So here’s the thing: beyond the bounds of your journal or notes app, writing is rarely a one-person job. At its best, writing is a conversation, a dialogue between people and communities and ideas. As a writer and a teacher, I’ve learned that good feedback is one of the most vital ingredients to creating anything worth sharing – and giving such feedback is an art, not a science.

Over the last ten years, I’ve been sharpening my critique skills across genres and media, through reading for litmags and swapping stories with friends and grading student work. It’s a privilege to be trusted with other people’s words and I take that trust seriously, making sure my editorial comments are specific, actionable, and enthusiastic. I love getting to see the inside of others’ brains and take true joy in every project.

Testimonials

“As an emerging professional, I trust Ari wholeheartedly in any & all editing conundrums. They are an expert wordsmith and give feedback in a way that is not only reliable but also genuine, friendly, and encouraging. In all collaborations, they allow you to review their edits throughout the process and will work with you personally to accomplish your specific goals. Ari has an amazing talent in taking what you said, and crafting it into what you really want to say.”
– Sharifa Yasmin, playwright

“Ari is straight up wonderful. They were able to go through my book and kindly make suggestions. Normally when I want something edited, it comes back with red lines and a sense of being very brash. Ari was able to do it in a way that was very effective, while still keeping the warm demeanor they possess. It makes going into the editing process something not to be feared, which was new to me for sure!”
– Ellie Chavez, author of The Landslide

Services

Whether you’re drafting a novel, sharpening a short story, or polishing a professional project, I’d love to offer a fresh perspective at any & every step of the process.

Copyediting
Do you have a finished but not final draft that you want to work through? I’ll provide suggested edits for spelling and grammatical consistency, sentence structure, style, language, and overall clarity of your message or idea.

Substantive editing
Looking for an even more in-depth review of a finished (not final) draft? I’ll help you through the revision of your project, adding comments and reorganizing elements to ensure that it flows effectively, as well as adding or rewriting text segments where necessary to improve overall readability.

Proofreading
Finally made it to that final draft? Congrats! I’ll take a close look at your finished draft to catch any grammar errors, formatting issues, or missing components.

Summary review
Looking for a big picture overview of your project? I’ll provide general feedback about your work, with special attention to themes, focus, strengths, and areas to improve, in an edit letter format rather than in-depth track changes or comments.

Consulting
Maybe you’re not quite sure what kind of help your project needs, or you want to talk through some creative ideas, or you’d like to follow up on-paper notes with an extended conversation. We’ll arrange a phone or video conversation to go over your goals, areas of difficulty, and how best to fulfill your creative vision.

 

Contact

If you are interested in collaborating on a project, please fill out my contact form and tell me a little about the service you are seeking so we can arrange an appropriate rate and time frame. I can provide samples of previous editing and revision work, as well as sample edits of your project if desired (250-500 words, depending on the genre).

Whatever story you want to tell, I’m here to help it shine!