About Me

Welcome, writer!

My name’s Marina and I’m the founding editor of Marina Edits (name changing soon). I work from home just outside Toronto, Ontario with a tiny team of very talented, professionally trained editors! To discover more about Marina the Writer, marinagreenbooks.com is the place to go. If you’d like to know more about Marina the Editor, keep reading!

Marina Green

STORY
IN MY SOUL

Books and story have always been my passion. Ever since I first began to grasp the basics of spelling—very roughly, let’s be honest—I’d conjure stories onto paper like an incantation, weaving narratives that transported me to different realms. During my childhood, I’d often vividly reenacted my favourite stories with my stuffed animals, adding lots of drama and, frankly, more satisfying endings.

I am always either editing, reading, or writing stories, but when I’m not immersing myself in books and words and magical worlds (or planning her next writing retreat), you can find me with a cup of tea in hand, trying a new yoga asana—never at the same time—or practicing Armenian, the language of my ancestors.

Word Magic

A CERTIFIED
PROFESSIONAL

I initially completed a publishing degree (alongside a history degree, which turned out to be a fortunate accident) as part of my undergraduate diploma program and subsequently went on to earn a specialized publishing certificate focused on editing at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). In addition to those academic pursuits, I also attained a degree in makeup artistry, where I developed a fascination for creating scars, bruises, and various uniquely imperfect prosthetics. Now, in conjunction with founding and running my own vibrant freelance business at Marina Edits, I work in editorial for for one of Harlequin’s trade imprints.

MEET THE REST OF THE TEAM

Evan Yeong

editor & coach

Evan Yeong was taught to read by his mother at age four; little did he know that a steady diet of Asterix & Obelix would one day lead him to his role as Editorial Assistant at MIRA Books. Born in Toronto, he’s back to calling it home after a childhood spent across Southeast Asia. A long-time lover of genre fiction, starting his career at Harlequin has helped him to discover just how much he enjoys both gripping romance and women’s fiction that stays with you long after you’ve put it down.

His greatest professional achievement to date has been working on THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE, the upcoming debut from Justinian Huang that defies categorization (though centuries-spanning tragic queer romantasy works in a pinch). It’s also the perfect example of a story (and author) that reflects the diversity he sees each and every time he walks out his front door.

It’s difficult to overstate how closely he holds the written word to his heart, and while he has had a hand in fine-tuning masters theses and research papers, it’s shaping narrative that makes him feel at home. There’s nothing quite like guiding a manuscript to exactly where it needs to be.

Kelsey Evans

developmental editor & coach

Kelsey has been a reader and storyteller for her entire life: even the Pre-K teachers found it worth mentioning on her report cards. After earning a degree in Communication (with a minor in English), Kelsey went on to spend 15 years in marketing, branding, and sales; this provided the business foundation for her author services. For the last four years, she has worked 1:1 with writers on both fiction and non-fiction stories. Developmental Editing is her specialty: helping writers clarify the shape of their book while providing big picture feedback and actionable steps for revisions. Solving that puzzle, identifying the pieces that may be out of place or slightly misconfigured, is her sweet spot.

Kelsey is currently interning for Senior Literary Agent Brent Taylor at Triada US Inc. She resides in Philadelphia, but she travels frequently with her partner, a pilot. When she’s home, you can find her rowing along the Schuylkill River, reading books under the covers muttering “just one more chapter” with her rescue kitties Gus and Pickles, and drinking enough coffee to make Lorelai Gilmore smile proudly.

Why Should You Hire Us?

There are hundreds of editors for hire out there, people who love books, but who—when you get down to the heart of it—are not trained to edit, who will not know to marry your needs and your satisfaction with the needs of your manuscript.

We have spent hundreds of hours in the classroom, hundreds of hours with editing craft books, and hundreds of hours with all kinds of manuscripts and all kinds of authors.

Why should you hire us? Well, we know what we’re doing, and we love it.

We also believe that, of the qualified editors out there, many of these editors make themselves unobtainable to first-time writers. Their prices are too high, and their methodology is rigidly inaccessible. At Marina Edits, we have always ensured that our prices meet industry standards and that my relationship with my clients remains our number one priority.

Many of our clients have gone on to self-publish, traditionally publish, and obtain agents. While we can make no promises, we will do our very best to help you put your best foot forward!

Not sure where to start?

No matter what stage of the writing process you’re in, I’m here to help and I’d love to hear from you! Tell me a bit about what you’re working on and we’ll put together the best editing package for your project and your budget.

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