The best poetry book copy editing services

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Erin L. 5 star rating

Seattle, Washington, United States

24+ awards in writing and editing • 30+ books edited • Specialties include nonfiction and poetry • Ph.D. student, lit and creative writing

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Short Story, Poetry, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, History, Nature, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Cavendish Square, Wiley, & other publishers
  • Open Books: A Poem Emporium
  • Killer Visual Strategies
  • Various magazines
  • The Kentucky Standard
  • Sarabande Books
  • Entre Ríos Books

Amanda 5 star rating

Charlottesville, VA, USA

Independent press cofounder, experienced editor, insightful reader. Edits literary and genre fiction at all stages of development.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Psychological Thriller, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Independent Press
  • C&R Press
  • Virginia Tech
  • Freelance

Dakota 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Seasoned editor & published writer with a passion for literature & language—in particular: poetry, essay collections, & children's books

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Biographies & Memoirs, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Nature.

Work experience:

  • Atmosphere Press
  • Crazyhorse Magazine
  • The Georgia Review
  • University of Bahrain

Misty 5 star rating

Nashville, TN, USA

Veteran editor specializing in inspiring stories about religious deconstruction, deconversion, and narcissistic abuse recovery

Genres: New Age, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Poetry, Young Adult, Fantasy, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins
  • Self-employed
  • 2CGaming

David 5 star rating

Durham, NC, USA

15+ years editing for an award-winning literary magazine. I help writers shape their work with clarity and care.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Sun magazine

developmental & copy editor of fiction & poetry | 20+ years experience published novelist & poet | book production & publishing expertise

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Religion & Spirituality.

Work experience:

  • W. W. Norton
  • Self-employed

Mark 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

I'm a professional editor, writer, and poet. Assisting others with their writing and creative endeavors is extremely meaningful to me.

Genres: Poetry and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Schuylkill Valley Journal
  • Cleaver Magazine

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Meg 5 star rating

Philadelphia, PA, USA

20+ yrs as a collaborative journalist/editor/poet, using candor and kindness to help writers win awards + publish their poetry + nonfiction.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Music, Psychology, Biographies & Memoirs, Writing & Publishing, Nature, Poetry, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Garden Design Magazine
  • Women's Health magazine
  • Rathalla Review
  • Rosemont College

Jessica 5 star rating

Madison, WI, USA

Advocate for inclusivity and diversity; #OwnVoices reader for queer/mentally ill characters. I specialize in romance, fantasy, and poetry.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Poetry, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, LGBTQ Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • The University of Wisconsin Press
  • Sourcebooks
  • Self-employed

Laurel 5 star rating

Portland, ME, USA

I am an experienced editor specializing in K–12 education, memoir, and other nonfiction.

Genres: Education & Reference, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Travel, Humanities & Social Sciences, Poetry, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Solution Tree Press
  • Marzano Resources
  • The Creator Institute

Ariel 5 star rating

New York, NY, USA

Meticulous editor. Experience at Macmillan, Simon and Schuster, Red Hen Press. Poetry, literary fiction/nonfiction, adult/children's books.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Writing & Publishing, Non-Fiction, Children's, Coming of Age, Short Story, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Red Hen Press
  • Scripps College Journal
  • The Student Life
  • Coffee Stained Press
  • Self-employed
  • The Adroit Journal

Talin 5 star rating

New Haven, CT, USA

Poet and editor specializing in poetry with over 10 years of experience editing for top literary journals

Genres: Poetry and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • The Yale Review
  • The Adroit Journal

Mira 5 star rating

Boston, MA, USA

Proofreader and copyeditor with over six years of wide-ranging experience and a special focus on children's and YA!

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Charlesbridge Publishing

Laura 5 star rating

Kansas City, MO, USA

Specializing in copy editing and proofreading for books and calendars in children's, poetry, humor, and humanities genres #fine-toothcomb

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Calendars, Non-Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Poetry, Comics Non-Fiction, Art, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Andrews McMeel Universal
  • Ascend Media
  • KCMETROPOLIS
  • Cerner Corporation
  • Truman State University

Amanda 5 star rating

Oakland, CA, USA

Experienced copyeditor + publishing professional with over ten years of multi-genre work. I prioritize partnership, quality, and kindness 📚

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Anthologies, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library
  • The MIT Press
  • Self-employed
  • California Digital Library
  • Pleaides: Literature in Context

Kary 5 star rating

Seattle, WA, USA

I'm a devoted, hardworking editor with a keen eye for detail and a fascination with language in all its combinations, uses, and forms.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Fiction, Mashups, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Writing & Publishing, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hugo House
  • Poetry Northwest

Kelly 5 star rating

Phoenix, United States

I am passionate about the written word! I have 20 years of editing experience in all genres, with special attention to business and travel.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Travel, Poetry, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Immanence Journal
  • Gently Read Literature (GRL)
  • International Artist Publishing
  • Perseus Books Group
  • Self-employed

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Hire the best poetry copy editors

Poetry is often viewed as being open in form and to interpretation, but you can rest assured that you’ll still need a good copy editor for poetry as much as any other form. In fact, the importance of rhythm and flow to verse means that jarring typos or inconsistencies can be more likely to stand out to readers and reviewers than in prose.

That’s why it’s so important that you hire a poetry copy editor with a surplus of knowledge under their belt who can help you identify typos, mistakes in grammar, and inconsistencies. Once these issues are out of the way, you’re sure to guide your verse to greatness.

And don’t worry, finding an experienced editor doesn’t need to be its own Odyssey: on the Reedsy Marketplace, we host the most talented freelance professionals in the industry. You're in the right place. Now you just need to take the next step — sign up today and request quotes for free.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

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Step 2

Browse

Then, browse professional profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.