Meet Kelsey Watley | Editor, Cartoonist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Watley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
The short version is, it’s where I’m most comfortable. I wasn’t necessarily born to a very artistic family. Both my parents loved music, movies, and art, but they weren’t exactly creative. They definitely tried to foster it in me when I was very young and started writing poetry or little stories. My step-dad, though, was the biggest influence on me when it came to creativity. He was a former English professor at Cambridge, and he saw a love of words in me and did everything he could to nurture that.

Cut to adulthood and, well, a lot happened in my life. A few family deaths, some more terrible things, blah blah blah…I find myself as a single mother at 21 years old. At that point, creativity is just something I try to find time for. I took any work I could find, be it at a front desk somewhere, in an office, walking dogs, cleaning houses… It was exhausting, but necessary. When I married my now husband, I was able to find a little more time for creativity, and it was all channeled into side hustles. I even once had an Etsy store where I sold kimonos that I made out of silly, nerdy fabric! But all the while I’m writing and reading and just taking in as many words as I can.

When my little family finally gets to a point where we’re all stable, my husband encourages me to go back to school for anything, do something that I want to do. After some research, I land on copyediting. I do the schooling, I go through the course, and honestly, it just felt so effortless. Don’t get me wrong, it was an intensive course–there was a lot I didn’t know and a lot I had to unlearn–but it just felt so natural. I enjoyed every second of it, and the ever-present imposter syndrome that sort of hung over my life like a cloud kind of lifted. I never feel more confident than when I’m talking with an author about their manuscript and how I can help them.

Since being able to feel comfortable in doing something that I love, I’m now able to focus on creativity as much as possible. My best friend and I have started a web comic as a hobby, and I’m able to foster a love of drawing in my son–he loves drawing monsters like Godzilla (seriously, don’t get him started on Godzilla, he knows everything there is to know). Writing, art, and creativity isn’t just a passion for me, it’s the place I feel most at home, most myself. Even when my work is frustrating, I love it, and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunities that I’ve had–and I’m excited to see where it will take me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a copy editor, line editor, and proofreader, and I’m moving into developmental editing which is unbelievably fun. I don’t really create anything when it comes to manuscripts, I’m more of a refiner. Someone else mines the gems, I simply cut and polish them. My authors seem to love working with me; I’ve gotten thank you cards and been written into acknowledgments in the backs of books–there’s no better feeling, honestly. I get as passionate about their projects as they are, and I think that’s why authors like me. I’m someone they can gush about their story with, and I’ll gush right back with them. I want their manuscripts to succeed almost as much as they do. Even if they don’t write anything else and never come back to me for editing, I want them to be successful. I have a shelf in my library that’s just books I’ve edited, and I imagine it’s what an athlete feels like when they look at their trophies! I feel so much pride for what those authors have been able to do, and how I was able to help, even if I just came in as a proofreader!

The industry isn’t easy. There’s a lot of competition in the editing space; there’s tons of great editors out there and, unfortunately, there’s also a lot of scammers. It makes standing out difficult, and it makes earning the trust of clients difficult. All we can do as editors is prove that we are an ally, not an adversary, to authors, and hope that our passion and sincerity shines through.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live right outside of DC, so a week isn’t long enough to see the sights! But if I had to narrow it down, it would look something like this: ALL THE FOOD! This area is amazingly diverse, so we can jump from local coffee shop, to Vietnamese street food, to high-end steak house, to drinks and tacos all in one day. Ramen, pho, hot pot, that’s all a must. We of course walk off all those calories in the Smithsonian, with highlights on the Air and Space Museum, the Hirshhorn, the National Museum of the American India, and the African American History museum. I also just absolutely love an escape room, and there’s some great, really high-tech ones around here, so we’d have to pick one or two to do. And then also plenty of down time. My friends and I are all gamers and movie lovers, so we would spend a bunch of time on my couch, playing games, laughing, and just really enjoying each other.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, who puts up with my antics, supports me in everything I’ve tried (and abandoned), pushes me to see the good in myself, praises me whenever he can, and brings me back down to earth when I need it.

And my step-dad who is no longer with us. He took a manuscript I wrote when I was 13 (it was BEYOND terrible!) and edited it like I was a total professional. He put the time, attention, and red ink into a stack of lined notebook paper and taught me, forever, that what I had to say was worth saying, and that a good editor can make anything beautiful.

Website: https://www.thefoxandpen.com

Instagram: @the.fox.and.pen

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-watley-8564a11b4/