Let’s polish and publish your poetry.
Ready to publish a poetry collection? I’m here to partner with you through the process.
If you are:
finished writing your poetry book and want a trusted editor to provide edits and feedback
ready to publish your poetry book and share your words with the world
You are in the right place!
As an author of multiple poetry books, including the bestselling changing with the tides, and an editor for more than 50 poetry books, I know the time, dedication and passion you’ve put into your work.
I promise to foster your writing style and vision while providing encouraging feedback to strengthen your collection.
Boring stuff: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication and Professional Writing.
Exciting stuff: I have been writing creatively throughout my life, including poetry for 7 years. I've studied poetry professionally and worked with dozens of poets on their collections, totaling up to more than 5500 poems and over 50 books edited!
Learn more about my poetry editing packages and get in touch when you’re ready.
Why hire a poetry editor?
Poetry is an incredibly personal art form. That being said, sometimes we need a person on the outside who we can trust to provide feedback. The order makes sense in your head, but will it make sense to your readers? Is the theme strong? Did you get your message across?
Through the packages below, my goal is to make you feel confident about sharing your poetry book—whether you are looking for traditional publishers or want to self-publish— and to be a trusted guide to partner with you through the process.
poetry editing package information
package 1: manuscript appraisal & proofreading (approx $3.75 per page)
you’ll receive:
A manuscript appraisal. I will read your poetry collection and provide feedback on the theme, order of the poems and sections, overall flow, and more. You’ll receive an encouraging document with comments on my favorite poems and guidance for those that could be strengthened.
A thoroughly proofread collection. I edit for grammar, spelling and simple stylistic edits. I will point out phrases that don’t make sense or could be improved. I may suggest areas of improvement and rewrite phrases while maintaining your voice.
The pricing above comes with one round of editing. Additional rounds of editing are 50% off.
how I edit:
All edits are tracked so you can choose which edits to accept. I also leave encouraging comments throughout on my favorite poems or lines. You know, the ones that make me cry, laugh, feel something!
I maintain your voice and style.
If we’re doing multiple rounds of editing, I’ll send back your edited manuscript. you’ll review and implement feedback, and send it back to me for the next round.
how it’s priced:
Poetry collections are priced based on total page and word count (since poems tend to vary in length!). Please let me know the total page count and word count in your collection. Pages should be 12pt font (or larger) and your document should be sized to a standard poetry book size, such as 5.5x8.5 inches or 5x8 inches.
testimonial used with permission from anne pyle, @annepylewriter
What Clients Are Saying
“I am so glad I chose Shelby Leigh to edit my poetry! Her feedback was both kind and constructive. I feel much more confident to move forward with my writing. Thank you Shelby!”
— Katelyn Taylor
“Shelby’s feedback and development of my very first poetry collection was helpful, educational and confidence boosting all at once. I would recommend this service to anyone looking to get the best from their work. Invaluable!”
— Ashlie Bloom, @abloominthewild
Contact me
Your words will make a difference whether we work together or not.
But if you want an encouraging and trusted poet to review your work or empower you to publish, then I’m here.
I am typically booked 3-4 weeks in advance, so reserve your slot now and contact me!