Rainbow Pen Editing offers professional editing services to fiction writers.
I specialise in fantasy, romance, horror, and queer fiction, but I can work with other genres. Don’t hesitate to contact me. We can discuss your project and needs to see if we’re a good fit.
I aim to create a collaborative, uplifting, and inclusive work environment.
Books from marginalised communities are more than welcome here.
Meet your editor
Hello Author,
I’m Jesse (he/him). My studies centred around languages, literature and cinema research (especially horror and literary fiction). After graduating from a Master’s degree in Japanese language and culture, I worked in a hotel for seven years as a receptionist, then assistant manager.
I always adored writing and fell in love with editing through a writer’s group where we critiqued each other’s work. The more I studied craft, the more my critiques resembled editing, and I realised this could be the right professional path. It was time for a change of careers to reconnect with my passion: stories.
While I studied fiction editing, I offered professional beta reading for about a year. I now freelance as a developmental and line editor. I’m a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and of the LGBTQ+ Editors Association.
Values
Diversity, inclusion, and sensitivity
I’m committed to uplifting diversity and making editing services more accessible to marginalised writers. I can always offer payment plans to divide costs into manageable chunks. Editing is expensive because you’re employing someone to spend a lot of time and expertise on your project. My rates are on the low end, but that’s already a lot of money, and I understand how hard it can be to invest in your writing when you don’t have the means. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you can’t afford my services at full price. I try to give discounts whenever I can.
I want writers from marginalised communities to know that they’re not just welcome here: they’re the guests of honour. Especially my wonderful queer and neurodivergent communities.
Sensitivity issues and representation of marginalised groups are topics that fascinate me. Media can play such a big role in how harmful stereotypes are developed and maintained, especially unconsciously. I always keep this in mind when editing or doing a sensitivity read. My objective is never to sanitise your writing or make it politically correct, but rather to identify unintentional biases and potential harm to protect both the author and reader. It’s all about considering context and nuance to avoid harmful depictions and tropes. It’s never about avoiding difficult subjects that you want to discuss through fiction.
AI policy
I don’t work on manuscripts that use generative AI, and I don’t use generative AI to edit either. AI poses a lot of ethical and copyright issues. I also believe that both writing and editing are human arts that requires creative input.
Artistry
Even books made more for entertainment than art tend to have some level of artistry, and I love highlighting that and working toward strengthening those elements because they can be extremely impactful for the reader.
A big part of my studies centred around literary analysis and research, which has been a tremendous help on my editing journey by giving me tools to identify and evaluate artistry.
Respect and support of the author’s agency
I care deeply about the manuscripts I edit. I spend a lot of time with your stories and characters, and they all have something worth loving, even in a messy draft. But they’re your book-babies, not mine. I write too, and I understand how personal the process is. Editing is all about guiding and uplifting, bringing expertise and an external perspective. My role isn’t to change your voice to match my preferences, or to mould your story into what I want. Instead, I advocate for both your story and readership. Your vision matters, and the reading experience of your audience does too.
I want to guide you through making your story shine so its impact on the reader matches your intentions as closely as possible. I strive to be precise on the route that I recommend so my clients don’t get overwhelmed during their revisions, but I also love giving alternative suggestions when appropriate. Both writing and editing are extremely subjective.
More than anything, I want you to understand why I’m suggesting an edit, because there are other solutions, always. And if you understand where my feedback is coming from, you’re empowered to make an informed decision to either follow my suggestion exactly, tweak it, or come up with an alternative to solve the concern I raised. The post-edit chat is a good time to brainstorm different approaches, on top of addressing any questions you have.
Certifications in editing:
Developmental Editing:
Developmental Editing of Fiction I (2025, EFA)
Developmental Editing of Fiction: Intermediate (2025, EFA)
Developmental Editing of Fiction: Advanced (2025, EFA)
Editing Romance (2025, EFA)
Editing Science Fiction and Fantasy (2025, EFA)
Editing Young Adult Fiction (2025, EFA)
Line Editing:
Line Editing of Commercial Fiction: Beginning (2025, EFA)
Line Editing of Commercial Fiction: Intermediate (2025, EFA)
Line Editing of Commercial Fiction: Advanced (2026, EFA)
Copy Editing:
Copyediting 1: Introduction (2024, CIEP)
Introduction to Fiction Editing (2024, CIEP)
Getting to Grips with Grammar and Punctuation (2024, CIEP)
