Editing poetry is a difficult thing to quantify. It’s easy to turn a poem full of fire and energy into something flat. But that energetic first draft isn’t always quite right or complete either. Like all writing, poetry benefits from reading, critiquing, and editing.

My Approach is to start with a review of the poet’s word choice, the sound of the words, their shape on the page, and all the elements that go into poetry. I also give feedback on the experience the poem gave me. Poems elicit more than a single response and I will highlight and ask questions about experiences readers might have.

If the poetry is speculative, I interrogate those speculative elements. Are they actually present, unique, and presented freshly? The best poetry communicates on many levels, and I will review the levels on which your poems are functioning.

Pricing: Poetry editing starts at $40 for 5 poems, each no longer than 15 lines. For chapbooks and longer collections, I will provide a custom quote after seeing the manuscript. As with all my services, I will work with you to find a price and timeline that works for both of us.

Contact me to start your poetry editing project.