So you’ve written a draft. Now what?

A lot of times, it’s almost impossible to step outside of ourselves and look objectively at our own creative work. It’s a muscle writers build over time, but even those who are seasoned still rely on the voices of trusted editors to help them see their projects through.

As an editor with over a decade of experience working alongside both widely-published and emerging writers on projects in various genres, I've seen firsthand how a strong writer/editor relationship is an invaluable part of the creative process. It’s a partnership fueled by a collaborative spirit, full of open dialogue, a volley of ideas, and above all, support. With this in mind, I come to the work with the aim of helping writers meet their goals and realize the fullest potential of their projects. In addition to assessing the written work as a whole, I ask: what are your overall intentions for your project? How can you, as a writer, continue to shape a piece while retaining your voice? What are your strengths and how can they help push a piece of writing further? Conversely, where are your areas for improvement and how might an editorial collaboration help you find your footing in those areas?

Every writing project is different and every writer has different needs. My ultimate goal is to not only honor your work and your voice, but to push you to take risks and to think differently and more dynamically about your process. I want you to feel exhilarated by your creative approaches and like you’ve found new inroads to craft and narrative. I want you to feel as though your work is at once taut, seismic, and alive. I want you to feel as though only you could have written it.

At the moment, I’m mostly available to work with writers who have smaller and shorter-term creative writing project needs. These include:

• Short stories

• Flash fiction and flash nonfiction (1,000 words or less)

• Personal essays

• Standalone sections of novels or memoirs

• Reading assessments of book-length manuscripts

These types of projects have a shorter time frame, and initial turnaround on edits is within one month and usually no longer than 1-2 weeks.

I’m also available to work more in-depth with a limited number of writers per season on book-length manuscripts. These include:

• Literary short story collections

• Literary novels

• Literary novellas

• Essay collections

• Memoirs

These types of projects have a longer time frame, the scope of which will be discussed during our initial consultation.

Book-length manuscript clients will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis, and whether we ultimately work together will be determined by my interest level in your manuscript and whether I feel like I’m the right fit for the story you’re trying to tell.

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SLIDING SCALE RATES

For smaller and shorter-term projects, I’m available to work with a limited number of sliding scale clients per month. I wholly understand that financial hardship and inequities often create barriers to working with independent editors. If you’re currently in need of a sliding scale rate and I have the capacity, I’d love to talk to you about your budget and whether I can offer the editing services that will help you and your project the most. (Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate sliding scale rates for book-length manuscript clients at this time.)

I offer all kinds of services, from big picture edits, to edits at the micro level, to reading assessments. Have a look below, and if you’d like to work together, please fill out this form!

OF NOTE: The rates and descriptions below are for smaller and shorter-term writing projects, including reading assessments of book-length manuscripts (or what I call The Sneak Peek: Book Edition). If you’re interested in collaborating more in-depth on a book-length manuscript (this includes novellas), please get in touch and request my Book-Length Manuscript Rate Sheet, which includes an overview of my fees for book projects, as well as the different services and structures I offer.

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FREE 20-MINUTE CONSULTATION* — VIRTUAL

COST: Free!

It all starts with a chat! Prior to working together, we’ll sit down over video chat and talk through your project, your needs, and whether we feel like a solid fit. It’s a good way to get to know me, ask some initial questions, and give me an idea of what you’re looking for, too. Think of it almost like Speed Dating: Editorial Edition.

How to schedule: After you fill out this form, I’ll be in touch to figure out a good time for us to talk.

*For book-length manuscript clients, I offer a consultation of up to 30 minutes.

(Please note: A consult is not required for Proofreading, The Sneak Peek, or The Sneak Peek: Book Edition.)

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DEVELOPMENTAL EDITS + LINE EDITS

COST:

• $75/hour for the First Pass

• $50/hour for subsequent passes

The whole shebang! This is where we’ll get into the meat of your writing project, and we’ll collaborate to figure out exactly what it needs in order for it to evolve from its current version into the best form of itself possible. Similar to drafting, I work in phases, which I call passes, and am happy to provide multiple editorial passes of your manuscript, if needed.

