Testimonials
“After Kathleen completed her initial manuscript evaluation, I was very pleased at the level of detailed feedback related to the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript’s core argument, themes, and concepts. Additionally, Kathleen provided detailed assessments of how I could significantly improve each chapter. I did the best I could to revise the text myself and submitted it to the press. Once readers’ reports came back, I decided to have Kathleen complete the chapter-by-chapter edits. The biggest epiphany was realizing that it was too big a task to cut material on my own. I was most pleased with Kathleen’s editing because she condensed the material while keeping the thrust of my ideas and narrative frame. After I made Kathleen’s suggested revisions and resubmitted the manuscript, it came back from the press with no significant suggested revisions other than a few queries. The process gave me an appreciation of the great work and expertise that editors bring to the table.”
— Brandon K. Winford, History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
author of John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights (University Press of Kentucky, 2019)
“I worked with Kathleen on the final revisions of my book-length manuscript. Finding her was a complete coincidence, and agreeing to work with her a leap of faith – this was my first book, I had never worked with an editor before, and she had no connection whatsoever to the topic. But when I read her initial manuscript assessment, I realized that she not only understood what my book was about, but also that she has an amazing sense of dramaturgy that helped her identify what structure would properly present my story, how plot sequences worked best, and where chronologies needed to be fixed. Our schedule was tight, but she never missed a deadline. Without ever misrepresenting my ideas or argument, she gently and diligently transformed a rough manuscript into a book that I look forward to reading."
— Sonja D. Schmid, Science & Technology in Society, Virginia Tech
author of Producing Power: The Pre-Chernobyl History of the Soviet Nuclear Industry (MIT Press, 2015)
"Working with Kathleen Kearns was such a wonderful experience. First, she is extraordinarily knowledgeable and has a true editor’s eye. I sought out her expertise because I felt stuck while working on my book proposal and needed a second set of eyes, specifically someone like Kathleen who had been a university press acquisitions editor, who is a consummate professional, and who was also entirely reassuring that I did, indeed, have a strong book manuscript. She pushed me to make my argument clearer and make my points more lucid. She helped me to revise and polish my proposal and introduction. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with Kathleen.”
— Jennifer Ho, English and Comparative Literature, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
author of Racial Ambiguity in Asian American Culture (Rutgers University Press, 2015)
“Kathleen Kearns helped us launch the effort that culminated in this book. Her work as a developmental editor helped us clarify our thinking and map our course. Ms. Kearns also provided editorial feedback on early drafts of the book. We express our deepest gratitude for her assistance and her tireless willingness to keep us on track.”
— Roberto G. Quercia, Allison Freeman, and Janneke Ratcliffe, Center for Community Capital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in the acknowledgments of Regaining the Dream: How to Renew the Promise of Homeownership for America's Working Families
(Brookings, 2011)
"Kathleen was an invaluable resource in guiding the revisions of my book manuscript, which was based on my dissertation. She was especially attuned to catching any and all dissertation-like remnants and gave very detailed advice (usually offering a series of options) that helped me find my audience, carry the argument throughout the text, add narrative, and ultimately have a polished final product. In this process she always replied in a prompt and friendly manner that made the experience highly enjoyable. Her wealth of experience in dealing with university presses also served as a useful resource in getting advice on cover letters and book proposals. Writing a book--let alone a first book--is not for the faint of heart. I look back fondly on the experience, in large part because of Kathleen's guidance and support at all the critical junctures."
— Phillip M. Ayoub, Politics, Drexel University
author of When States Come Out: Europe's Sexual Minorities and the Politics of Visibility (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
“After Kathleen completed her initial manuscript evaluation, I was very pleased at the level of detailed feedback related to the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript’s core argument, themes, and concepts. Additionally, Kathleen provided detailed assessments of how I could significantly improve each chapter. I did the best I could to revise the text myself and submitted it to the press. Once readers’ reports came back, I decided to have Kathleen complete the chapter-by-chapter edits. The biggest epiphany was realizing that it was too big a task to cut material on my own. I was most pleased with Kathleen’s editing because she condensed the material while keeping the thrust of my ideas and narrative frame. After I made Kathleen’s suggested revisions and resubmitted the manuscript, it came back from the press with no significant suggested revisions other than a few queries. The process gave me an appreciation of the great work and expertise that editors bring to the table.”
— Brandon K. Winford, History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
author of John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights (University Press of Kentucky, 2019)
“I worked with Kathleen on the final revisions of my book-length manuscript. Finding her was a complete coincidence, and agreeing to work with her a leap of faith – this was my first book, I had never worked with an editor before, and she had no connection whatsoever to the topic. But when I read her initial manuscript assessment, I realized that she not only understood what my book was about, but also that she has an amazing sense of dramaturgy that helped her identify what structure would properly present my story, how plot sequences worked best, and where chronologies needed to be fixed. Our schedule was tight, but she never missed a deadline. Without ever misrepresenting my ideas or argument, she gently and diligently transformed a rough manuscript into a book that I look forward to reading."
— Sonja D. Schmid, Science & Technology in Society, Virginia Tech
author of Producing Power: The Pre-Chernobyl History of the Soviet Nuclear Industry (MIT Press, 2015)
"Working with Kathleen Kearns was such a wonderful experience. First, she is extraordinarily knowledgeable and has a true editor’s eye. I sought out her expertise because I felt stuck while working on my book proposal and needed a second set of eyes, specifically someone like Kathleen who had been a university press acquisitions editor, who is a consummate professional, and who was also entirely reassuring that I did, indeed, have a strong book manuscript. She pushed me to make my argument clearer and make my points more lucid. She helped me to revise and polish my proposal and introduction. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with Kathleen.”
— Jennifer Ho, English and Comparative Literature, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
author of Racial Ambiguity in Asian American Culture (Rutgers University Press, 2015)
“Kathleen Kearns helped us launch the effort that culminated in this book. Her work as a developmental editor helped us clarify our thinking and map our course. Ms. Kearns also provided editorial feedback on early drafts of the book. We express our deepest gratitude for her assistance and her tireless willingness to keep us on track.”
— Roberto G. Quercia, Allison Freeman, and Janneke Ratcliffe, Center for Community Capital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in the acknowledgments of Regaining the Dream: How to Renew the Promise of Homeownership for America's Working Families
(Brookings, 2011)
"Kathleen was an invaluable resource in guiding the revisions of my book manuscript, which was based on my dissertation. She was especially attuned to catching any and all dissertation-like remnants and gave very detailed advice (usually offering a series of options) that helped me find my audience, carry the argument throughout the text, add narrative, and ultimately have a polished final product. In this process she always replied in a prompt and friendly manner that made the experience highly enjoyable. Her wealth of experience in dealing with university presses also served as a useful resource in getting advice on cover letters and book proposals. Writing a book--let alone a first book--is not for the faint of heart. I look back fondly on the experience, in large part because of Kathleen's guidance and support at all the critical junctures."
— Phillip M. Ayoub, Politics, Drexel University
author of When States Come Out: Europe's Sexual Minorities and the Politics of Visibility (Cambridge University Press, 2016)
