables (in this case, your edit) are are extremely important to me.

I also have a B.S. in Forensic and Investigative Science from West Virginia University (Let’s go, Mountaineers!), which may not seem extremely relevant, but can be incredibly helpful for manuscripts with scientific aspects or crime/horror scenes requiring fact checking or realism evaluations.

When I’m not editing, I’m usually writing, reading fiction (big surprise), gardening (which mainly involves getting distracted into photographing flowers and insects), traveling to faraway lands (both literally and figuratively), enjoying concerts, or being a mom.

Trainings Completed-
Poynter Institute/ACES: Certificate in Editing (2020), Proofreading 101 (2022), Working with Self-Publishing Authors (2022), Bricklaying: Editing for Structure (2022), Tips For Editing Genres That Include Violence, Suicide and Mental Illness (2023)
EAA: Developmental Editing for Fiction (2020-2021), Copyediting Fiction and Nonfiction Books: Principles & Mechanics (2021)
Club Ed: Editing Literary Fiction (2022), Editing for Point-of-View and Perspective (2022), Editing Mystery/Thriller/Suspense (2022), Editing Short Stories and Novellas (2023)
Northwest Editors Guild: Editorial Mentorship (2022), Quantifying Your Editing Impact (2023)
EFA: Understanding Styles and Templates in Word (2021)
Other Editors: How to Line Edit for Suspense (2022), Crafting Beautiful Prose (2022), Book Design for Editors (2023)