Editing Experience
I have served as editor of more than 100 books, including 30+ books published by Et Alia Press. Scroll down this page for testimonials. My developmental suggestions, insights, and advice are shaped by:
More than 15 years in the publishing industry;
Two decades working with freelance editing clients on their essays and manuscripts (nonfiction and children’s books);
Annual attendance of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference; continuous engagement in literary nonfiction activities (writing, submissions, workshops, craft articles); and being an avid reader of memoir;
A former career as an attorney;
Three years as managing editor of the academic journal Literature and Medicine (Johns Hopkins University Press); and
Past teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (course in Literature and Medicine), University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service (Professional Writing Workshop Instructor and Tutor), and University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Composition Instructor).
Editing Rates
Nonfiction Developmental/Line Editing for Essays and Book-length Manuscripts: $10/double-spaced page (250 words) with a minimum of $150.
Children’s Books: By the hour, measured in quarter hour increments ($95/hr).
Longer projects include an editorial letter sharing general advice about consistency of voice, chronology, pace, what is working well, and areas that need strengthening as well as detailed/extensive line editing and proof reading shared via comments on the manuscript in Google Docs or Track Changes (Word).
For new clients, a 50% payment is due at the time I begin reading/editing and the balance is due before the editorial letter and edits are released.
For book-length projects, please contact me for a project quote, availability, and turnaround time. I look forward to learning about your work!
When you fit with a great collaboration partner, you can hone your best ideas and focus on telling the most powerful story possible. Whether you want to choose among several potential book or essay projects, refine an idea you’ve already settled on, or market a book you’ve already finished, my decades of experience as a publisher, editor, and writer can help you with most anything related to creativity or nonfiction writing, editing, and publishing. Meet me by Zoom, phone, or at a coffee shop.
Hour $95
Hour and a Half $135
Two Hours $175
The publishing world can be baffling and overwhelming, and it is often difficult to know where to begin. Working from my experience as a writer, editor, and publisher, I can help you consider various publishing options, navigate finding potential publishers for your work, ensure that your manuscript is publication-ready, consider whether you need an agent, and begin querying publishers. An hour and a half is generally recommended. It works best when I use the first half hour to 45 minutes to read and get a feel of your manuscript and the remaining time to share publishing advice and answer questions.
Hour $95
Hour and a Half $135
Two Hours $175
"Erin was so lovely to work with, and very patient and accommodating of my hectic work schedule. She helped me organize my thoughts in a beautifully powerful and moving way."
—Sela Ward, Emmy and Cable Ace award winning actor and New York Times bestselling author of Homesick: A Memoir (Los Angeles, California)
“Working with Erin has been a writer’s dream come true. What a gift to have a mentor who understands my work at the deepest level. Her feedback is always incisive, kind, and best of all, motivating. She helps me see the truth beneath what I’ve written and to discover the beating heart of my work. I come away from our sessions feeling inspired, energized and excited to get back to work. Pieces she’s helped me with have gone on to publication in well-respected journals and to place in literary contests. She provides helpful suggestions of where to send work as well. I’m so grateful to have her in my writing life! “
—Jennifer Robinson lives and writes on Treaty 1 territory (Winnipeg, Manitoba). Her work can be found in River Teeth, Prairie Fire, Grain Magazine, and elsewhere. She is a National Magazine Gold Medal winner and the winner of the 2024 PolterGEIST Nonfiction contest.
“I approached Erin when a trusted & admired writer friend recommended her editing services. ‘I always run my work past Erin before sending it out,’ she said. And I can see why. Erin is quick, has an exacting eye for detail, and a perceptive ear for the underlying themes and motifs of a piece of writing. I found her suggestions and corrections heightened the strengths in my writing, sharpened the impact, and honoured the intent and my voice. She gave just enough direction to make the piece stronger and was able to see what I was trying to do with the structure, offering suggestions that fit. I also know that, if needed, she would probably be able to take a piece down to the foundation and suggest a direction for rebuilding. I highly recommend her services.”
—Nancy Huggett’s work won the 2022 American Literary Review’s CNF award, was shortlisted for TNQ’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay contest and Cutthroat’s Barry Lopez creative nonfiction prize, and has been published in Citron Review, EVENT, The Forge, Literary Mama, and Prairie Fire. Nancy writes, lives, and caregives on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation (Ottawa, Canada). A gajillion rejections are not stopping her from working on a lyric essay collection about ambiguous loss and caregiving.
"As a writer, I have worked with many editors from a diverse range of literary journals and small presses. Some of the editors were pushy, some were pushovers. A few of them acted like they would rather have nothing to do with me. A few would consistently forget my name. But then there’s that rare and special breed of editors who know what they’re doing, who were born to do this. They are the editors who are actually interested in you and your story. Aside from an engaging and helpful conversation I had with Erin about my essay—a conversation that would help to make me think differently about my writing—I have also grown into my writer self while under her guidance and through her expert advisement. When we worked through editing my essay, I was able to be at ease because I could just feel how I was handing my deeply personal essay to an editor who was going to treat it kindly, treat it with respect, and who was determined to improve the ways in which an essay can reach out to the reader. As an editor, I know how difficult it can be to convince a writer that her work is good, that those compliments weren’t fake, but testimonials to the ways in which they supported her work. My experience working with Erin was one that showed me how with the right kind of care and support my writing could thrive. I have become more confident in myself as a writer and editor after I saw how Erin was invested in my success. I felt like my essay was treated with extreme love and excitement."