For the first pass, I’ll write you a general note, containing first impressions and developmental edits, with feedback on craft-based elements (including plot, character, structure, dialogue, tone, etc.), suggestions for ways you can think more deeply about the work, and questions meant to clarify the intentions of the work and propel you towards a more finalized version. I’ll also provide you with line edits on the draft itself, including suggestions for sentence-level changes and questions/suggestions meant to clarify your overall intentions, deepen your context, and create more clarity throughout. We’ll also email each other—this gives us a chance to have a running dialogue about the work itself, where we can ask each other questions, as well as clarify your overall intentions and goals, and I can make sure I’m setting you up to feel confident as you move forward in revision.

For subsequent passes, I’ll do additional reads of your revised manuscript, provide further impressions and developmental edits, and provide you with further line edits. These passes are meant to help you think even more dynamically about your manuscript, how you can continue to be meticulous and refine it in order to meet your goals, and how to approach elements of craft that still feel shaky and are worth paying closer attention to as you work towards a more finalized draft.

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JUST DEVELOPMENTAL EDITS

COST:

• $60/hour for the First Pass

• $35/hour for subsequent passes

If you’re in the earlier, discovery stages of drafting and are mostly looking for guidance on various ways to move forward and revise, this is for you. Whether you’ve written one draft or two (or even three), we’ll dive in and explore thornier questions and concerns you have about your current writing project. Through a multi-page written letter, I’ll offer ideas on how to navigate these questions that are tugging at you and (similar to my Developmental Edits + Line Edits service) feedback on craft-based elements (including plot, character, structure, dialogue, tone, voice, etc.), suggestions for ways you can think more deeply about the work, and questions meant to clarify the intentions of the work and propel you towards a more finalized version. I will also include developmental editing notes on the draft itself, highlighting key spots for revision, so you’re able to connect my written feedback in the letter to what’s on the page.

As with my other editing services, my goal is to help you feel confident and set up for a successful revision period, and to even feel like you might have some new creative practices to add to your writing process.

Similar to Developmental Edits + Line Edits, I have a phased approach to Just Developmental Edits, and am happy to provide multiple passes, if needed.

(Please note: this editing service does not include in-draft line edits.)

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JUST LINE EDITS

COST:

• $55/hour for the First Pass

• $30/hour for subsequent passes

Already worked out the trickier knots in your manuscript and want someone to take a fine-tooth comb to your sentences? This is the next step. I’ll go through paragraph by paragraph, line by line, and give you some insight into ways you can rephrase, reword, and rework your language, diction, and syntax so your narrative feels like a live-wire on the page. I’ll let you know the hot spots where your phrasing or intentionality might be unclear, or might cause your voice to meander or falter, or might just benefit from some tightening. Here, it’s all about giving your sentences polish, playing with your cadence, building your tone, clarifying meaning and intention, deepening context, and injecting your voice with a flare that will excite, surprise, and propel a reader forward.

Similar to Developmental Edits + Line Edits and Just Developmental Edits, I have a phased approach to Just Line Edits, and am happy to provide multiple passes, if needed.

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PROOFREADING

COST: $0.07/word

If there’s one thing editors get surly about, it’s a writer’s inability to proofread their own work before sending it out into the world. But we’ve all been there: that moment when we realize we’ve been sitting with our sentences for so long, we can’t really “read” them anymore. Spelling mistakes get missed. Periods don’t wind up at the ends of sentences. Entire words remain absent from final drafts, making head-scratchers out of phrases. Things happen—but they don’t have to. I’ll read your draft and make sure it’s sparkling clean by the time I’m done with it. I’ll even note a few areas where future copy editors are likely to ask you to make quick fixes, as well as throw in some line edits where they feel absolutely necessary.

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THE SNEAK PEEK

COST:

• $25 for stories or essays up to 25 pages

• $50 for anything longer*

I’ve been reading creative submissions as an editor for over 10 years now, and when it comes to rejection (something no editor actually wants to do, I promise!), a commonality I’ve found is that a story or essay just isn’t ready to be out on submission yet. So, how do you know? I’ll read your story, essay, or flash fiction/nonfiction and tell you if it’s ready to make its way into a magazine’s submissions queue. If I think it’s not quite there yet, I’ll give you some minor feedback and questions to think about so you can round that corner in revision and send it out sooner rather than later. I’ll also offer up a handful of suggestions of literary mags and journals that you can send it to; so much of the time, a submission’s success rate is dependent on whether it’s actually appropriate for the lit mag or journal in question, and knowing which editorial teams (and their first readers) might say yes vs. which ones might say no is a big part of navigating the publication hurdle.

