Academic Editor | Nonfiction & Fiction Editor | Writing Mentor & Coach

I work with scholars, artists, and writers on every aspect of the writing process and the writing life, including a wide range of writing genres. As an editor for academics and creatives, I guide writers through every step of their projects, from idea generation and coaching support to developmental editing and end-stage copyediting. I work with my clients to strategize work plans, personal statements, funding applications, publication goals, and more.

Because of my own experiences as an artist, academic, and writer, I am equally at home with a diverse range of writing forms, including dissertations, journal articles, short stories, memoirs, and everything in between. In fact, one of my superpowers as an editor is my fluency across writing genres and languages. As former Assistant and Associate Professor at an R1 university, I regularly counsel academics on translating their interdisciplinary scholarly research into narrative throughlines that are accessible and enjoyable to public audiences, and as an award-winning writer of creative prose, I guide fiction and nonfiction writers on approaches to incorporating research into works driven by voice, atmosphere, and story. As an artist myself, I also understand the challenges faced by artists who must articulate their visual and performing practices into written language for funding applications.

"Leila approaches editing as an art in itself. Her feedback is constructive and balanced, responsive and in-tune with the writer. It's rare to find an editor who takes so much care with someone else's work."

Jodie Noel Vinson, Nonfiction Writer, 2023 Bread Loaf Scholar, Pushcart nominee
Testimonials