—Chelsey Clammer, is the award-winning author of the essay collections Human Heartbeat Detected (Red Hen Press, 2022; runner-up of the Memoir Magazine Books Prize, 2024), Circadian (Red Hen Press, 2017; winner of the Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award, 2016), and BodyHome (Hopewell Publications, 2015). Her work has appeared in Salon, The Rumpus, Brevity, under the gum tree, Black Warrior Review, and McSweeney’s, among many others.
“Erin is wonderful to work with! She was very reasonable with her pricing, responsive throughout the process, and completed the work quickly and thoroughly. Her suggestions were incredibly helpful, and it’s clear that she has a wealth of experience. I truly appreciated her professionalism and expertise and would highly recommend working with her.”
—Jenni Causey Sonstroem, author of The Sangha: A Story for Everyone
“If you’re looking for top-notch editing and guidance on the publishing process, look no further than Et Alia. Working with Erin on my first children’s book has been such a delight. Her attention to detail, talent, care, and passion for what she does is quite evident and rare. She challenged me to hone in on my experience as an immigrant, giving the story deeper meaning and purpose. But that's not all. Erin guided me through every stage of the process, from manuscript to revising a query letter and feeling prepared to send them to publishers with confidence. She gently challenges you to take your writing to the next level and see it reach its fullest potential.”
—E. Ballay, author of Tiki Tholley Reads Her Reflection
"Erin edited my first children’s book. I had a passion for the subject matter but otherwise was new to writing and the process. Erin helped me develop the skeleton of a story I started with into an appealing and educational story children can learn from. Her edits of my work were easily understood and thought-provoking. She saw my vision and encouraged me to develop the story in my own way with her tactful guidance. In addition to editing my book, Erin also educated me on the publishing process including editing my query letters. I could tell she truly cared about the finished product as much as I did. I've sent the manuscript to publishers and feel so prepared thanks to Erin."
—Megan Rugg, author of an in-progress children’s picture book about school violence
“Erin was the perfect editor for my memoir. She went above and beyond! Not only did she offer clear, thorough, and helpful suggestions for improving my work, she was also a warm and empathetic reader who boosted my writing confidence. I would recommend her to anyone who needs a quick, careful, and compassionate editing professional.”
—Dr. Leigh Pittenger, author of Confessions of a Bible-Belt Yogi (Louisville, KY)
“I first worked with Erin as a contributor to Scars: An Anthology, and I was impressed that she valued my writing enough to let it shine through the editing process. Our brains seemed to somehow sync. After I got my own book deal, I discovered that my publisher hired freelance editors. I knew Erin would be the perfect editor to bring in to help work on my book, so I crossed my fingers and played matchmaker: it worked! And I’m so glad. I can’t give Erin enough credit—from developmental to final editing, she knew exactly what my story needed, and after about nine months of creative push and pull, she made a brilliant observation that gave my book the beginning I had been searching for, my opening equivalent of Cheryl Strayed’s hiking boot going over the ledge of the PCT in Wild. Erin is a dream editor, one I will always choose if I can.”
—Aimee Ross, author of Permanent Marker: A Memoir
“Working with Erin on my book could not have gone more smoothly. She patiently helped me translate my law enforcement jargon, acronyms, and writing style into a vernacular easily understood by a wide variety of readers. Erin helped me dig past my “just the facts” writing style to show the readers not just the details, but the stories behind the characters. I am convinced her expertise was instrumental to me receiving positive reviews. I recommend Erin’s services as an editor wholeheartedly, and I hope her schedule allows her to work with me on my next project!”
—Jerry Spurgers, retired FBI agent and author of Murder at Midnight: The FBI's battle with violence and drugs in a small Southern town
“I was reluctant to give up my editorial rights. I could envision a developmental editor changing it completely to my distaste. Fortunately, my publisher assigned me to Erin, who assuaged my fears on the first proof. She compromised when I stood firm, suggested structural rearrangements that substantially benefited the book, raised issues of fact I hadn’t considered, and teased out errors I never could have found. Thank you, Erin, for a perfect effort.”
—John Thorngren, author of Salvation on Death Row: The Pamela Perillo Story
“I found Erin to be friendly, welcoming, and compassionate in her grasp of the subject matter (the first-person story of a graphic artist with autism), and incisive in her recommendations and suggestions. From the detailed (time-lines, questions about what exactly is meant by a sentence or a phrase – i.e., to make the manuscript perfectly clear), to the conceptual (how the book might be restructured to work more effectively), she was spot-on and Barb and I as well as our publisher were very pleased with the results.”
—Karl Williams. Hello Stranger, My Life on the Autism Spectrum by Barbara Moran as told to Karl Williams
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