Meet the Team
Image ID: Andrea Karin Nelson, founder and executive editor of Allegory Editing, facing the camera, smiling in front of a tree.
Photo credit: Sara Rife Photography
Image ID: Elena Hartwell Taylor, senior editor and director of programming at Allegory Editing, smiling with chin propped on her fist.
Image ID: Christine Pinto, developmental editor at Allegory Editing, wearing glasses, smiling at the camera with a large bush in the background.
Image ID: Amy Cecil Holm, line editor, copy editor, and proofreader at Allegory Editing, wearing glasses and a magenta shirt, smiling at the camera.
Andrea Karin Nelson
Founder & Executive Editor
In addition to her developmental editing work with published novelists, playwrights, and essayists, Andrea Karin Nelson brings a unique set of experiences and skills to her editing craft. Twenty years as a writer and theater maker has developed her keen sense of story structure, plot and character development. Fifteen years as a Master-Level, Certified Sign Language Interpreter has finely tuned her ear to the subtleties of language and the nuances of human interactions. And with over two decades as an educator, her teacher's heart allows Andrea to personally tailor her work with each writer. Andrea's plays have been commissioned and produced across the United States. Her short stories have been published in 34thParallel Magazine and Mobius and featured at Collections Live Magazine at Hugo House.
Elena Hartwell Taylor
Senior Editor & Director of programming
In addition to working as a developmental editor and writing coach, Elena is a published author. Her most recent novel, The Haunting of Emily Grace has been nominated for a best suspense of 2025 Foreword INDIE award, and was a finalist for best suspense by Next Generation Indie Book awards. She also writes the award-winning Sheriff Bet Rivers series. She writes the award-nominated Eddie Shoes Mystery Series under Elena Hartwell. Prior to writing novels, Elena worked extensively in the theater as a playwright, director, educator, and designer. She has taught writing and theatre courses at the college/university level for more than twenty years. She holds a PhD in dramatic theory and criticism, a Master of Education with an emphasis in teaching theatre, and a BA in Mass Media Communications and Theatre Arts. For more information about Elena, you can visit her website and read her blog about authors, new books, and the writing process.
Christine Pinto
Developmental Editor
As a developmental editor, Christine draws on her experience as a fiction writer and writing instructor. She is the author of Klahowya: A Fort Nisqually Book in Chinook Wawa and English and holds a Certificate in Writing for Children and a Certificate in Editing from the University of Washington. Over a decade of experience teaching writing to children and adults, she has gained a deep understanding of the craft of writing and strong communication skills for sharing that knowledge with writers. Christine’s own journey as a writer informs her editing work with deep empathy for writers preparing a manuscript for publication. Her interests include historical and contemporary fiction, memoir, romance, fantasy, nonfiction, technical writing, business writing, and writing for children.
Amy Cecil Holm
Line Editor, Copy Editor, and Proofreader
As a line editor, copy editor, and proofreader, Amy draws upon decades of teaching college English to help authors polish their prose. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in creative writing and has worked as a journalist, technical writer, and educator. Amy has taught courses in English composition, literature, creative writing, journalistic writing, business writing, and developmental reading, among others. She has a keen understanding of grammar, punctuation, and diction and uses her careful attention to detail to help prepare manuscripts for submission and publication. For more on Amy, please visit amycecilholm.com.