Work Together
An award-winning editor with over a thirteen years of experience, I
work with writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and other forms to hone
their work for submission to a publisher or to ready it for self-publishing. I
also work directly with presses to prepare work for print.
My approach in all genres is to help writers understand their subject matter clearly in relation to the wider world and to push work to be at once courageous, accountable, relationally sophisticated, and alive for both the speaker and readers. I believe that creating honestly and with careful intention can change the world and that everyone is capable of this.
I support writers fully in maintaining or establishing a clear separation between artistic practice (in which vulnerability is paramount) and professional strategy (in which getting funded, published, or otherwise externally recognized matters) and never allow the latter to be confused with the former in my editorial suggestions. I believe that the question of audience, when considered bravely, deliberately, and from a place of choice—we choose who we are writing for and what we say to them—can be a powerful guide.
A winner of the Rosemary Shipton Award for Excellence in Book Editing, I have edited fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for such major presses as HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Oxford University Press, as well as such acclaimed indie presses as Bookhug, Caitlin Press, and ECW, among many others. I’ve been an acquiring editor at Brick Books since 2017. I teach substantive editing in the Toronto Metropolitan University Publishing Program and was a juror for the Trillium Book Award for three years.
Manuscripts I have edited have gone on to win or be shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, the Trillium Book Award, LAMBDA awards, the Raymond Souster Award, Indigenous Voices Awards, the First Nations Community READS Award, and the A.M. Klein Prize, among others.
Examples of my editorial packages for individuals are below. If you are interested in working together on a writing project, learning more about my rates and services, or getting a customized quote, please contact me.
Quick evaluation — short manuscript
Send me up to 15 pages of poetry or 25 pages of prose. I’ll spend an hour reading it and taking notes, then we’ll do a one-hour Zoom call to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the work, possibilities for revision, and next steps. Great for grant, residency or program applications.
$200
Quick evaluation — full-length manuscript
Send me your book-length poetry, fiction, or nonfiction manuscript. I’ll spend up to three hours reading it and taking notes, then we’ll do a one-hour Zoom call to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the work, possibilities for revision, and next steps.
$400
Manuscript evaluation and substantive edit — poetry
Send me your book-length poetry manuscript. I’ll read it carefully and we’ll do a 30-minute Zoom call to clarify your aims and desires for editing. I’ll write you a letter with detailed feedback on the manuscript as a whole plus section-by-section notes. The letter will address things like stakes and impact, poem order, overall structure, language, imagery, rhythm, ethical considerations, readiness to publish, places to add or trim, and anything that came up in our call.
Once you’ve had some time to sit with the feedback, we’ll do another 30-minute call to discuss revision strategy, next steps, and any lingering questions or concerns.
Starting at $1,200 for 50-60 standard-format word processor pages
Manuscript evaluation and substantive edit — fiction, memoir, or other nonfiction
Send me your book-length prose manuscript. I’ll read it carefully and we’ll do a 30-minute Zoom call to clarify your aims and desires for editing. I’ll write you a letter with detailed feedback on the manuscript as a whole plus section-by-section notes. The letter will address things like structure, pacing, motifs, character development, balance of action and reflection, ethics and stakes, how to build themes effectively through the work and pull your readers in, plus anything that came up in our call. I will offer my honest assessment of the manuscript’s readiness to submit/query for publication as well as a clear roadmap to get it ready if it isn’t quite there yet.
Once you’ve had some time to sit with the feedback, we’ll do a 30-minute call to discuss revision strategy and any lingering questions or concerns.
Starting at $2000 for 50,000 words
Please note: I do my best work on manuscripts that resonate with me, and therefore ask that you send me a copy of your manuscript before we confirm the booking. If I don’t think it’s a fit, I’ll try my best to direct you elsewhere.
My approach in all genres is to help writers understand their subject matter clearly in relation to the wider world and to push work to be at once courageous, accountable, relationally sophisticated, and alive for both the speaker and readers. I believe that creating honestly and with careful intention can change the world and that everyone is capable of this.
I support writers fully in maintaining or establishing a clear separation between artistic practice (in which vulnerability is paramount) and professional strategy (in which getting funded, published, or otherwise externally recognized matters) and never allow the latter to be confused with the former in my editorial suggestions. I believe that the question of audience, when considered bravely, deliberately, and from a place of choice—we choose who we are writing for and what we say to them—can be a powerful guide.
A winner of the Rosemary Shipton Award for Excellence in Book Editing, I have edited fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for such major presses as HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Oxford University Press, as well as such acclaimed indie presses as Bookhug, Caitlin Press, and ECW, among many others. I’ve been an acquiring editor at Brick Books since 2017. I teach substantive editing in the Toronto Metropolitan University Publishing Program and was a juror for the Trillium Book Award for three years.
Manuscripts I have edited have gone on to win or be shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, the Trillium Book Award, LAMBDA awards, the Raymond Souster Award, Indigenous Voices Awards, the First Nations Community READS Award, and the A.M. Klein Prize, among others.
Examples of my editorial packages for individuals are below. If you are interested in working together on a writing project, learning more about my rates and services, or getting a customized quote, please contact me.
Quick evaluation — short manuscript
Send me up to 15 pages of poetry or 25 pages of prose. I’ll spend an hour reading it and taking notes, then we’ll do a one-hour Zoom call to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the work, possibilities for revision, and next steps. Great for grant, residency or program applications.
$200
Quick evaluation — full-length manuscript
Send me your book-length poetry, fiction, or nonfiction manuscript. I’ll spend up to three hours reading it and taking notes, then we’ll do a one-hour Zoom call to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the work, possibilities for revision, and next steps.
$400
Manuscript evaluation and substantive edit — poetry
Send me your book-length poetry manuscript. I’ll read it carefully and we’ll do a 30-minute Zoom call to clarify your aims and desires for editing. I’ll write you a letter with detailed feedback on the manuscript as a whole plus section-by-section notes. The letter will address things like stakes and impact, poem order, overall structure, language, imagery, rhythm, ethical considerations, readiness to publish, places to add or trim, and anything that came up in our call.
Once you’ve had some time to sit with the feedback, we’ll do another 30-minute call to discuss revision strategy, next steps, and any lingering questions or concerns.
Starting at $1,200 for 50-60 standard-format word processor pages
Manuscript evaluation and substantive edit — fiction, memoir, or other nonfiction
Send me your book-length prose manuscript. I’ll read it carefully and we’ll do a 30-minute Zoom call to clarify your aims and desires for editing. I’ll write you a letter with detailed feedback on the manuscript as a whole plus section-by-section notes. The letter will address things like structure, pacing, motifs, character development, balance of action and reflection, ethics and stakes, how to build themes effectively through the work and pull your readers in, plus anything that came up in our call. I will offer my honest assessment of the manuscript’s readiness to submit/query for publication as well as a clear roadmap to get it ready if it isn’t quite there yet.
Once you’ve had some time to sit with the feedback, we’ll do a 30-minute call to discuss revision strategy and any lingering questions or concerns.
Starting at $2000 for 50,000 words
Please note: I do my best work on manuscripts that resonate with me, and therefore ask that you send me a copy of your manuscript before we confirm the booking. If I don’t think it’s a fit, I’ll try my best to direct you elsewhere.