About

Kristin Batterton, owner and editor
Detailed Draft Editorial

Editing Certificate from the University of Chicago

I'm an award-winning writer who regularly seeks feedback on my own work, so I know how important it is that an edit doesn't change your voice.

I have two certificates in editing and years of experience helping writers achieve their goals—and celebrating alongside them!

My volunteer roles include judging for three independent publishers association book contests, scoring exams on the Certification Committee for the Certified Professional Résumé Writers test, and co-coordinating the EFA's new chapter for kidlit professionals.

Ongoing education is vital. I keep up with changing style guidelines, attend industry conferences, and take courses. My recent favorites are the ACES conference and an EFA course on editing children’s books.

Philosophy

My training at the University of Chicago focused on first understanding the audience and objective of a piece before deciding which level of editing suggestions to make. This means I know how to meet the highest standards of grammar and usage but also how to scale back for a piece that requires less stringency.

And that’s where fiction comes in! Editing a high-energy young adult sci-fi requires allowances for the intentional rule-breaking common in teen language and also the playful speculation we love about sci-fi language. Editing contemporary romance requires maintaining the conversational tone and everyday language. And editing children's books requires balancing consistent grammar usage with plenty of language fun mixed in.

Every story deserves to look polished and professional, no matter the style.

I love to highlight a manuscript's strengths, and I value making gentle suggestions with full respect for author choice. You know your story better than anyone else. I’m just here to silently polish it up so you'll feel confident to publish or query.