Bio

Jesse Steele joined The Editorial Department in the summer of 2007.  She has very eclectic tastes that gravitate toward character-driven fiction and non-fiction.  She edits with an eye for character development, lyrical prose, pace and proportion.

Her very favorite genres in fiction are urban fantasy, science fiction, women's fiction, young adult, historical, romantic and LGBT fiction, and gritty, autobiographical fiction.  In non-fiction she loves narrative and memoir, esoteric studies, astrology, cooking and baking, history, decor, philosophy, history and spirituality.  She is also our only editor who works with poetry.This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jesse is a page and performance poet and essayist published in several anthologies who has toured nationally, winning some titles along the way. She has tutored English and composition at the college level for many years and guest taught in multiple classroom, trade show and workshop settings. She workshopped at Bent Writing Institute in Seattle, Washington while studying grammar, creative writing and language development. She was a founding member and curriculum creator for the Fourth Heart Institute, also in Seattle.

Jesse was born and raised in Portland and Seattle, respectively, and lived in Arizona from 2004 to 2010 before returning to Seattle. She is an insatiable reader who leans toward strong characters and stories that explore the uncomfortable, bittersweet and sometimes hilarious truths of being human. Mark Twain, Dorothy Allison, Christopher Moore, Katherine Friend, Merry Shannon, Terry Pratchett, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon and Sarah Waters top her list of favorite authors; Sylvia Plath, Ntozake Shange, Rachel McKibbens, Marty McConnel, Karen Finneyfrock, Buddy Wakefield, Andrea Gibson and Tara Hardy her favorite poets.

Writing, editing, performing, collecting fabulous shoes, spending time with family and friends, and life with her partner and their two highly entertaining dogs is enough to fill up most of her days. She is currently editing her father's memoirs, a project she considers a fantastic honor.

Articles

Jesse's Articles

First 50: The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

First 50: One True Theory Of Love, by Laura Fitzgerald

Writer, Reader, Lover

First 50: Fool, by Christopher Moore

Other Posts

TED client M. Terry Green reflects on the experience of working with Jesse in a guest blog post at keyboardhussy.com

Preferred Genres

Absolute favorite genres: Urban fantasy, memoir, fantasy, women's fiction, LGBT fiction, young adult, poetry, humor, historical, science-fiction, mainstream fiction. 

Preferred fiction genres: literary fiction, romance, biographical fiction, children’s, middle grade, humor, conspiracy thrillers, legal thrillers, psychological thrillers, western/frontier, historical, erotica, satire, multi-cultural

Other genres Jesse enjoys working on: action-adventure, mystery, military thrillers, techno-thrillers, eco-thriller, Christian/inspirational

Genres Jesse prefers not to work on: horror, forensic, medical, or scientific thrillers

Absolute favorite nonfiction categories: health, memoir, humor, home/garden, gay/lesbian

Areas of interest in nonfiction: narrative, creative, autobiography, women's studies, memoir, gay/lesbian, arts/photography, cooking, food/wine, current events, politics, education, entertainment, health/mind/body, history (especially herstories and frontier/western), home/garden, parenting/families, philosophy, professional/technical, reference, religion/spirituality, social sciences, sports, travel, true accounts, decor, LGBT

Testimonials

"It's been great! I've learned sooooo much from Renni and Jesse. They are painfully honest so fragile egos need not apply."

Jim Picardi
Pace, FL

"I never would've developed as a fiction writer without the Editorial Dept. The advice is invaluable, the insight brilliant, and the people exceptional. And, thankfully, their services are affordable. Go ahead, check around."

Tony Bertauski
Summerville, SC

"I have been very happy in my experience with the Editorial Department thus far. Jesse's feedback is insightful and constructive while never backing down from telling you how it is. For a young writer such as myself, her commentary goes beyond the piece in question to serve as a sort of education in and of itself."

Taylor Brown,

San Francisco, CA

"My experience has been wonderful. Jesse is very professional. My Manuscript Evaluation helped point out the good and the bad in my book. This helped me focus on the specific issues needed, instead of floundering endlessly on revisions. I have recommended TED to my writing friends and will continue to do so."

Carla Rehse

Copperas Cove, TX

"Jesse helped me a great deal, especially with the first pages. Thank you!"

Jenny Benjamin-Smith

Milwaukee, WI

"Editing was professional while the observations and redirection of the manuscript were very helpful. I'm working on my rewrite now."

Cheryl Dale

St. Simons Island, GA

"My experience with The Editorial Department has been almost exclusively through Jesse. Her editing, insight, support, and grasp of everything from the subtlest shade of a word's meaning to the big-picture workings of the industry as a whole have been truly invaluable to me. 100% awesome."

Taylor Brown

San Francisco, CA

"As I've come to expect from TED, the business end was flawless and smooth and the editorial work by Jesse Steele was extraordinary. Her evaluation was critical in bumping this novel up to the next level. Not only did she save me from gaffs and shine a clear light on writing issues, I felt as though I had a partner in the work. Specific, clear, and straightforward, she was spot-on in her assessment. In fact, I essentially used it as a blueprint for revision."

Terry Green

Sherman Oaks, CA

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Submissions

Interested in working with Jesse? Please visit our editor availability inquiry center.