Book Editors

12 Poem Editors for Hire: Meet These Masters of Meter and Rhyme

In poetry, more than any other genre or form of writing, every word, syllable, and punctuation matters. The connotations, intonation, and sound of each word play a role in constructing a balanced and poignant line of verse.

No one understands this better than a poetry editor: a professional used to picking poems apart and helping authors put them back together by looking at their overall meaning and substance, as well as the nitty gritty details, to make sure every last verb and adjective is tonally relevant and intentional. If you’re looking to hire a poetry editor for a poetry collection or individual poems, we’ve got a list of recommended professionals who can help clarify and refine your work.

1. Michael Martin

Michael founded and edits a literary journal called Jesus the Imagination, and has worked as a freelance editor and editorial consultant for Angelico Press for seven years. His editing portfolio includes a wide range of genres and forms: poetry (including poetry translation), fantasy, memoir, fiction, theology, and philosophy. Michael has also worked as a manuscript referee for academic journals, as well as taught writing. Former clients of Michael’s include David Bentley Hart (fellow of the Notre Dame Institute of Advanced Study), Jonathan Geltner (MFA, translator of French poet Paul Claudel) and Daniel Joseph Polikoff (poet, translator, and Rainer Maria Rilke scholar).

Fun fact: Michael holds a PhD in English Literature. Complex verse and intertextuality? Bring it on.

2. Daniel Johnson

Daniel has nine years of editing experience, part of which he spent as an editorial assistant at Fantagraphics Books. He’s written poetry and scripts for self-published comics himself, and spent the last four years doing UX writing for tech companies — though he could never tear himself away from creative writing. The genres Daniel is most keen to edit include poetry (especially, as he puts it, “collections that work with a literal or thematic narrative, epic poems, or poetry that uses complex rhymes”), comics and graphic novels, self-help and spiritual books. As a writer himself, he’s committed to a balanced editorial style where he is both honest about a poet’s flaws and encouraging about their strengths.

Fun fact: Daniel’s writing talents exceed the literary world — he’s been writing music for over 15 years and knows a thing or two about rhyme and rhythm!

3. Shelby Newsom

Shelby is a writer and editor with plenty of experience in indie and small-press publishing, having worked as the Associate Editor at Autumn House Press (where she helped discover new writers from underrepresented groups), as well as Associate Editor and Copyeditor at The Fourth River, and Copyeditor at Front Porch Journal. Notable titles from her editing portfolio include Further News of Defeat by Michael X. Wang (winner of the PEN/Robert W. Bingham prize and a PEN America award), and the poetry collection speculation, n. By Shayla Lawz (nominated for the National Book Award). Beyond poetry, Shelby is interested in working with authors on short (or flash) fiction, literary fiction, and memoirs.

Fun fact: Shelby has edited nature writing spanning a wide variety of topics — ranging from Midwestern cornfields to the imperial roots of China 🌱

4. Thea Voutiritsas

Thea is a production and poetry editor living in Chicago, though she has worked across a number of genres, including young adult fiction, astrology, cookbooks, and graphic novels. She has over four years of experience in professional copyediting, proofreading, and production, and is confident that whatever your poetry manuscript needs, she’ll be able to help you work through it. Previous poetry collections she has worked on include Kim Rashidi’s Fortunate: Tarot Poetry, Melody Godfred’s The Shift: Poetry for a New Perspective, and F.S. Yousaf’s Serenity.

Fun fact: As a full-time production editor, Thea sees approximately 50 books through the publishing process every year. That’s almost a book a week!

5. Sarah White

Sarah White has worked as a professional editor for the University of Arkansas Press and as a freelance editor, while she’s also written her own books. Because she’s experienced both sides of the publication process, she’s keen to assist authors working on subjects they’re passionate about with empathy and honesty. Books she has edited include poetry collection Paraíso by Jacob Shores-Argüello (Winner of the 2017 CantoMundo Poetry Prize) and Maxine Brown’s memoir Looking Back to See.

Fun fact: Sarah used to correct everyone’s grammar as a kid — and now she does it professionally!

6. Emily Price Soli

Emily has held a variety of positions in publishing, such as marketing and revisions editor with New Degree Press, managing editor of LSU Legacy Magazine, and poetry editor at the Delta Journal. As a freelance editor, she’s happy to edit a wide variety of genres, from poetry collections to self-help nonfiction, or technical science manuscripts. She’s previously edited poetry collections Into the Orange Grove by Grace Hasson and Consequences of Flight by Pei Ja Anderson. One of the clients she edited poetry for left this glowing review on her freelance profile: “Emily brought so much care to each line of the poems I submitted that I felt safe to send her more of my work.” If a relationship of safety isn’t the greatest accomplishment of an editor, we don’t know what is.

