MARY KOLE

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Former literary agent Mary Kole provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and memoir.

She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer's Digest Books. After founding her own editing business, Mary Kole Editorial, in 2013, she started Good Story Company in 2019 as an educational, editorial, and community resource for writers.

Mary has appeared at regional, national, and international SCBWI conferences, as well as independent conferences including Writer's Digest, Penn Writers, Writer's League of Texas, San Francisco Writers Conference, WIFYR, Writing Day, and dozens of others. She has guest lectured at Harvard Extension, the Ringling College of Art and Design, the Highlights Foundation, and the Loft, and her classes can be found online at Writing Mastery Academy, Writing Blueprints, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning.

 

Editorial Team

  • Kristen Overman

    EDITOR

    Kristen’s family has a saying: “Ski the snow you get.” She applies this to writing to mean don’t wait for the perfect moment, the right circumstances, or divine inspiration. Everyone has a good story to tell!

    Kristen teaches the Story Mastermind novel class with Mary Kole. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science. Post-grad she took advanced memoir and writing the novel classes at Harvard, completed a copyediting certification program, and is a member of SCBWI. She edited and copyedited various projects, including nonfiction, before joining Mary Kole in 2018.

    When not daydreaming about driving a Jeep near the ocean, radio on and windows down, Kristen can be found writing, reading, or searching for the ultimate hot fudge sundae. She takes on her own editing projects with Good Story Editing. If you feel you could use some guidance on your process, from fleshing out rough ideas to polishing a completed draft, she’s happy to have a conversation. You can also reach her on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

  • Amy Wilson

    EDITOR

    Amy is a Minnesotan who’s finally found the sun in Colorado. She reads everything and writes historical fantasy. Her YA work is represented by Amy Jameson of A+B Works. Amy relishes a good story in any genre, but she especially loves to edit anything historical or speculative. Thrillers and mysteries are favorites, too. And everything is improved by a large dash of romance! She takes on her own editing projects with Good Story Editing.

  • Rhiannon Richardson

    EDITOR

    Rhiannon graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018 with a bachelor’s in English literature and writing. When she’s not reading or editing, she can be found writing YA novels. She spends her free time hiking with her dog, Ernesto, and perfecting the art of making vanilla lattes. She currently lives in Florida with her best friend, dog, and two guinea pigs. She takes on her own editing projects with Good Story Editing.

  • Michal Leah

    EDITOR

    Michal [me-CALL] has an appreciation for culture that leads her to wander both literary and global spaces. An advocate for inclusion, she is passionate about empowering others to share their stories, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ and diverse representation. She holds a BA in English and Theatre, and an MA in World Arts. Michal’s happy places are in the woods or somewhere cozy with a cup of caffeine.

    Contact Michal for beta, sensitivity, and proofreading.

Marketing Team

  • Kaylee Pereyra

    MARKETING DIRECTOR

    Kaylee has always been an avid reader, taking pride in memorizing her favorite children’s books and tongue-twisting poems before later becoming enchanted with novels. After graduating from UC Davis in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Design and Theatre, Kaylee joined the online bookstagram community, which has inspired a love of cosplay, social media and publishing. When she’s not reading (most often a romantic fantasy), she enjoys rom-coms, crafts, eating sweets, and when people take her book recommendations. Kaylee lives in California with her family and six cats. Find more of her bookish content on Instagram.

  • Kate London

    EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

    Kate has been honing her administrative and communication skills for many years and finds great satisfaction in spreadsheets and organization. She taught herself to read at age five, and since then, she has rarely been without a book in hand. She is happiest when she feels like she is making positive changes in the world, whether on a large or small scale. Kate was born and raised in Canada and now lives in Ohio with her partner Paul and their three cats.

  • Steven Reiss

    AUDIO AND VIDEO DIRECTOR

    Steven is self taught in audio, video, and music production, and has worked on personal and professional projects for over a decade. Having entered the world of freelance audio/visual production, he aims to help provide a high quality image and production value to the teams with which he works. When he's not working on audio and video projects, Steven creates music for video games, small production films, and as an independent artist.

    Steven lives in Long Island, New York with his wonderful girlfriend, Veronica, his two cats, Pork Chop and Sydney, and his dog, Monkey.

  • Jenna Van Rooy

    DESIGNER

    When Jenna isn’t getting stick and poke tattoos or loving up on her devilishly cute dog, she works as a UI/UX designer and product developer. Upon graduating from Arizona State University in 2017, she launched herself into the world of entrepreneurship and design where she refined not only her professional skills, but her passion for ambitious creative projects. Jenna currently works to craft branding, websites, marketing collateral, and more for a company she loves. You can reach her through Instagram or her website.