Hi, I’m Payton.

I’m a coffee-drinking, book-reading, adventurous kind of girl—and a freelance book editor living in Oklahoma with my partner and our plant babies. I’m also a creative writer, mixed-media artist, audiophile, fantasy enthusiast, and gamer.

I identify as a stout defender of the Oxford comma and a lifelong academic. I enjoy learning just as much as helping others find and speak their truths with the written word. The joy I get from reading books and helping storytellers hone their craft means that I’m never truly working at all!

I have worked as a freelance editor for over ten years and over the course of my editorial career, I’ve edited and contributed to a variety of fiction and nonfiction stories across a wide range of genres and demographics—such as novels, short stories, memoirs and other creative nonfiction works, literary journals, resumes, cover letters, and job search documents, social media content, marketing materials, website copy, and newspaper and magazine articles—to name a few.

Since 2022, I’ve served as a K-12 and SPED substitute teacher in the Oklahoma City metro area and as a tutor for students learning English as a second language. This experience has been immensely rewarding and has only renewed my passion for writing, language, and storytelling. In my spare time, you can find me sharing valuable writing tips on my blog or gushing about books on Goodreads!

Just a midwestern girl travelling the world, one book at a time.

Even before my elementary school years, I knew I wanted to work in the book world. It has always been my dream to spend my days seeing the world and my nights with my nose tucked in a book (whether it be writing my own book or reading from another author). While earning both a associate’s degree in English Literature and Fine Arts with a focus in creative writing and illustration, this passion has only grown stronger. Before launching my blog and freelance editing business in 2016, I worked as a staff writer, content editor, and social media coordinator, for a local newspaper.

After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma (Roll ‘Chos!), I focused on growing my online presence and freelance editing business. Currently, I am on the path to earning my editing certificate from The University of Chicago Graham School, and in the meantime, I am helping other writers bring their stories to life. It brings me great joy to help clients hone their crafts, polish their work, and evolve as storytellers, while remaining true to their unique voices and creative visions.

“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is it really like working with a professional editor?

Editors don’t exist to tear apart your writing or cover it in red ink—we are the writer’s greatest and closest friend throughout the writing process. As an editor, it is my job to bring out the very best in your writing by tightening, strengthening, and polishing the writing until it has become the greatest version of itself. I strive to provide writers with clear, constructive, empathetic feedback that they can then use to hone their writerly voice and sharpen their storytelling craft. As your editor I will serve as so much more than just a second set of eyes.

The editing process is a lot like mining for precious metals or hidden gemstones. As the writer, you are the miner. As your editor, I am the seasoned spelunker, serving as your guide through the perilous dark cavern. With thoughtful and knowledgeable critiques to serve as your pickaxe and chisel, together we chip away at the slab of stone that is your manuscript and unearth the story that is waiting for the world. Your story is pure gold. Sometimes you just have to mine it out of the (first, second, third, or even fiftieth) draft! Sometimes you have smelt down the gold to refine it and remove any impurities from the metal. Sometimes you have to dig for the diamonds hidden in the dirt. Sometimes it just needs a thorough polish so it can truly shine. That’s what the editing process is all about. The gold is there all along, we just have to sift it out of the rubble.

Freelance Client Love

Writing Portfolio And Editing Testimonials

“We hired Payton Hayes as an editor for our self-published photography book. It was definitely a learning experience for us, not having need of an editor for our three previous books. Payton endured through us not reading the entire packet of information she first sent, misunderstandings (due to both of us communicating to her but not with each other), us sending changes to her before they were actually ready (in the wrong format), delays for a variety of reasons, and our stubbornness or lack of compliance. She was probably quite frustrated with us, but Payton adapted and adjusted for us over and over again. She sent new communications and re-sent information, including the first communication, several times to be sure we understood why she was doing the edits she was doing. She explained and expounded on where she was coming from with the edits and on what she wanted us to know. And in the middle of it all (when we switched horses in midstream, so to speak, on what we wanted from her) Payton never missed a beat, smoothly reorienting herself and forging onward. Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma is a better book due to Payton Hayes’s editing help. She did more than edit our work and words; it was vividly apparent that she did massive amounts of research into the animals and locations in Steven's photographs.” —Karen & Steven Hunter, Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma (2024)

“Payton is an absolute pleasure to work with, especially because she puts the concerns of her clients—and even potential clients—at the forefront .Payton responded to a TikTok video my daughter posted about a book I’m writing. I’m a veteran writer, but a novice book author. Payton immediately asked thought-provoking, insightful questions to determine the exact scope and intention of what I was doing. She then forwarded my project to contacts she felt were better aligned to help me. She also gave me frank insights on what to expect, the publishing process and the publishing industry. And never—never!—did she ask for anything in return or any commitment to working exclusively with her. I felt my interests always took precedent for her. That unsolicited commitment to me—a total stranger—and my project is why I recommend her to aspiring and veteran authors alike. Payton will take the time to get to know you and your book and determine the right course of action for it, even if it does not involve her. I found her to be a voice of experience that I could trust. Thank you, Payton!” —Scott Smith, Debut Children’s Book Author and Podcast Consultant (2024)

“Payton assisted me editorially in the development of my marketing materials for my medical practice and I was very impressed with her work. She took the time to research the related topics in order to address the content from an informed position and it showed. At times, Payton would touch base to clarify more nuanced perspectives in order to develop an idea to its potential. She was flexible and communicative throughout the process. I feel her services are a wonderful value and I plan to work with her again soon.” —Chance Whinnery, Dreaming Leaves Psychology Practice in Edmond, OK (2024)

