Editing Services

Thank you for your interest in working with me on your poetry. Please fill out the contact form below to begin the process or to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

General Services
-Manuscript review and development (48+ pages)
-Chapbook review and development
-Submission review (3-6 poems + cover letter)
-A deep talk about how poetry fits into your life (I've been there; I get it.)

My Approach
Poetry is an interaction between language and form. My goal is to help writers fine-tune this interaction to serve each poem's and manuscript's goals. I approach editing as both a working poet and as an experienced contest judge and editor, which means I understand what it means to trust someone with your vision as well as the innerworkings of the field. I have experience working on a variety of projects, and my areas of expertise include poetry exploring labor, place, diaspora, gender, and/or experimentation. While I'm happy to provide general publication advice, I specialize in crafting poems, developing manuscripts, and helping writers find their creative direction(s). I approach art as a liberatory act: "What I really wanted was every kind of life, and the writer’s life seemed most inclusive” (Susan Sontag).

Rates
I go by the Editorial Freelancers Association rates for "developmental editing," which works out to ~$8-10/page for line editing and revisions and ~$70-90/hour for virtual meetings where I provide holistic feedback and time for follow-up questions. This is also my hourly rate for creative consultation. I am glad to negotiate these rates based on need. I will send you an estimate before you decide if you’d like to work with me, and I will send an invoice at the conclusion of our session(s) and accept payment via check or Venmo. All jokes are free (kidding!)

Testimonials
“To work with Allison is to work with the wisest and most generous of friends. She helped me pinpoint the true north of my work in progress, provided invaluable insights into how to turn my good poems into great ones, helped me situate my work within the stylistic and thematic traditions of like-minded writers, suggested publications that aligned with my poems, and left me with a clear roadmap of next steps to take on my road to publication. As invested in her clients’ writing as she is in their humanity, Allison has the depth of knowledge, professionalism, toolset and foresight to take you where you want to go with your writing.”

“Any poet who gets to work with Allison as they bring their projects into the world is incredibly lucky. Allison was so generous with her time and energy, and she freely shared lessons from her own experience, lessons that were relevant and useful to me. Our time together was and remains formative, and I'm certain her guidance played a major role in my acceptance into USC's poetry Ph.D. program.”

"I sought Allison’s editorial services after taking a poetry workshop from her through Stanford that was the best I had ever taken. A knowledgeable and talented poet, Allison is gifted at sharing her craft with others. She is generous with her experience, smart with her line edits, warm and open-hearted."

To request a quote or free consultation, please fill out the form below. I will respond within one week.