Allison Titus – Editor

Hello! My name is Allison, and I’ve been copyediting and proofreading fiction and nonfiction books for fifteen years—I’ve worked on everything from lyric essay collections, hybrid texts, and poetry manuscripts to novels and memoirs. I love enhancing language to reveal the possibility of surprise—or to simply sharpen a sentence and clarify its meaning.

As a writer myself, I hold two MFAs (in Poetry and Fiction), I’ve published three collections of poetry and a literary novel, and I co-edited a poetry anthology. I teach in an MFA program for creative writing where I work one-on-one with graduate students on their writing projects (novels-in-progress, short stories, essays, poetry collections—you name it), helping them connect to and develop their own unique voice and style, and to craft their vision into compelling language. I’ve done this individualized critique and coaching work for the past 12 years across a wide range of genres: YA, sci fi, fantasy, LGBTQ fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, memoir, poetry, and hybrid prose works.

I work with writers who are at the beginning of their careers and with writers who have already published multiple books. The writers I work with often have perspectives and identities that are historically underrepresented and marginalized; I want to help every writer I work with craft their singular voice so that it can be heard clearly, so that it can take up space, so that it can be powerful.

As an editor and proofreader, my approach is supportive and gentle but discerning—I want to make your writing as sharp and as resonant as it can be. I’m a sensitive, progressive, thoughtful reader. I prioritize clear and open communication with my clients, and I respect and appreciate the trust it takes for a writer to share their story with me. My guidance is personalized to each manuscript I work on, and I adjust my process along the way to accommodate each project’s context and style, and each writer’s particular needs and intentions.

All of this is to say: language is my life, and I’d love to work with you on your project.