Your Story
Deserves to Be Read
Copy Editing That Keeps Your Reader Turning the Page.
The Editor
Behind the Work
Some paths to purpose are anything but straight — and that's what makes them worth telling.
Shannon Grotbeck grew up as a twin in a military family, moving from place to place and finding her constant in the pages of a book. As a teenager, she discovered Anne Rice and never looked back. While her grades may not have reflected it, her love of language and story was quietly taking root.
After high school, Shannon pursued a career in medicine — first earning her EMT license, then spending years in the field serving others. But something kept calling her back to the written word.
That something finally had a name when Shannon crossed paths with author, editor, and entrepreneur Hope Mueller, of Hunter Street Press at an annual art show she had been attending for over 30 years. It was one of those chance conversations that changed everything. Hope saw Shannon's potential before Shannon fully saw it herself — and gave her the opportunity to copy edit her first book, degree or no degree.
That single act of belief set everything in motion.
Today, Shannon is the Founder and CEO of Shannon Kelly Editing, bringing the same quiet dedication she once gave to her patients to every manuscript that crosses her desk. She specializes in copy editing with a reader-first mindset — because she has been a devoted reader her entire life.
Shannon believes that dreams don't always arrive on a schedule.
Sometimes they show up at an art show, in a conversation with a stranger who becomes a mentor. Her story is proof that it's never too late to find the work you were always meant to do.
Copy Editing That Puts Your Reader First
You have poured yourself into your manuscript. My role is to make sure your reader never has to work to stay in it.
Shannon Kelly Editing specializes in professional copy editing for authors and professionals who are ready to take their work to the next level — without losing their voice in the process.
What is Copy Editing?
Copy editing is the art of refining what's already there. It goes beyond spell-check and surface corrections to address the details that quietly shape your reader's experience — grammar, punctuation, consistency, syntax, and flow.
As a skilled copy editor, I do not rewrite your work. However, I make sure every word does its job.
Who I Work With
Authors
Whether you are publishing traditionally or independently, your manuscript deserves a careful, experienced eye before it reaches your readers. I work with fiction and nonfiction authors who take their craft seriously and want their book to reflect that.
Professionals
Contracts, agreements, and professional documents carry real weight. Errors in these materials can undermine your credibility — or worse, create costly misunderstandings. I bring the same meticulous attention to every contract or professional document I review.
"Having Shannon join the Hunter Street Press team and community has been a life saver. She jumps in with enthusiasm, works quickly, and always delivers an excellent product. So glad we found her!"
- Hope Mueller, Founder/CEO, Hunter Street Press
Editing with Care
and Intention.
I have been a devoted reader my entire life.
I approach every manuscript with a reader-first mindset — which means I am not just looking for errors. I am looking for anything that might pull your reader out of the experience you worked so hard to create.
I bring the same quiet dedication I once gave my patients in my medical career to every project that crosses my desk. Detail-oriented, thorough, and genuinely invested in your success.
I would love to work with you.
When I edit your work, I treat it with
the care it deserves — because I know how much effort it took to write it.
- Shannon Kelly
Stories I've Help Bring To Life
A cryptic call lights a fire storm for big law rising star Alex Guest. The threat to the firm and a key client is real, but before Alex can learn more the caller is gunned down on the streets of L.A. When veteran Detective Denny Chin links the murder to slayings bearing the sadistic hallmarks of the genocidal Khmer Rouge, the unsolved assassination of a Killing Fields star haunts his every move.
A group of powerful women impart their wisdom and share their experiences in Brave Women at Work: Lessons in Authenticity.
In this compelling collection, a group of inspiring authors explores what it truly means to live and work with honesty and self-awareness. Through personal stories, they’re acting on the challenges of embracing who they are, the risks they’ve taken, and the growth they’ve experienced along the way.