For flash fiction and flash nonfiction: I will read up to 5 pieces bundled in a single document. Each piece must be 1,000 words or less.

*At this time, I’m unable to offer The Sneak Peek for work longer than 40 pages.

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THE SNEAK PEEK: BOOK EDITION

COST:

• $1/page, up to 300 pages

• $1.50/page for 301-500 pages

• $2/page for anything longer than 500 pages*

*At this time, manuscripts exceeding 550 pages are up to my discretion.

So you’ve written your book. And revised. And revised. You’ve been sitting with it for so long, and have read it so many times at this point, you think your head might fall off (okay, but let’s also hope this does not come to pass!). You’re just about ready to send the manuscript out—either to query an agent, to see if an independent or small press would love to publish it, or to submit it for a prize or contest—but there are still a few questions on your mind and you’re having trouble figuring out how to give your manuscript that last tweak, how to infuse it with that small bit of something that will get it to where you want it to be.

If all of this is resonating, this is the service for you: I’ll read your manuscript and, through minor but specific feedback, will let you know what your book needs to push it past the finish line. I’ll also give you some questions to think about, so you can comb through one last time and really shape it into the kind of novel, novella, short story collection, memoir, or essay collection you’re envisioning.

A Few Good-to-Knows:

• This is similar to my regular Sneak Peek editing service, which means I only offer higher-level, reading assessment-style feedback. This service does not include in-draft developmental edits or line edits, a multi-page developmental editing letter, or virtual consultations to discuss edits. If you’re in the earlier drafting stages of your manuscript, or are further into your process but would like more in-depth edits, consider working with me as a regular book-length manuscript client!

• The Sneak Peek: Book Edition is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, although if you’re on deadline for a contest or a press’s or imprint’s reading window, I will take that into consideration when scheduling with you. Please note my shortest guaranteed turnaround time for this service is 2 weeks; if you’re working with a tighter deadline that is within 2 weeks and need a faster turnaround, my rates increase as follows: $1.50/page for up to 300 pages, $2/page for 301-500 pages, and $2.50/page for anything over 500 pages (at this time, manuscripts exceeding 550 pages are up to my discretion).

• I’m currently able to offer The Sneak Peek: Book Edition for literary short story collections, literary novels, literary novellas, essay collections, and memoirs. This includes YA, but I’m unable to offer it for children’s literature at this time.

• A note on fiction: while I love all kinds of fiction writing and appreciate the many different approaches to the form, I have a literary background and am less equipped to edit hard-genre work. There are many writers who toe the line of genre, however, so if your work falls under this category, just know we’ll work best together if it’s along literary lines (think: Carmen Maria Machado, Charles Yu, Jeff VanderMeer, or Shirley Jackson, not George R.R. Martin, James S.A. Corey, or Brandon Sanderson). If you’re uncertain, connect with me anyway and I can let you know if I feel like I’ll be the right fit for you and your work.

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Any of these editing services pique your interest? Let’s work together!

“Without a doubt, Rebecca is one of the most dedicated editors I have ever worked with. She can recognize what a writer is trying to convey in their writing, sometimes even before a writer can recognize it themselves. For my story, ‘No Hands,’ Rebecca identified the strengths by not just editing what was not working but by amplifying what was—by amplifying my voice and style. Rebecca inherently puts the writer first, rather than focusing on a specific publisher or literary magazine. Her goal, ultimately, is to develop prose and its poetry into something uniquely and individually special to each piece she edits. From content, craft, discourse, and discovery, Rebecca has shown a devotion to helping writers, myself included, produce some of our best writing.”

— Davon Loeb, author of The In-Betweens: A Lyrical Memoirand assistant essays editor at The Rumpus

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“Rebecca has been such a boon for my work. As an editor, she's a fierce champion for the writer’s work, voice, and potential. She hones in beautifully on what it is that a story aims to do and asks the right questions to help lead it there, all without ever overstepping or taking the writing out of the writer's hands. On both a sentence and thematic level, Rebecca really listens, and has helped push my work in directions that opened it up to me, made it fresh, and made it better. Hers is the voice in my head that pushes me to trust myself and try new things, and I'm so grateful to have her in my corner!”

