Editorial Services

Let’s work together

It would be an honor to bring my expertise as an editor, teacher, mentor, and author to your current project. Whether you’re writing your first flash fiction or polishing off your third novel, I’d love to work with you.

Prose manuscripts of all lengths are welcome, from short stories to full-length memoirs. I can’t wait to read your writing!

My Expertise.

I have over a decade of experience editing novels, short fiction, memoir, essays, and reported nonfiction. As the fiction and nonfiction editor at the literary journal Gulf Coast, I edited prominent authors like Carmen Maria Machado, Kristen Arnett, Jamel Brinkley, Emma Copley Eisenberg, C Pam Zhang, Brandon Taylor, and others.

Since 2022, I have regularly written for the books section at Vulture, where I now offer monthly selections of the Best Books of the Year. I’ve also written about contemporary literature for The Atlantic, Esquire, The Cut, Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, and other venues. I have a deep understanding of the contemporary literature market.

I currently teach in the MFA Program at Sarah Lawrence College. in 2025, I taught novel writing at the Tin House Summer Workshop, and I delivered the keynote address for the San Francisco Writers' Conference. I have given lectures and seminars for Blue Stoop, Chicago Story Studio, The One Story Writers’ Conference, and teach an annual year-long novel generator for The Shipman Agency.

I hold an MFA in Fiction and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, and I have taught writing courses for the University of Houston, Arizona State University, the Inprint Foundation, and Catapult. My honors include fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Tin House Summer Workshop, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference.

Let’s hone your craft

Tier 1

Read and Response

Tier 1 includes two thorough reads of the manuscript and a written response outlining major takeaways and big-picture reactions. Written response includes ideas for revision and potential venues for publication.

Tier 2

Read, Response, Chat

Includes everything from Tier 1 plus a conversation between author and editor about the manuscript consultation letter, future revision strategies, and anything pertinent to the manuscript or revision process. Conversation will occur via a medium of the author’s choice.

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Tier 3

Line Editing

Line edits and margin notes will be made on the manuscript. Margin notes will focus on craft elements of characterization, tone, language, setting, plot, and dialogue. Writer will also be given the chance to specify an area of focus for the margin notes—i.e., character over plot, language over setting. Includes written response outlining major takeaways and big picture reactions.

Tier 4

Line Editing and Chat


Includes everything from Tier 3 plus a conversation between author and editor about the manuscript, the consultation letter, future revision strategies, and anything pertinent to the manuscript or revision process. Conversation will occur via a medium of the author’s choice.

Book Coaching and Mentorship

It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re alone at a desk and stuck on an especially difficult passage. One of the best ways to keep going is to talk about your successes and struggles with other writers.

As a book coach, we’ll work together to create personalized goals for completing your current project. I’ll help you establish writing routines, offer feedback on drafts, read your writing reflections, craft writing exercises unique to your project, give reading recommendations, and meet on Zoom for regular check ins.

It’s time to stop writing alone!

Rates are determined by each writer’s individual coaching preferences and needs. Schedule a free consultation to discuss what works best for you!

Testimonials

  • “When it comes to editing, Isle is a real powerhouse. They were extremely careful with my story and worked tirelessly to craft the draft to its best possible shape. It was a genuine pleasure to receive their notes throughout the process. Every thoughtful comment that Alex provided helped make the story better - in the process, it made me a better writer.”

    Kristen Arnett, author of Mostly Dead Things and Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One

  • “Isle McElroy is just the kind of reader and editor every writer dreams of working with—sharp, curious, patient, and alive to the needs and possibilities of a story. Isle was one of the first editors I worked with, and I found them to be a supportive and generous collaborator in the editorial process. They’re the real deal." ​

    Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life and Filthy Animals

  • "Isle is that best thing in an editor: a true collaborator. They read my work thoughtfully and respectfully, asking the right questions along the way. Never pushy, but always probing, Isle wanted exactly what I did - to make the work more brilliantly itself."

    C Pam Zhang, author of Land of Milk and Honey

  • "I feel lucky to have Isle McElroy as a reader of my work. Isle is not only widely read and possessed of a keen critical mind, but they are also generous and kind, able to provide feedback that both builds a writer up and unlocks a story’s utmost potential. And all this is delivered with a wit and sense of collaborative ease that makes the process feel enlivening."

    Mary South, author of You Will Never Be Forgotten

  • "What a gift it was to work with Isle. They asked all the right questions to help me elevate my work. I’m so grateful for Isle's perceptive guidance and their gentle encouragement to dive deeper into themes and ideas I hadn’t given myself permission to explore. They have a pretty special mind, and I was honored to be in conversation with them, untangling topics that are difficult to transfer to the page.”

    Devon Fredericksen, past client and author of How to Camp in the Woods

  • “Isle's careful reading and response, and the energy they committed to the task of getting to know the writing and what I hoped for the writing, was deeply generous. They met the work where it was and offered curiosity about choices, helping me not just better understand weaker points but identify solutions and paths forward. And they did it all with such care and focus on the story and its characters and who it and they could become. I appreciate them and their skill and thinking so much.”

    Sarah Norek, past client