Husband & Wife Editorial Team
"Working with Justine is one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time. She effortlessly reminded me of the things I do well, gave me tips on what I needed to improve, the tools I needed to do so, and did it all with oodles of encouraging commentary along the way. I actually had fun sitting down with my novel for yet another round of revisions! I had no idea actionable feedback could be so rewarding. After almost a year of not wanting to open my documents, I’m ready to brave the querying process once again, with a manuscript I love."
Justine had some incredible developmental insights for my manuscript and a keen eye for copy edits. She helped elevate my story to a new level as my Write Hive mentor and I am incredibly grateful for her guidance. Thanks to her recommendations on my query and pages, I was able to land a 
agent!!
agent!!
Christie Curry
Author, WriteHive Mentee
"I've hired Justine to edit six of my books now, and I plan to hire her for future books as well. Her work is always comprehensive and completed in a timely manner. And it's very affordable, which is great for indie authors like myself! I especially enjoy the reaction comments which isn't part of the edit, but is delightful to read through. She makes every edit feel personal."
Kia Leep
Author, The NPSeeds Saga
"I have known Justine for several years and worked on several projects with her. Her solid understanding of story craft is combined with the ability to create bridges of understanding with writers of all abilities so they can achieve that lightbulb moment. This is only surpassed by her huge heart, which I’ve seen again and again as she cheers writers on to eagerly take what they’ve learned and apply it to their own stories.
So obviously, I wanted to hire her for my own novels, especially seeing her extremely affordable rates!
Not only did she not bat an eye at my list of requirements for my house style, she also has been understanding, supportive, and flexible with my schedule changes for edits for my next novel. Her edits have been comprehensive, accurate, and have been key to helping me publish a polished final product. Without her help, I’d have had inconsistencies and grammar errors for sure, and her bonus comments reacting to the characters and plot kept me smiling and thoroughly enjoying going through her edits. I will definitely continue working with Justine as my editor of choice for further books!
So obviously, I wanted to hire her for my own novels, especially seeing her extremely affordable rates!
Not only did she not bat an eye at my list of requirements for my house style, she also has been understanding, supportive, and flexible with my schedule changes for edits for my next novel. Her edits have been comprehensive, accurate, and have been key to helping me publish a polished final product. Without her help, I’d have had inconsistencies and grammar errors for sure, and her bonus comments reacting to the characters and plot kept me smiling and thoroughly enjoying going through her edits. I will definitely continue working with Justine as my editor of choice for further books!
S. Kaeth
Author, Children of the Nexus series
“Justine Manzano has changed the way I write. Her question-based feedback style helped me think deeper about my characters, settings, and plot. She spotted issues in my query letter and manuscript that numerous early readers had not considered and this will save me a lot of heartache during the query process. Justine is precise and provided me with actionable advice that I could implement in my work. After her critique, I decided that no one else could now work with me on this manuscript. All of her suggestions made my manuscript better and I can't wait to finish this project with her.”
Tiffany C. Lewis
Author, Michael Taylor Series, 2014-2022
“A good editor improves your work. A great one improves YOU. Justine is the rare kind of editor who can dissect your writing, edit it, make it stronger, and still leave you feeling more confident than before your work went through the process. She made my writing crisper, stronger, and more meaningful, but she also highlighted my strengths, and gave me all the tools I needed to grow. Editing can be a painful process for an author, but that’s not the case with Justine. She’s thorough, but she’s also thoughtful.”
"The very best thing that happened to my debut Young Adult manuscript was the editing eye, brain, and heart of Justine Manzano. Not only did Justine apply a skilled editor’s pen, but she also read my book for sensitivity and language. YA must resonate with teenagers in this decade. Sometimes a less experienced author needs a hand with keeping things relevant and accurate.
I was struggling to see my novel as a whole—I was so close to the characters and the plot that I lost sight of its identity. Justine framed it for me. And quite perfectly. I believe the reason Justine is so good is because she is passionate about books in the most authentic way—-books are part of who she is as a person. Editing is one of her many callings in this industry. I am so proud to say that my YA novel is ten times better after Justine’s diligence with my pages. I’d hire her repeatedly.
"When I knew that something in my book had to change, but I didn't know what, Justine saved the day! Her precise developmental comments helped me figure out exactly what wasn't clicking - and she knew exactly what questions to ask about character and worldbuilding so I could fix any plot holes and inconsistencies. I can highly recommend her editing services!"
Léon Othenin-Girard
Author
“Justine taught a class on overwriting at WriteHive, and that class was vital for me. During the question-and-answer portion, I confessed to abandoning a project for being overly ambitious and much too long to publish. She dissected the plot with me and told me I hadn’t written a book, but rather, a trilogy. It was a revelation. She opened my eyes to new ways to revive the project and chop it into a series. Without her, I’d have shelved over a quarter million words, and instead, I have a story that I’m passionate for again and hope to continue for decades. Thank you, Justine. You saved an entire world and everyone in it.”
Darrell Hon
Author
“I cannot recommend Justine enough after purchasing her query package editing. Her line comments were a mix of helpful edits and encouraging reactions, the perfect combination to both show me what needed fixed and inspire me to actually do it. Her edit letter was thorough, again encouraging while honest, and pointed out two issues I'd been completely blind to! I'm definitely glad I bought the package. Justine is my editor of choice both because of her expertise and because of her heart. I feel like she cares and wants the story to be the best it can be.”
Jerusha Rene
Author, WriteHive CEO