— Kelsey Norris, author of House Gone Quiet

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“I was lucky enough to work with Rebecca as editor on two of my short stories. The experience undoubtedly made me a better writer. She has a thrilling skill with language. Even more exciting is her brilliance as a reader. Any writer’s ideal, she reads with an eye to what is there on the page, as well as a precise understanding of the writer’s intent. She sees variances in tone, character, and syntax. She understands the pacing of a sentence, a paragraph, a scene. I especially loved her organized method of working. She offered a long letter with ‘narrative notes’—an extended reading of each piece with insights, analysis, and a description of the conflicts within, including what was and was not clear. Rebecca also provides thorough line edits and commentary, articulating the ‘why’ of every deletion or insertion. It’s one thing to have an editor ‘clean up’ one’s story. Having an editor explain in reasonable, clear language why she’s made the changes she’s made allows the writer to carry that awareness into the rest of their work. If you have any doubts or you are worried about investing the time and money, let me assure you that hiring Rebecca is one of the best gifts you can give yourself as a writer.”

—Christy Stillwell, author of The Wolf Tone

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“I first experienced Rebecca's close reading eye for detail and depth when we met at the Tin House Summer Workshop, and the feedback she gave me there was crucial to my understanding of my own work. The story was fittingly about a mind reader, and I feel like Rebecca could read my mind. She saw what I was trying to do and pushed me to get there. I then got to work with her even more closely on another story, ‘Self-Possession,’ this time at The Rumpus, and every step of the revision process was rigorous but revelatory. She is an empathetic and thorough editor—hands-on but in no way overbearing. The process felt collaborative and generative. I'd work with her again in a heartbeat.”

— Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, author of Helen House and managing editor of Autostraddle

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“I worked with Rebecca on a ghost story called ‘Operator, Say the Number’s No Good,’ and when she said she wanted to spend some time refining it, I said yes without hesitation. We worked together through three editorial rounds of the story, and Rebecca encouraged me to dig deep into the finer details of the main characters, as well as their shared relationship and its narrative potential. She also asked me questions about the metaphors and the ideas I was employing on a sentence level, and made me think about how every word could create impact. Her edits were based around sentences and characterization, and she pushed me to refine the story and make it as haunting as I could. Her edits were smart, respectful, clear, and direct, and every single one she suggested made the story better and more nuanced, unsettling, and emotionally resonant. Rebecca is an editor whose love for both sentences and stories is evident in the way she works, and I’m so grateful to have worked with her.”

— Ross Showalter, writer and contributor to the anthology Body Language: Writers on Identity, Physicality, and Making Space for Ourselves

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“Rebecca was the editor for my short story ‘Boy of My Dreams’ for The Rumpus, and she was extremely thoughtful, detailed, and helpful—an absolute dream to work with! She worked with me on multiple drafts to make it the best version of itself it could possibly be, and asked many questions along the way that challenged me to sharpen my sentences, as well as consider larger elements of character-building, plot, and dialogue that also helped improve my story. Through our many email exchanges, I could see that she cares deeply about fiction and is passionate about helping writers realize their full potential.”

— Maria Kuznetsova, author of Something Unbelievable and Oksana, Behave!

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“One of the most thoughtful, talented editors I’ve ever worked with. When I first joined The Rumpus as managing editor, Rebecca was instrumental in getting me situated and making me feel welcome. She is the sort of editor who can be counted on to see both the forest and the trees, and attend to both as needed. If I were looking to work with an editor on edits at any level—developmental, line edits, finishing polish—Rebecca would be at the top of my list. Her integrity and honesty combine with her keen editorial eye to make for a dream editor.”

— Marisa Siegel, author of Fixed Stars, senior acquisitions editor at Northwestern University Press, and former owner/publisher of The Rumpus

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“Working with Rebecca was truly one of the highlights of my writing life! She's a thorough, collaborative, and compassionate editor who helped me grow as a writer. Her level of respect and care for my work was exceptional. My essay, ‘How to Tell A Trauma Story,’ was deeply personal and she approached it with great sensitivity, which meant more than I can say. She helped me recognize my goals for the essay, seeing the bigger picture while also working on a line level. I'm so grateful to Rebecca and am eager to work with her again.”

