A Free, Virtual writing retreat
WriteHive Lite
Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2023
Meet the Editors
Keir Alekseii
Editor
Keir Alekseii is an associate agent with Azantian Literary Agency. She is an educator and anti-GBV activist born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, a twin island country in the West Indies. Keir is a writer, gamer, lover of folklore, and former research scientist. As a neurodivergent, queer person of color, Keir is invested in discovering engaging work with similar representation, and passionate about creating space for voices not often recognized. Keir still lives in T&T with her partner and five rambunctious felines who believe they are the best thing on Twitter, because they are.
Keir is passionate about getting MS structurally sound and polished. She has a background as a writing mentor and freelance editor and engages in continuous learning. They focus on author intention: the goal is always to develop a story the author is passionate about and to strengthen the story the author is trying to tell. This means editorial decisions are a discussion, and not unidirectional feedback.
Editorial pet peeve: shoehorning a story into a place it doesn’t want to go.
Lauren Davila
Editor
Lauren T. Davila is a Pushcart-nominated, Latina author, anthologist, and editor. She has edited multiple short story anthologies, including:
– WHEN OTHER PEOPLE SAW US, THEY SAW THE DEAD (Haunt Publishing, May 2022; Outland Entertainment, May 2023)
– WHERE MONSTERS LURK AND MAGIC HIDES (Bee Infinite Publishing; Nov. 2022)
– PLACES WE BUILD IN THE UNIVERSE (Flower Song Press; February. 2023)
– LOCALE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TIME AND PLACE (Inked in Gray; Jan. 2024)
– RECLAMATION: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CLIMATE GENRE FICTION (Outland Entertainment; March 2024)
Her poetry and short fiction has appeared online at Granada Magazine, The Paragon Journal, Ghost Heart Literary Magazine, Peach Velvet Mag, Voyage Journal, Second Chance Magazine, Headcanon Magazine, In Parentheses, and Poets Reading the News.
She is currently editing her debut novel, AT THE STILL POINTE, an adult gothic mystery featuring ballerinas and the Greek Furies. She is also working on a YA superhero series, picture books, and poetry and short story collections.
Lauren is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English at Claremont Graduate University. She holds an MFA in Fiction Writing from George Mason University. Besides her creative and academic work, she is the Acquisitions Editor at Inked In Gray Press and is actively acquiring genre fiction. She is also a judge at NYC Midnight and Editor-in-Chief for Foothill Poetry Journal.
She lives in the greater Los Angeles area where you can find her swimming, walking her golden retriever, and drinking one too many rose lattes.
She is represented by Susan Velazquez Colmant at JABberwocky Literary Agency. For inquiries regarding invitations to anthologies, international rights, or IP work, please reach out to her at https://awfulagent.com/agents/susan-velazquez/
Hannah Kates
Editor
Ever since being shanghaied into the secret society printing contraband pulp magazines from nineteenth-century catacombs, Hannah Kates has sworn to use her editing powers for chaotic good. As a ghostwriter, editor, story-seller, and travelling troubadour, she’s penned work everywhere from the strategic offices of the Pentagon to the haunted streets of Savannah—which are crooked due to all the rotting dead people.
With ten years of professional editing under her belt in both the traditional and indie spheres, Hannah provides bespoke, mentor-based editing services to writers in all walks of life—many of whom are now agented, published, and/or winning kickass awards. She encourages her authors to prends garde of their mental health and focus on processes rather than products.
Hannah loves editing because she knows a dirty little secret: Publishing is merely a matter of time. The real key is to keep falling in love with storycraft.
Justine Manzano
Editor
Justine is a lover of stories, dedicated to helping writers hone their craft. She’s worked as an acquisitions editor, content editor, and line editor at small publishing companies and in the corporate sector, helping people grammar it up in their legal briefs and corporate process documents. She was a member of The Inkwell Council and CraftQuest, has worked as an editor for Query Connection and Writer in Motion, is an Editor-in-Residence here at WriteHive, and runs a freelance editing business, Manzano Editorial. She is also the geeky author of the Keys & Guardians Series, and Never Say Never.
As an editor, Justine will spend equal time pointing out where you can improve and fangirling over your work. She loves coaching and enjoys helping at every step of the process, from brainstorming to dealing with the industry at large, and everywhere in between. Justine enjoys a more lax, comfortable relationship with her clients. She strives to recreate the feeling of buddies, talking and writing in their PJs with a cup of hot cocoa.
