Opening Chapters Critique
A focused developmental edit of your first 5,000–10,000 words.
$175 · 7 business days
Learn MoreKevin Boringot Developmental Editor
I read for the story you’re trying to tell.
I help writers of YA, fantasy, romance, contemporary fiction, speculative fiction, and mystery & thriller strengthen structure, pacing, character, and emotional impact without losing the voice that makes the story theirs.
Clear feedback, with reasons. You decide what stays.
Now booking October · Consultations, opening chapters critiques & one manuscript evaluation
Start an inquiryAbout the editor
Stories deserve careful readers.
I’m Kevin, a developmental editor and writer with a background in English and teaching. I’m drawn to stories shaped by identity, relationships, belonging, transformation, and the messy emotional choices that make characters feel real. My approach is collaborative rather than prescriptive: I read closely for what lives between the lines and in the margins, then offer clear, actionable guidance to help your manuscript become more fully the story it is already trying to tell.
Editing services
How can I help your story?
Choose the level of support that fits this draft. If you are unsure, tell me what is feeling difficult and I’ll help you decide.
Manuscript Evaluation
Whole-book feedback and clear revision direction without comments on every page.
$450–$750
Learn MoreFull Developmental Edit
Extensive margin comments, editorial letter, and a practical revision roadmap.
Starting at $1,000
Learn MoreEditorial Consultation
A focused 60-minute conversation for a specific story or revision problem.
$125
Learn MoreEditorial interests
Stories I love working with
Young AdultFantasyRomanceContemporary FictionSpeculative FictionMystery & Thriller
I’m especially drawn to immersive, emotionally resonant stories with compelling characters, strong narrative momentum, distinctive voices, and richly developed worlds.
Editorial philosophy
My job is not to reshape your manuscript into the book I would write.
A developmental edit should never feel like someone else trying to rewrite your novel. My role is to help you see the manuscript more clearly—what it promises, where that promise lands, and where the story may be working against itself.
You should leave an edit understanding not only what could change, but why those changes might make the story stronger.
Explore My Editing ApproachPortfolio
Selected Work
Real beta reads that show how I think about story, structure, character, and the reader’s experience.
Beta Read · YA Fantasy
Young Adult Fantasy Beta Read
Beta read of a 15,000-word manuscript with a 5-page report: preserving the author’s prose style while clarifying plot points to keep the story moving.
Prose stylePlot clarityPacing
Beta Read · Romantasy
Romantasy First-Chapter Beta Read
Beta read of a 4,500-word opening chapter with a 5-page report: sharpening the hook and deepening internal, sensory storytelling beyond dialogue.
Opening hooksCharacter depthInteriority
From the Margins
Notes on stories and the ideas that linger.
I write about books, storytelling, publishing, creativity, identity, and the ideas that tend to linger after the last page.
Read My WritingPhoto journal · August 2026
Busan, May 2017
Two friends, a five-hour bus ride to Busan, and a Golden Week of rest-stop corndogs, chance encounters, and a coastal city moving at its own slower pace. Told in photos.
See the PiecesPoem · August 2026
Starry Sky
Read the poemThe Substack
Kev In The Margins
Read and subscribeWhen you’re ready
Have a manuscript you care deeply about?
Tell me what you’re writing, where you are in the process, and what you’re hoping to strengthen. You don’t need to know exactly which service you need before reaching out.