“Karen is my first choice when it comes to editing. She not only understands my style but pushes me to hone my craft with each book I’ve written. Her grasp on story arc and character development is second to none, and I cannot gush over her keen eye for detail nearly enough! She works seamlessly with her authors to bring out their best stories, understanding the unique flow of each writer. After working with her on over nine novels, I can genuinely say there is no one I would rather have editing my books.”
—Rebecca Yarros, author of The Last Letter and the “Flight and Glory” series
“Karen uses her incredible experience and sharp eye to take my novels to the next level. Beyond a surface edit, she helps improve plot structure, characters, dialogue, voice, and motivation. The end result is the best version of a story and a house-quality book. She has an awesome editing style that not only strengthens the manuscript but sharpens the writer’s skills along the way. I will continuously call upon her for all my future work!”
—Molly E. Lee, author of the “Love on the Edge” series
“Not only did Karen help my manuscript get to the next level, she made me a better writer in the process. I don’t even know how to place a value on that. She was a coach as much as an editor, asking all the right questions and prodding in all the proper places. On top of that, she was professional and prompt. It’s hard to feel confident as a writer, so having confidence in an editor is a must. My novel released to rave reviews, and I know I have Karen to thank for that.”
—Carol Pavliska, author of Color Me Crazy
“Karen Grove is a thorough and insightful editor who nurtures an author through the process. She’s a joy to work with and easily one of the best editors I’ve ever known.”
—Tina Donahue, author of the “Wicked Brand” series
“I owe my writing career to Karen Grove. She has been my editor for all nine of my books. I have stayed with her because she has always been willing to take risks on my behalf, and perhaps at her own expense, just to get a story she believes in out there. She demands the best from me, and I’m sure there are many times that her careful guidance has kept me from making a fool of myself. Karen is with me when I need her to be, helping me to shape my manuscript into a worthy story, but she also knows when to back off and give me the time and space I need to create. I trust Karen. I know she has the book’s best interest at heart, and my stories have always been made better, tighter, truer, and more interesting for my readers because I’ve used her suggestions. I can’t imagine having a better editor.”
—Han Nolan, National Book Award-winning author of Dancing on the Edge
“As an author of many young adult historical novels, I have worked on twenty-two of them under the editorship of Karen Grove. Yes, we had differences of opinion on occasion, but we always came together for the good of the book. Karen got right into the story, seemed to understand what I was trying to accomplish in terms of purpose, setting, relationships, tensions, and dialogue. But more than that she always honored my hopes to bring alive the history of the times, to keep it as genuine as possible, which was important to me. She also understood my need to demonstrate both the strengths and weaknesses of my characters and, in many places, reinforced this aspect of the manuscript. She was quick to pick up on details that were missing, or overwritten, chapters that needed shortening, characters that should have been introduced early on or, once introduced, were consigned to the back burner and not followed through on. Her advice was always sound, her editor’s eye keen, and her concern for the outcome of the project real. I really miss working with her and would recommend her, gladly, as an editor.”
—Ann Rinaldi, award-winning author of Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons
“Karen Grove has been my editor for ten wonderful years. She never misses a trick, and my manuscripts have gone forth with a lot of confidence from all of us involved. I think her greatest gift (out of many) is her wisdom about when to fold up versus when to doggedly pursue an issue with a bit of text. She makes sure everything that needs to be done is done, but nobody is ever aggravated. She also is extremely organized and reliable. If I email her with a request, I get an answer that day. As well, any deadlines missed were my fault—never hers!”
—Carol Plum-Ucci, Michael L. Printz Honor-winning author of The Body of Christopher Creed
“Karen Grove has been my editor at Harcourt since 2001. We have labored together through 4000+ pages of my Bloody Jack Adventure Series for young adults, and during that time I always found her to be highly knowledgeable, professional, and a true mistress of her craft. In addition, I must say Karen was not in any way a pushover. There were times when I thought a particular draft of a novel was fine the way it was, but Karen gently but firmly demurred. Growling, I got back to work on the text till we both agreed the thing was done right, and, I must admit, much better for her advice and guidance. We always worked it out together to the benefit of the series. In short, Karen Grove is a fine literary editor, and I always look forward to continuing to work with her on the next book.”
—L.A. Meyer, award-winning author of the “Bloody Jack Adventures” series
“Karen Grove and I have worked together on many young adult manuscripts. I come to Karen when I believe in a writer, especially a very young writer who has a strong voice, knowing that Karen will guide and nourish this writer-client through the editorial process to make the manuscript the best it can be. Karen is particularly good at spotting the key weaknesses and building the writer’s confidence to address those weaknesses successfully. She does not shy away from the tough revision, the daunting page or rewrite, or the perplexing manuscript that is well written but hasn’t yet found an appropriate publishing home. I know from our successes that Karen’s deeply personal yet thoroughly professional approach brings out the best in writers and their manuscripts.”
—Susan Schulman, literary agent, Susan Schulman Literary Agency
“Karen is truly the best at what she does and has taught me so much during the process. I thought it was impossible to trim my manuscript further, and Karen did the task easily. She has a keen eye and knows how to make a story truly shine. The developmental and line edit she completed for my novel is invaluable, tightening my manuscript and making it the absolute best it can be. Karen also understood my characters from the start and believed in them and in me. Her expertise doesn’t end once she sends you the edits; she also makes herself available for any questions you may have. There isn’t a better editor in the game, and I am thankful that I was able to work with her. I will not hesitate to contact Karen for assistance with future novels!”
—Ashley King, author of Painting the Lines
“I’ve worked with Karen on several books. When I was a newly published author, she edited The Laney Briggs Series—my first sale to a publisher—and she was instrumental in helping me shape the series into a fast-paced adventure filled with humor that kept readers’ attention. I learned how to fine-tune my writing skills while working alongside Karen and effectively put out six books with her as my editor. I’ve since taken those skills to craft more books. The editorial knowledge Karen brings into each project…can’t be matched. She teaches authors how to spot their strengths and weaknesses so they can grow their writing. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my writing if not for working with Karen for so many years. I highly recommend her editing services.
—Jodi Linton, author of many cozy mysteries and romances