McKinley Hixon
Lansing,MI
Summary
A recent graduate with a degree in writing and experience creating, editing, and consulting with both academic and creative works. Demonstrates a detailed and dynamic approach to giving feedback both in writing center work and in editorial internships. A writer and editor who is enthusiastic about helping other writers and their work reach their fullest potential.
Overview
1
1
year of professional experience
Work History
Editorial Intern
Dzanc Books
06.2025 - 08.2025
- Evaluated 1–3 submissions per week (reading the first 30–100 pages) for each one's publishing potential, focusing specifically on plot, character development, pacing, and their potential target readership
- Researched the current book market to find comparative titles for each of the submissions evaluated
- Read through a 245-page manuscript and wrote a developmental letter noting the specific strengths and weaknesses of the current draft
- Utilized industry knowledge gained through the internship to create a mock publishing schedule of what titles to put out in which months throughout a year of releases
Editing Intern
Stewarthouse Productions LLC
01.2025 - 04.2025
- Copy edited and proofread a 150-page fiction manuscript for grammar, punctuation, clarity, and readability
- Queried the author when needed about areas that caused confusion in the manuscript, and edited based on their clarifications
- Designed materials to be used on various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for the promotion of the book
Fiction Editor
Fishladder: A Student Journal of Art and Writing
09.2024 - 04.2025
- Led conversations with fiction staff to evaluate which of the 19 submissions we received would best fit in our journal.
- Worked with co-fiction editor to finalize our 3 picks to send to the Editor-in-Chief to consider for publication
Writing Consultant
Grand Valley State University
08.2024 - 04.2025
- Completed 185 writing consultations, aiding students in the various stages of the writing process (planning, outlining, drafting, revising, editing, etc.), both in one-on-one and group contexts
- Led a discussion on research related to my work as a consultant at the 2025 ECWCA conference in Ypsilanti, MI.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Writing
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI04-2025
Skills
- Attention to Detail
- Collaborative Work
- Communication
- Time Management
- Discussion Leading
- Copy Editing
- Creative Writing
- Literature Reviews
- Google Workspace
- Canva
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
Affiliations
- Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Timeline
Editorial Intern
Dzanc Books
06.2025 - 08.2025
Editing Intern
Stewarthouse Productions LLC
01.2025 - 04.2025
Fiction Editor
Fishladder: A Student Journal of Art and Writing
09.2024 - 04.2025
Writing Consultant
Grand Valley State University
08.2024 - 04.2025
Bachelor of Arts - Writing
Grand Valley State University