• Willie Fitzgerald is a phenomenal editor. He is one of the only people on this planet who has seen my work in its newborn, messy draft stage.

    Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author Mostly Dead Things (Tin House) and With Teeth (Riverhead)

  • Willie is a brilliant editor and reader, which is obvious to anyone who has read his writing. I trust his opinion and edits on my work more than anyone I know.

    Alex Higley, editor of Great Place Books and author of True Failure (Coffee House)

Editing Services

I offer top edits, developmental editing and markups for flash fiction, short stories, and full-length novel manuscripts. Every service starts with a free half-hour consultation, where we’ll discuss what the best fit is for your project and your practice. Rates for developmental, line and short story edits vary by project. I base my estimate on a 20-page sample of your work.

Developmental Edit

This is a high-altitude look at a manuscript, one that’s best earlier in the drafting process. In a developmental edit, I read for structure, story, character, and tension. I provide an editorial letter (usually between four to eight single-spaced pages) outlining my suggestions for a future draft, and will meet with you for an hour to discuss any lingering questions.

Line Edit

A more thorough look at your work-in-progress, a line edit is best for writers who feel their work is close to being ready for submission or publication. In this edit, I read for language, clarity, and style, but will still flag any structural or character-level issues I see.

Short Story Edit

Short stories are near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been lucky to get to edit many at American Short Fiction. For this service, I will read and mark up one short story, write a one to two page response, and have a 30-minute phone or video call with you to discuss my feedback. Prices vary by length of story and how intensive an edit you want, but generally start at $300 for a 15–25 page story.

Coaching and Mentorship

I love working one-on-one with writers at all stages of their careers. I’m happy to help you hit a word count goal for your novel, offer feedback on multiple drafts of a single short story, or just help you unlock your daily writing practice.