My overall objective is to help you achieve your writing goals and to help your writing say what you want it to say in clear, understandable and appealing sentences and paragraphs. My editing services include corrections in grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation. I may include suggestions about moving or deleting sentences, paragraphs or whole sections to increase clarity.

I’ll also be happy to pass on my knowledge of the book-publishing industry, how to write a query letter that will get attention (and of course, I’ll help you edit it!), and how to find an agent.

For nonfiction projects (memoir, self-help and how-to, essays, business writing, creative nonfiction), my editing services also cover content, structure, pacing, clarity, maintaining a high level of engagement and interest, allowing for a gradual mastery of material to assure reader satisfaction, and other conventions of nonfiction writing, as well as the services listed above.

For fiction projects, I'll look at all of the above as well as pay attention to point of view, character and plot development, pacing and other fiction concerns.

For poetry, I’ll comment on the overall content and theme, as well as such structural matters as rhyme, meter, metaphor, line breaks, alliteration and other poetic devices. Rather than “editing” your poetry, I see myself as a poetry coach, pointing out the best qualities of your work and indicating where I think you could improve things. As your poetry coach, I can make suggestions about how to strengthen and hone your natural gifts. I can also share my knowledge of markets for poetry submissions.

Professional Qualifications:

I graduated With Distinction with a double major in English and French, followed by a Master’s degree in French Literature. I taught French in a community college, then entered law school and received my J.D. After writing enough legal briefs to paper an entire courthouse, I moved on to free-lance writing as a career path. For several years I wrote magazine articles on a variety of topics. I also edited four anthologies of poetry and personal essays (including my own), published by Adams Media, Inc. I have edited or critiqued several book-length projects as well as numerous essays, poems, articles and business projects. I’ve judged several essay and poetry contests. 

I’ve always written poetry, and have had hundreds of poems published in various literary journals. Many of my poems have garnered awards in poetry contests. I’ve had two chapbooks published and am working on a full-length collection. I'm currently Poetry Co-editor of Kansas City Voices literary magazine.

  Contact me at maril@prodigy.net or call 913-484-1733.