MANUSCRIPT EDITING
If you’re looking for a supportive and insightful reader for your manuscript or manuscript-in-progress, I’d love to work with you. I offer manuscript editing and creative consultation services at multiple budget levels for those who are trying to shape a larger body of work, put together a book or chapbook, or are looking for someone to read through their poetry, nonfiction, or prose of any length. I also offer creative advising in a variety of forms, including developing personalized writing prompts, advising on submissions or small press publication, and supporting a regular accountability practice.
About manuscript editing: my editing process is meant to give you thorough feedback on the overall structure of your piece, highlight moments of strength, and identify places that could use elaboration or additional work. It’s ideal for first or second drafts of work. First we’ll do a brief check-in so I can get a sense of your goals for and status of the project. Then I’ll read through carefully, providing in-line notes to your manuscript and summarizing overarching themes, opportunities for expansion, and a close reading of techniques I see working well. After I read through and send my notes we’ll meet over Zoom to discuss these edits to your piece, giving you a chance to ask questions. All feedback is highly customizable, and I can tailor my response and feedback to fit your needs.
I charge an hourly rate for all services, and offer sliding-scale rates for demonstrated low-income artists. If you’re interested in learning more and/or working together, please fill out the contact form below as thoroughly as possible. You can also email me directly at kellyschirmann@gmail.com.
TESTIMONIALS
“I've worked with Kelly on many projects and have had each work revolutionized by her cares, insight, and absurd sagacity. Kelly approaches each editing project as sincerely as her own impressive work and unearths what's already in the piece-- which is refreshing to other editors who try to press their vision upon your work. Her notes are contemplative, thorough and sensitive to the form and original intent of the work, and I find that each writing I've worked on with her comes back dynamically more my own and more in line with the potential vision I had for it.”
— Emma Jon-Michael Frank, author of Nostalgia Flower
“I have worked with Kelly on several of my writing projects. As an editor, she has the gift of understanding my process better than I do. Her questions, her insight, and even the words she finds to describe what she sees in my words, feel invaluable and prescient. Whatever stage of the writing process I’m in, Kelly is always able to identify the risks I am taking in my work even when I haven’t.”
— Suzanne Garcia Pino, author and writing consultant