I am a writer, editor, and lover of all things cats and coffee. Books are my happy place and have saved my life on more than one occasion.
I’ve been an old soul since I was born, as well as an INFJ, HSP, and a bit on the strange side. These things are what led me to my friend and mentor, Lauren Sapala. She has given me invaluable advice on my own writing journey and is the one who helped me realize I wanted to work with other writers. (If you haven’t heard of her, I encourage you to check out her page here.)
Story creation is something I have loved since before I could pick up a pencil. I read as many books as my schools let me check out, and begged them to make an exception when I hit the reading level limits for each grade. People and their motives fascinate me, and what better way to explore the mind than to fill a world with people (characters) and see what happens? I finished the rough draft of my first novel in 2018, and am working on getting it ready for publishing. Yes, I know it’s taking a long time–imposter syndrome and all that jazz. Not to mention all the short stories, awful poetry, and comic book ideas popping into my brain and begging for attention. (If you are a comic book artist and interested in a partnership proposal, please let me know.)
As a sensitive intuitive, “feeling” people’s emotional distress and wanting to help has always been second nature. I considered the path of a counselor or psychologist, but ultimately received my degree in Medical Laboratory Science. Life is such that I don’t use my degree, but it never felt right anyway, and the idea of being a writer and editor speaks to me on a much happier and more exciting level.
You will notice some of my blog posts are under the author name “K. Leigh Boulanger.” This is my writing pseudonym. At first, I was dead set on publishing my future books anonymously and keeping my editing business separate. However, as I’ve grown and changed as both an editor and writer, I’ve come to appreciate my real identity enough to allow them both to coexist in the light of day. So, if it’s a little confusing, I apologize. That reflects my conflicted state of mind about it over the years.
In addition to being freelance, I am also a proud editor for Josha Publishing–a wonderful independent publisher focused on trauma memoirs and representative fiction.
Testimonials
“Kayli Baker is hands-down the only person I feel safe leaving my word-babies with. She treats them as her own. Her proofreading and copy-editing skills are top-notch. Her collaboration has a comforting approach—if something doesn’t seem right, to either party, the changes are suggested and explained, not imposed. Kayli’s style and talent is just the right fit for my books. I wouldn’t pay anyone else.”
– Rebekah Mallory
“Kayli helped turn my grey caterpillar manuscript into a beautiful butterfly book. I can’t imagine my book coming together without her. Kayli’s beta-reading and copy-editing skills are magic, and her professionalism is a breath of fresh air.”
– M. Stephens Hall
“I originally heard about Kayli’s editing services from a writer friend who is one of her clients; she described Kayli’s editing as “magic.” I laughed at the description, but was interested in working with her; I had a lot of respect for the author who provided the recommendation and was in the market for a new editor who was not of the traditional publishing house variety. I needed to find someone who understood where I was going, what I was trying to accomplish, someone who understood the passion and purpose behind my writing. Someone who was not focused on formulaic writing that would make my voice sound more like everyone else’s. Life had other plans, as it sometimes does, so it was a while before I had an opportunity to work with Kayli, but making the decision to partner with her has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my writing career. Not only does she help me elevate my writing, she helps me to understand what’s behind the things I write and the way I write, ensuring that every word on the page is intentional and serves my purpose for that manuscript. I write sensitive material about childhood trauma and abuse, much of it from my own life, and Kayli edited with tact and compassion, gently handling the most personal content. On a scale of one to five, Kayli is a fifty, a rare gem in the editing world. I now know my writer friend was right: Kayli’s editing is nothing short of magical.”
– Katherine Turner
Kayli Baker 