Nonfiction

I am a dynamic, incisive, and compassionate editor who is expert at developmental and line editing. If you work with me, you will see your prose sharpen, your transitions become more graceful and intentional, and your voice become more confident. I love helping people write clearly while learning to push boundaries to help their prose resonate. Some of this is technique connected to pacing and sentences, and some of it is sweat and patience. I’ve edited hundreds of writers at different stages of their careers, from emerging writers to prize-winning authors.

Every edit starts by examining the overarching idea and structure before telescoping down to the sentence level—word choices, style, clarity, and tone. It is important to recognize that you are not only expressing yourself but having a conversation with a reader. I am a fan of building suspense in storytelling and adding micro-climaxes or jolts that help readers recognize something universal in what you have observed. My time-management skills are excellent; I work fast and efficiently, and I’m good at estimating how many hours a project will take.

Examples of my work: Lacy Johnson’s “On Mercy,” a meditation on suffering and capital punishment; Lauren Markham’s “Death of a Valley,” about a California town razed for the Monticello Dam; and Kaya Genç’s “Istanbul’s Wandering Songbirds,” on street vendors. A book proposal I wrote for the Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum sold immediately to Graywolf Press; The Collector of Leftover Souls was longlisted for a National Book Award. Recent clients include a South Sudanese women writing a memoir (Harper Collins Australia), a designer-photographer monograph on wild places and Zen (Berm), a photographer-artist memoir on land use, a critical book on AI and reading, and two memoirs.  

What I offer: Developmental editing, collaborative work (including ghostwriting), deep line and structural editing, and coaching for essays and full-length manuscripts. Fee: $175 per hour, which includes a 3,000 to 6,000 word editorial letter with feedback and an hour video call, along with follow up phone calls as needed.