Fun fact: Emily’s bachelor degree was in conservation biology, with a minor in English, hence her happy flexibility with genres.

7. Mona Moraru

In her publishing career of over ten years, copy editor Mona Moraru has worked with small presses, newspapers, as well as literary journals. She studied English-language literature with a minor in Latin language and literature at Oberlin College, then completed a certificate in editing at the University of California, Berkeley. As the Associate Editor of the Chicago Quarterly Review (a nonprofit journal publishing short fiction, poems, translations, and essays), she makes editorial decisions about which submissions should be accepted and copyedits each issue herself. If you’re looking for an experienced copyeditor to polish your poetry, Mona’s got your back..

Fun fact: As the youngest daughter of Jewish Romanian refugees who grew up in “a family of artists, engineers, linguists, teachers, and scientists” (as she puts it herself), Mona is passionate about uplifting different perspectives and helping marginalized voices be heard. 💪

8. Tim Lindner

Tim worked on Engineering, Physics, and Computer Science textbooks during his eight years at Wiley, and simultaneously pursued an MFA in Creative Writing and worked as the Poetry Editor of Serving House Books. Since 2019, he no longer works in educational publishing, focusing instead on freelance editing, teaching, reviewing poetry collections for The Literary Review, and pursuing his own writing. As a freelance editor, he states he likes to work “upstream” with authors, thinking about their aims and whether they’re accomplished in the end result.

Fun fact: Tim’s own poetry has appeared in The Citron Review and various anthologies with Serving House Books.

9. Aaron Lelito

Aaron is a freelance editor and college-level English instructor based in Buffalo, New York. In his work as an editor, he is most intrigued by projects dealing with nature, environmental topics, self-development, psychology, consciousness, Eastern spirituality, and related fields. Aaron also has experience facilitating writing workshops, which has given him a deep understanding of the uncertainties writers face, and the ability to connect with each writer on their own terms. He’s edited poetry collections such as why i never got to neptune by Stewart Hickman and Such Excess of Light by Shannon Lise.

Fun fact: Aaron has worked as Assistant Professor at the State University of New York for about 13 years, teaching modules as varied as intro writing courses, composition for humanities and STEM fields, research writing, and workplace writing.

10. Kristin Gustafson

Kristin has worked as an editor since 2017, beginning her career as Assistant Editor of Poetry for Quiz & Quill Magazine, where she helped the Poetry Editor assess poetry submissions. As a creative writing tutor, she’s worked on a great number of poems, short stories, plays, and essays. She then progressed to freelance work until June 2020, when she joined New Degree Press as a Marketing and Revisions Editor. Since then, she’s kept busy editing poetry collections, novels, and nonfiction titles, including Maddy Garrett’s The Unlearning and Julia Weidman’s I Am Glass.

Fun fact: As a college student, Kristin founded a spoken word club.

11. Kary Wayson

Kary is an editor and manuscript consultant with a strong background in editing creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid forms. Clear-sighted and a curious reader, she’s intrigued by writing that revolutionizes syntax, though she doesn’t exclusively edit experimental work. She’s got an MFA from the University of Washington and has edited poetry collections Hover by Erin Malone (Winner of the Patricia Bibbly First Book Prize) and And Yet by Kate Baer.

Fun fact: One of Kary’s client testimonials reads: “Not to be dramatic, but I’ve been looking for this sort of editor my whole life.” Now that is a testimonial.

12. Lanette S.

Lanette wears multiple hats: during her varied career, she’s worked as a reporter, news and features editor for The Star and Guideposts, copy editor, ghostwriter, grants writer, textbook proofreader, fact-checker, and tutor of English and Women’s Studies courses. In other words, she’s done it all, and in the process has come to appreciate how adapting her approach to each project leads to a better outcome. Having earned a Master’s in English Literature after growing up in a blue-collar background, Lanette states that she’s “down to earth while conscious of code switching in the language we use.” When it comes to poetry, Lanette makes a confident and diligent proofreader.

Fun fact: Thought there was no more room for adventures in her CV? Lanette also ran a Girls Leadership program and worked as a business development director for a Prudential firm for five years!

No matter how complex and esoteric your poems might be, there’s an editor out there who shares your literary taste, and has the expertise and foresight to guide your poetry book to the light of publication. Best of luck with this wisest of publishing investments!