I aim to bring out the best in your writing; to help your work shine and make your audience shiver. As a published poet and essayist, I understand the time and energy it takes to create. My role as your editor is to listen carefully to your voice and help you strengthen it, sharpening your words while staying true to your story.
In addition to my experience in writing and personal editing, have an Honours Bachelor of Fine Art in Art History & Visual Studies from the University of Toronto (with specialization in Dutch Renaissance, Surrealism, Dada and Contemporary Art) and a decade's worth of experience writing press release for contemporary art galleries. Since 2010, I have worked closely with curators, university scholars and creative writers alike, to perfect their projects.
If you are interested in hiring me for professional editing services, please feel free to contact me directly for more information about my rates and availability. I look forward to working with you!
Now editing:
Poetry chapbooks
Curatorial essays & exhibition catalogues
Articles (arts & culture)
Please inquire about:
Individual poems
Academic papers (art history & curatorial studies)
* Subject to availability, please contact for inquiries.
testimonials
"I have worked with a lot of phenomenal editors, and Ellen stands out as a star among them. Her care and attention comes through in all her work. Ellen has helped me with everything from one-page essays to book-length projects and is not only thorough and quick, she's a deeply compassionate editor. Ellen has taught me a lot about my own writing. She always takes the time to explain her thoughtful responses to my work and her edits always stay true to my message and voice. She's brilliant and you should hire her to help make your writing better." - Rachel Thompson, author of Galaxy (Anvil Press, 2011), Broken Places (Booktrope, 2015) and Poetry Coordinator of Room Magazine
"Ellen has edited my poetry with acuity and encouragement, with attention to the finest detail yet appreciation for experience, “the moment,” and the sensuality of the poem. She advised me to break down stanzas and create breathing space to reflect the thought and experience of the speaker. Her awareness of form is tied to the content of the poem, and I felt that each one of her suggestions was presented as a response to my intentions. Her appreciation of certain lines is heartfelt and genuine, and when she encounters a line she doesn’t connect with, she is honest, gentle, and helpful. She has also brought awareness to my tendency to write in contractions, and I’m grateful to have an editor to remind me to slow down, to take each word as it comes, to not rush. I would trust Ellen with my poetry, my fiction, my nonfiction, and I plan to continue to have her edit my work." - Margo LaPierre, author of Washing Off the Racoon Eyes (Guernica Editions, 2017)
"Ellen is very detail-oriented in her work as an editor, able to hone in the smallest moments that are keeping a poem from shining in its best form. In my work with her, she was able to raise questions that helped me better clarify my own mission in a given poem, and build my confidence in expressing it." - Conyer Clayton, author of We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite (Guernica Editions, 2020)
"Ellen is an excellent editor. My grant proposals, research papers, and other academic projects have benefitted greatly from her attention to detail and her thoughtful and thorough edits. She has helped me to become a better writer and what I appreciate most is her nuanced approach to editing. She is sensitive to the intent of each project. Her edits strengthen and bring clarity to my ideas. Ellen goes beyond basic editing by providing insightful comments that improved the flow and structure of my writing. Additionally, her knowledge and experience with poetry and prose writing helps to bring a vibrancy and dynamism to my academic writing. I strongly recommend her editing services and I look forward to working with her on all my future writing projects." - Natalie Hume, PhD Candidate in Art History & Art Conservation (Queen's University, Canada)