Karin Cather
Apocalyptic Fiction, True Crime, Police Procedural, Legal Fiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thrillers, Martial Arts
Author, Ghostwriter, Developmental Editor, Copy Editor
Karin Cather, with her background as a former prosecutor and a Krav Maga black belt, uniquely blends her skills in editing and ghostwriting. She specializes in detective, legal, dystopian, select fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction. Karin also brings her expertise to forensic psych reports, providing valuable insights into behavioral health issues.
Her focus is on preserving the author’s voice and balancing creative expression with writing conventions, making her an excellent choice for those seeking a comprehensive and insightful editor or ghostwriter.
Of course, authors want their books to have correct spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. But books can have more serious problems that can alienate the reader even if the spelling and mechanics are pristine.
If I see a factual issue in your novel, I will flag it for you. If your rationale is “it’s just a story” and so you write without regard for the facts, your readers may interpret that as lack of respect for them. But a novel is not a documentary, and an author might have to take some liberties. How does an author know which facts to bend? That’s how I can help you.
For instance, in reality, a murder case might take a year or more to go to trial. An author might not want a year to go by in a story. On the other hand, given the reality, the author would not want the defendant to go to trial the following week.
Meanwhile, there are also factual issues that are nonnegotiable. Maybe you want your defendant to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Not only could getting this wrong alienate your readers, but the factual errors could affirmatively offend them. I can use my background as an editor of forensic reports to assist you in making sure that these elements of your story are accurate, because there really isn’t a lot of room for error here.
Other common issues include having a deputy sheriff investigate a murder in a state where they only staff the jail, having an elected mayor in a jurisdiction where the mayor is appointed, or calling the prosecutor a district attorney in a jurisdiction where the prosecutor is actually called a commonwealth’s attorney. It could also be that you have a gas giant in a solar system with an earthlike planet around a K-type star.
Another class of problem is the discontinuity. It might take months or years to write a novel, so it is natural that an author might make mistakes. Character names might unintentionally change. Or an author might decide to change a character name in the middle and maybe forget to change the name all the way through. Or a character’s eye color might change. In chapter 1, the golden retriever’s name is Sandy, and he is a puppy. In Chapter 3, a month has gone by, but Sandy is now a black lab who is dying of old age.
And there could be dialogue issues. These could involve dialogue tags (“he said angrily”) or dialogue that doesn’t match the speaker.
There could also be plot holes. The explorer dropped her weapon on page 97, but she fights the alien with the same weapon on page 112. The protagonist escapes the gulag on the alien planet by playing dead until nightfall, crawling out from a pile of dead fellow prisoners, climbing over the fence, getting cut on concertina wire, and scaling down to the ground. But we already know that as each prisoner is executed, they are thrown into a giant meat grinder. So there is no pile of bodies to even hide under. Besides, the fence is always electrified. She could not possibly have escaped, let alone commandeered that starship in time to assassinate the bad guy to stop him from blowing up her home planet.
While I do a structural, line, or copyedit for your book, I will help you identify these problems and work with you to find solutions.
“Before I met Karin I was struggling to find an editor who really understood the unique experience I was trying to give my readers. So many editors before her tried to correct the quirks that I had written into my stories, and therefore tried to erase the very aspects of my book that I had spent so long writing into them.
Karin not only understood the kind of story I was trying to write, but she expressed her adoration of my work in a manner that made me feel good about myself, and excited to write more. She got involved with the characters, the plot, and the corrections that she made to both the flow of my story, and the characters themselves, was instrumental in bringing the book to life.
I am content to say that working with Karin was one of the best experiences I have had with someone in her field and I would recommend her any day!”
—Ray Harris-Keim
Author Nothing is Beautiful
“We interviewed four editors before choosing Karin for our book project. What we sensed immediately was her professionalism, experience and how tuned in she was to our message. Simply put, she ‘got us’ and the book we were trying to create. Karin’s brilliance helped us tell our story in a focused and compelling way. Without hesitation, we highly recommend her!”
—Tamara Green, LCSW and David Dachinger
Authors Live Calm with Cancer (and Beyond…): A Patient & Caregiver Guide To Finding More Ease Through The Power of Mindfulness
“I’m so glad I chose Karin to evaluate my manuscript as firstly, her background as a prosecutor means her comments hold much weight with my crime-related content. She understood intuitively where and how to bridge holes in my book, from plot structure down to the tiny details. After making the changes she advised, I feel my story flows much more smoothly now. Another significant reason I am glad I chose Karin is her ability to give me practical assistance combined with sincere comments that has given me confidence in my writing.”
—Robert A. Ibarra
Author Beyond Affirmative Action
“Just wanted to let you know I finally finished reading through your edits this week and I’m so appreciative of the amazing work you did on my manuscript. Thank you again for your advice, encouragement, and all the resources you’ve shared with me. Submitting to agencies is less and less intimidating with each attempt, and Query Tracker has been a lifesaver.”
-Miriam Rimkunas
–Syler Hayes, B.Sc. (Hons)
Master of Arts Student, Counselling Psychology, Adler University
“Karin helped me to be a better presenter. Editing my slides and handout, Karin ensured there would be no moments of dismay as a typo popped up. It was such an unusual experience that I had to comment on it and tell people it was because I had hired an editor. that extra boost of confidence in one’s material is a real benefit, believe me.”
—Cheryl Stephens
Editor, Plain Language Wizardry
“Karin is brilliant. She has a keen eye for detail, picking up on things that I didn’t even notice. I’m not talking about grammar here (although she’s obviously flawless with that), I’m talking about her ability to pick out those little issues – a word, a plot point, all those things that are definitely ‘working’ but aren’t. Karin has a vast amount of knowledge to share and I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
-Axel Cruise
Author Keep Talking and Hearing Voices
“Karin Cather was an invaluable asset when I needed my thriller edited. She was professional, punctual, and easily reachable. Her vast expertise in both English and law alerted me to everything from weaknesses to plot holes in my story. I found her feedback clear and encouraging, her open-mindedness to subject matter fearless. Under her skilled pen, stories rise to the best they can be. Thank you, Karin!”
—Amy Langevin
Author Spineless
“As an author, you rely on your editor to identify the issues that you’re too close to see–which goes far beyond the basics of grammar and spelling. That’s exactly what Karin brings to the table. Sure, she has an eye for detail to fix the typos and errors, but it was her professionalism, reliability, and honest feedback about my manuscript that I appreciated the most.”
–Jake Poinier
Writer, editor, author, and publisher, Dr. Freelance
“Karin never wastes words. Her writing is professional, approachable, and engaging. She is able to distill any concept into plain language that is a joy to read. I trust Karin immensely as a copywriter and editor. Everyone could do with a dose of her red pen magic.”
—Sea Chapman
Writer and editor, Sea Chapman Creative Services
—Brad Breedlove
EdD, Educational Leadership, High Point University