Bio

Megan Records has been a professional editor for over 15 years. She edits most types of fiction, but particularly loves romance, mysteries, and YA. Editing isn’t just about fixing—it’s about learning what you’re doing right, where you can improve, and how you can grow as a writer. Through developmental and line editing, Megan helps authors make their stories shine!

She has a M.S. in Publishing and worked at Kensington Publishing. She ALSO has (sometimes crippling) imposter syndrome and a serious addiction to the em dash. When not editing, you can find her singing rather loudly to a variety of music, trying to convince herself to exercise, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Pronouns: She/Her

MSWL

This is what I’m looking for this year. Feel free to ask questions on my #MeetTheEditor chat.

Adult:

• romance of all heat levels in these subgenres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, romantic suspense
• character-driven fantasy (not epics). If there are more than 3 POVs, not for me.
• cozy mysteries and historical mysteries

YA:

• romance in these subgenres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, romantic suspense
• character-driven fantasy (not epics). No more than 3 POVs
• dystopian
• historical mystery

Not For Me:

• Sci-fi
• Horror
• Books that depict toxic relationships as healthy/desirable (including bully romance)
• Romance that falls under the following categories: non-consensual, dubious consent, bestiality, incest, or extreme violence
• Inspirational romance
• nonfiction
• Books that are wildly outside of the accepted word counts (more than 10%). You can see general word counts here: Word Count for Novels and Children's Books. We just don’t have time within the constraints of the contest to be adding that level of word count.
• Books over 110k.
• Anything related to sexual abuse of children (including backstory or side characters)

Things I am very picky about (aka please ask):

• MCs that have had cancer
• MCs that are saving a wayward/irresponsible sibling
• Dual timelines
• More than 3 POVs

Q&A

How can a manuscript’s first five pages make you sit up and take notice?

A strong voice will drag me in from the start. Other than that, I really like when I can start to see the potential conflict with your inciting incident. Does your heroine show up to her cabin in the middle of a snowstorm to find out the cabin is already occupied? Hooray! Did a king/duke/leader just die in your historical/fantasy/paranormal, and now there are questions about the heir? I’m all over it.

What can writers expect from working with you during #RevPit, including communication?

I always say a good editor is a coach, not a critic. I’ll cheer you on when you’re doing something right, point out what’s not working, and give you specific suggestions for improving. Expect to start with big picture issues so we can make sure all the elements are in place. I’d like to do an initial phone/video call so we can get to know each other a bit and make sure our visions mesh. Then email or phone/video calls as needed.

What do you expect from writers during the #RevPit revision process, including communication?

The editing process should be collaborative. I don’t want you to blindly accept every suggestion I make, but I do need you to be open to change and willing to work with me. If you already think your manuscript is perfect and don't want to entertain other opinions, then I'm probably not the right editor. You need to ask questions, want to solve problems, and hopefully learn a bit!

What hobbies do you have outside of writing and editing?

When I have the energy, I like to bake, do puzzles, have silly dance parties with my kids, and take long walks. I also like to teach myself random hobbies (sewing, needlepoint), do them every day for about 9 months, and then never do them again. Currently, I am deep in SAD mode (winter depression) so I am studying Korean and watching a lot of kdramas--both of which I can do in a chair under a comfy blanket!