About

Molly

My name is Molly Rookwood, and I’m an editor, romance writer, bookseller, Jewish community member, and D&D player based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I am an active member of multiple editorial communities and have volunteered and presented for ACES, Editors Canada, and more. I use she/her pronouns, and I live and work on unceded Mi’kmaw territory.

I’ve been an ardent reader since childhood. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother reading The Hobbit to me in big, comfy coffee-shop chairs after collecting me from kindergarten. For an eighth-grade biography project, I dressed up as Jane Austen, and as an undergraduate at the University of King’s College, I wrote my thesis on Austen’s subversion of the marriage plot to engage in social criticism of Regency England. As an adult, my reading tastes have broadened, but epic fantasy and nineteenth-century novels still fill most of my bookshelves.

After graduating from King’s, I followed my love of words and editing to Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson), where I completed the Chang School of Continuing Education’s Publishing Certificate. I got the best hands-on training I could have asked for at The Editing Company in Toronto, where I worked with a team of highly skilled local editors. When my partner and I returned to Halifax, I was ready to strike out on my own as a freelance editor. Thus Rookwood Editing was born.

Rookwood Editing

I believe that, at its heart, editing is about collaboration. My job is to help you, the author, clarify your vision of your project and bring your words to life. We’ll work in partnership to add tension to your conflicts, clear away unneeded adverbs, rectify dangling modifiers, and tune the language so that your characters, message, and authorial voice shine through. I value clear, comprehensive edits that will leave you feeling confident that your writing is the best it can be.

While I am open to fiction books of almost any genre (I do not edit sports, horror, or thrillers), my favourite genres to work in are romance, fantasy, and science-fiction. I gravitate towards books that deviate from the historical hegemony of white male heroes, and I love to work with fantasy and science-fiction that challenge the history of the genres. I love both contemporary and historical romance; I dream of someday editing a book that includes historically accurate representation of corsets.

In addition to editing manuscripts, I also offer presentations for writers and editors about antisemitism in fiction, as well as workshops for writers about using editorial tools for more effective revision and self-editing. I’ve presented at multiple conferences and for a wide range of writing and editing organisations. If you’d be interested in hiring me to present for you or your writing group, I’d love to hear from you!

Language is not neutral, and its editors should not be, either. As an editor, I value and edit content about characters and by writers of all sexualities, gender identities, and cultures. Rookwood Editing affirms and supports diversity and representation in literature, and I edit under the principles of care, inclusivity, and conscious language.

If you’ve got a project that needs some loving care, Rookwood Editing is here to help your words take flight.