My name is KaTrina Jackson. Books have been my life-long love ever since I could read. And, as soon as I could write, I started telling my own stories. My life-long goal from the age of 11 was to be a published author, and I’ve spent much of my time since then pursuing that goal—collecting enough books to fill four bookshelves when I moved into my own apartment, and filling enough journals to take up a bookshelf of their own. I even bought a comfy beanbag chair for my office to curl up with the stories I love so much. When not reading or writing, I can be found practicing the piano or the organ, going on long walks with my husband, learning new recipes in the kitchen, or enjoying a delicious bowl of ice cream while watching a Disney film.
I graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing in April of 2022. I spent my undergraduate years studying the ins and outs of the publishing industry by being mentored by professional editors, volunteering on student journals, and completing internships with industry professionals.
Since graduation, I have continued that education by editing textbooks, novels, self-help books, picture books, newsletters, and just about anything else that has writing on it. I firmly believe that everyone has a story to tell, and that with a little mentoring and coaching, that story can be in the best shape it possibly can be, whether it’s an email, an article, or a full-length fantasy novel.
In addition to editing, I have had many experiences mentoring and teaching in a variety of situations. I have worked as a writing TA, where I coached students through the writing process; as a first-year peer mentor, answering questions for students and providing a safe place to guide them through adjusting to a difficult period in life; as an online ASL tutor, helping students gain experience in something they’re not familiar with; as a piano teacher, working with students from 5-50 who are all at very different stages in their learning and all have different needs; and as a presenter at various writing conferences throughout the United States. Despite the many varieties of teaching and mentoring I have done, the one underlying factor that leads me through the process is the joy of seeing someone achieve something they thought was impossible. I will bring that mentoring energy to your project and help you become the best writer you can be.
As a writer myself, I understand the pain of trying to navigate the publishing world on your own. I understand the stress that writing projects and deadlines can place upon authors. My goal as an editor is to help you resolve pesky prose problems, troublesome character arcs, and other global issues that you know are there and just don’t know how to fix so that you don’t have to stress about editing your project and can just focus on what you love most: the story itself.
To see what kinds of services I offer, head over to the Services page.
To see what clients have said about my work, check out my Testimonials page.
To contact me about a project you’re working on, visit my Contact page or shoot me an email at katrina.lightbeamediting@gmail.com.
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