“I had the pleasure of working with Payton Hayes on editing and polishing some crucial documents for me. I can confidently say that her expertise and professionalism exceeded my expectations. Her keen attention to detail and dedication to ensuring the documents were representative of my voice and error-free were truly impressive. She not only provided valuable insights and suggestions that significantly improved the quality of the documents but also demonstrated a genuine desire for helping me achieve my goals. Her timely responses and clear communication made the entire editing process smooth and efficient. Thanks to Payton’s assistance, I was able to effectively convey my message with my intended audience. I would recommend her services to anyone in need of editing and writing support. I am thankful for her insight and support which helped make my writing experience much easier and less stressful. I would most definitely work with her again in the future.” —Rachel Allen, Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2024)

“Payton Hayes has an excellent set of eyes. My book was edited by Payton and I have to admit that her editing prowess was what it needed. I followed up with a call to ask about her methodology for editing and she gave me more sound advice. As a writer, I value creating a good, captivating story and Payton’s editing service no doubt, has enhanced my storyline. Payton kept me abreast throughout the process and was a wonder to work with. She is the real deal and I strongly recommend using Payton for your next writing project.” —Eric Reese, Sins of the Son: Book 1 of the Frank Lucianus Mafia Series (2019)

“I have been writing for myself for quite some time and I have always been apprehensive about seeking editorial services. I was totally clueless and had no idea where to start. After getting a chance to explore my options I fell upon Payton's services. I was reassured from the start about the importance of the editing process to further my strength as a writer. She provided detailed notes and was very quick to get edits back to me with reliable correspondence when there was a delay. Her edits are very concise. She takes the time to explain the reasoning behind her suggestions which is great for refreshing one's knowledge of proper grammar and how your work is viewed from the reader's perspective. Overall, I am very happy with her edits and will continue to seek her advice as I explore writing with an audience in mind!” —Julius The Robot, Hard Lessons in Modern Magic from the Midwest. (2019)

“Payton provided a beta reading service for the first few chapters of a story I am writing. The quality of her feedback was great, not to mention very useful. She was able to highlight areas where I could improve my writing and gave valuable suggestions about the genre I'm writing in, which were really helpful. She provided her feedback quickly and in an easy to digest, constructive way (something that is not always easy when you are critiquing someone else's writing!) I wouldn't hesitate to consider her for further editing work in the future.” —Katie Owen, The Vampire Prophecies: The Turning (2018)

“I delivered Ms. Hayes what I believed to be a finished novel, and what I got back exceeded my expectations. She not only caught the issues that I knew of, but also ones that I either overlooked or hadn’t seen. Her comments about the overall novel were thoughtful and appropriate. Too many people who call themselves editors will just throw the prose into a program, but Ms. Hayes took the time to read the entire manuscript and was able to give excellent insight from an outside perspective. I have always been a believer in that you can’t edit your own work, and Ms. Hayes’ attention to detail proved my belief right. I can only speak to her ability to edit a fantasy novel, but from what I have seen about her abilities leads me to believe that she would be successful at other genres.” —Dana Journey, The Apprentices, Book 1 of the Crimson Guard Trilogy (2018)

Professional Editing Experience

Below is a short list of some of the amazing publications in Oklahoma that I’ve had the honor of editing:

Editor in Chief of The Central Dissent: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality—The Central Dissent: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality is an interdisciplinary academic journal produced by New Plains Student Publishing and sponsored by the Women’s Research Center at The University of Central Oklahoma as well as the LGBTQ+ Student Center. Being the first and only academic journal focused on gender and sexuality in Oklahoma, our mission is to gather and disseminate quality research, poetry, and academic reviews that explore gender theory, gender identity, as well as how race, class, and ethnicity shape society’s expectations of the individual both currently and historically (2023-24).
Editor in Chief of 1890: A Journal of Undergraduate Research—The purpose of 1890: A Journal of Undergraduate Research is to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to demonstrate their interests and abilities in various disciplines by accepting works of research, creative writing, poetry, reviews, and art. New Plains Student Publishing uses 1890 to encourage, recognize, and reward intellectual and creative activity beyond the classroom by providing a forum that builds a cohesive academic community (2023-24).
Editor in Chief and Project Manager for New Plains Review—New Plains Review, a student-run literary journal at the University of Central Oklahoma, proudly receives hundreds of submissions from all over the world. Keeping with the University of Central Oklahoma’s goals of both excellence and diversity, it is our mission to share with our readers thought-provoking, quality work from a diverse number of authors and artists around the world. We are eager to help these creators broaden their audience and reinforce the importance of the arts in our everyday lives (2023-24).
Editor in Chief of Pegasus—Pegasus is the annual literary journal of original art, poetry, photography, personal essays, and fiction by Rose State College students, faculty, and staff (2020).
Online Editor and Staff Writer/Contributor for The 6420 Magazine—The 6420 released its first edition in Spring 2018. The student-run Rose State magazine provides the community with a local, in-depth look at news events and entertainment that affect the campus. Published quarterly, The 6420 gives readers a fresh look at Rose State (2018-20).
Online Editor and Staff Writer/Contributor for The 15th Street News—The Oklahoma Press Association and Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association award-winning newspaper provides you with campus, local and national news and entertainment, all from a local perspective. The campus newspaper prides itself on being the diverse voice of Rose State College (2017-20).
Website Designer and Social Media Coordinator for The 15th Street News—The Oklahoma Press Association and Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association award-winning newspaper provides you with campus, local and national news and entertainment, all from a local perspective. The campus newspaper prides itself on being the diverse voice of Rose State College (2017-18).

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