— Bethany Marcel, writer and assistant essays editor at The Rumpus

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“My short story, ‘What Happens to Girls,’ was personal and close to my heart, but from our first email exchange, I knew it was safe with Rebecca. She understood what my story was trying to do, and her precise, thorough, and compassionate feedback helped me tighten, deepen, and fully realize the piece. If you have the opportunity to work with Rebecca, take it—she is truly a treasure.”

— Rebecca McKanna, author of Don’t Forget the Girl

1. I think we’d work really well together, but before I make the leap and get in touch with you, can I see some examples of your editorial work first?

   Sure! While I don’t have the space to list everything here, some favorite editorial collaborations over the last few years include:

   • “Like Kings” by Temim Fruchter

   • “Career Day” by Jiordan Castle

   • “Hatch” by Christy Stillwell

   • “Operator, Say the Number’s No Good” by Ross Showalter

   • “Go Way Back” by Kelsey Norris

   • “How to Tell A Trauma Story” by Bethany Marcel

   • “José Villarreal, Father of Manuel Villarreal, Father of Ursula Villarreal-Moura / Sulema Villarreal (née Treviño), Mother of Manuel Villarreal, Grandmother of Ursula Villarreal-Moura” by Ursula Villarreal-Moura

   • “Self-Possession” by Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

   • “No Hands” by Davon Loeb

   • “Boy of My Dreams” by Maria Kuznetsova

   • “What Happens to Girls” by Rebecca McKanna

   • “Inheritance” by Katie Antonsson

   • “Wherever, Anyplace” by Aram Mrjoian

   • “Poor People Disappear” by Ira Sukrungruang

   • “God or the Devil or Me” by Amanda Miska

   • “A Disappointment” by Cate Fricke

   • “What Wasn’t” by Rachel Lyon

   I’ve worked with writers whose stories and essays have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, the Best American series, and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and have gone on to be published in collections and anthologies that have been nominated and won major literary awards, such as the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. I’ve also worked with writers at all stages in their career, from those who have been finalists for the National Book Award to those who have been on the cusp of publishing their first piece of short fiction.

2. Is there any kind of writing you’re unable to edit?

   While I love all kinds of fiction writing and appreciate the many different approaches to the form, I have a literary background and am less equipped to edit hard-genre work. There are many writers who toe the line of genre, however, so if your work falls under this category, just know we’ll work best together if it’s along literary lines (think: Carmen Maria Machado, Charles Yu, Jeff VanderMeer, or Shirley Jackson, not George R.R. Martin, James S.A. Corey, or Brandon Sanderson). If you’re uncertain, connect with me anyway and and I can let you know if I feel like I’ll be the right fit for you and your work.

   As for everything else under the creative writing sun…

   Right now, I unfortunately do not offer editing services for:

   • Poetry

   • Nonfiction of a more journalistic, biographical, academic, or technical nature

   • Children’s literature (YA is okay!)

3. Why put limits on the types of work you’ll edit?

   I firmly believe that not every editor is right for every writing project, and when we collaborate, I want you to feel confident that I can help your work find its fullest potential. For instance, I absolutely love poetry (and sincerely wish everyone would read more of it!), but it doesn’t help you if I’m unfamiliar with the intricacies of the form on a craft level. Me giving a writer editorial feedback on their poem is not the same as a poet (or someone who has studied and/or edited poetry for years) offering that same kind of feedback. At the end of the day, it’s about working with an editor who will not only help elevate your words, but will push you to find your voice in its best form.

4. Do you offer sliding scale rates?

   Yes. For smaller and shorter-term projects, I’m available to work with a limited number of sliding scale clients per month. I wholly understand that financial hardship and inequities often create barriers to working with independent editors. If you’re currently in need of a sliding scale rate and I have the capacity, I’d love to talk to you about your budget and whether I can offer the editing services that will help you and your project the most. (Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate sliding scale rates for book-length manuscript clients at this time.)

5. Do you work on a per-project or long-term basis?

   At the moment, I edit work on a per-project basis. However, if we develop a good working relationship, I’m happy to talk about a more long-term editing cadence and what that might mean for us.

   Interested in working together? Please fill out this form!