About Me

Aloha! My name is Crystal Watanabe, and I am an independent editor working in all genres, but my area of focus is in science fiction and fantasy. I’ve loved books all my life, and I firmly believe that helping authors achieve their publishing dreams is what I was meant to do.

In 2012, I did a beta reading for Hugh Howey, bestselling author of Wool, for Third Shift: Pact. He was so happy with my feedback that he suggested I start doing this for authors, and he offered to send referrals my way for editing if I wanted it. I was working in a career in administration at the time, so I wasn’t ready. I eventually took him up on his offer, and I began editing full-time in late summer 2014. Pikko’s House now works on over seventy-five novels a year and serves more than 150 clients around the world, both in self-published and traditionally published circles.

I am a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), a founding member of the Association of Independent Publishing Professionals (AIPP), a member of the Authors Guild, an affiliate member of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), and I have been a supporting member of WorldCon since 2016.

Some Personal Stuff

I’m a 38-year-old wife and mother to three living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Born and raised in the small town of Hilo, Hawaii, I grew up reading nonstop, doing that ridiculous flashlight-under-the-covers thing until I read myself into needing glasses in the first grade. After that, my parents let me read whenever I wanted, provided I had a good, strong lamp nearby.

I’m a Domokun addict, a Marvel fangirl, and a former hardcore gamer. In fact, the name Pikko was the name of my character in Final Fantasy XI, where I achieved minor fame as a gardening Tarutaru, spending hours and hours of time in my Mog House. Thus the name Pikko’s House.

The photo above is of me at the Ender’s Game Los Angeles red carpet premiere in 2013, an event I was invited to cover for my fansite, EnderWiggin.net. I met and interviewed stars including Harrison Ford (Colonel Graff), Sir Ben Kingsley (Mazer Rackham), Viola Davis (Major Anderson), and Asa Butterfield (Ender Wiggin).

In June 2010, Yum-Yum Bento Box was released and I officially became a published author. The sequel to Yum-Yum Bento Box, Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, is now available.

Meet My Team

Pikko’s House offers a wide range of services, including proofreading, and I wouldn’t be able to do this without a great team of word nerds. Meet the superstars who will help put that finishing polish on your manuscript.