About Me

Cara E. Trent, Developmental Editor
Founder of Midnight Quill Story Development Services
Unabashed Nerd

Good evening! I’m Cara Trent, book editor, book reader, founder of Midnight Quill Story Development Services, and the grown-up version of the kid who got in trouble for reading in math class. 

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Stories have been a cornerstone in my life since before I can remember. I wrote stories in elementary school, started my first novel in middle school, and spent lunches and study halls in the library during high school. I went to college in Bloomington intending to move to New York City to work in publishing after graduation, but ended up staying in Bloomington to work retail and admin jobs as I dealt with a bout of depression.  

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After living in Bloomington for a few years, I came home to Fort Wayne to pursue my dream again. A chance encounter at the local library eventually brought me into a tight-knit group of ambitious, talented writers who share their works in progress and push each other to be their best. They changed my life. With their support and encouragement, I've sharpened my editing skills and learned to give helpful feedback in practical, actionable ways. 

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In my spare time, I design social media content for NJ Productions, read, edit, and write for a local writer’s group, cook, and devour stories (books, movies, video games, TV, all of it!). 

Genre Specialties

I am happy to perform beta-reads and manuscript evaluations for any manuscript whose premise intrigues me.


For developmental edits, I prefer to edit within my genre specialties, which are:

  • Fantasy (adult & young-adult)

  • Science fiction (adult & young-adult)

  • Literary fiction (adult)

  • Speculative fiction (adult & young-adult)

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I am most familiar with the expectations, tropes, and executions of these genres and take special delight in reading them. Contact me if you have any questions!

Acknowledgements

Logo design by Nick Klein of NJ Productions. Photos by Pexels, StoryBlocks, and Freepik (licensing provided by NJ Productions). Website critique and copywriting advice from my writing group, The Write People. 

Thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported me through this. I could never have done it alone. 

Training

  • Editorial Freelancer's Association - Introduction to Developmental Editing

  • EFA - Intermediate Developmental Editing

  • EFA - Advanced Developmental Editing

  • EFA - Introduction to Professional Beta Reading

  • Editorial Arts Academy - Introduction to Developmental Editing

  • EAA - Developmental Editing Practicum

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Education

I received a BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration from Indiana University - Bloomington and did a year of my undergraduate coursework at St. Anne's College at the University of Oxford.

 

I've also completed a full year of intensive professional development from a variety of sources, including the Editorial Freelancer’s Association and the Editorial Arts Academy, and continually take courses to further develop my skills and increase my offerings. 

 

Long story short, I have the brains, the practice, the education, a huge library, and the desire to engage full-tilt with your story so that I can guide you and your story closer to your vision.

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If you think I'm the right editor for your novel, short story, essay collection, or project, send me a message! I typically respond within 48 hours.