WORK WITH ME
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| Window above, books below--one of my favourite places to work |
I’ve worked with writers of all ages and all stages, bringing more than two decades of writing, editing, and mentoring experience to our work together. My experience includes workshops and discussion groups for Concordia University, the Quebec Writers’ Federation, John Abbott College, Festival Blue Met Bleu, Los Parronales (Chile), and many individual mentorships. I've helped people craft great copy for webpages, event listings, festival programs, and more, and edited short- and long- form prose for a variety of markets. I also give talks, host workshops, and guide reading for poets and non-poets alike.
Please reach out by email <susan[at]susangillis[dot]ca> or use the contact link at the top of this page.
I look forward to hearing from you!
A little about me: I’m a poet with four books (Yellow Crane, The Rapids, Volta and Swimming Among the Ruins), several chapbooks (Obelisk, Twenty Views of the Lachine Rapids), a solid collection of award nominations and reviews, and a side gig as a collaborator with three other poets in the group Yoko’s Dogs (Whisk, Rhinoceros). I talk with poets and write about poetry and the writing life at Concrete & River, and co-curated (with Mary di Michele) the online micro-poetry journal HALIBUT for its exuberant three-year run.
See what people have said about working with me.
MANUSCRIPT SERVICES
*Manuscript Services are currently OPEN!*If you don’t see what you are interested in here, contact me to discuss a service tailored to your needs.
The following services are open without the need to query ahead, though please feel free to do so if you have any questions:
$90 A Handful of Poems: up to 5 poems, max. 5 pages
$150 Folio: up to 10 poems, max. 10 pages
What you get: A one-page written response focused on what I see in the poems with suggestions about how they may be strengthened. I may include questions intended to spark your imaginative response or directions for further development.
Optional follow-up: feedback on revisions at the rate of $15/poem or page.
$100 Close-up on Poems: up to 3 poems, max. 3 pages
What you get: A detailed reading of each poem, focused if requested on specific questions or aspects of the work. I may include questions and suggestions for further development. Feedback includes considerations of form and structure, image, metaphor, lineation, sound patterning, word choice, etc.
$350 Putting It Together: Consultation on a chapbook-length manuscript or body of work in progress
What you get:
A 30-minute Zoom consultation and a detailed written response on a chapbook-length manuscript (roughly 15-30 poems / pages) offering my
perspectives on what I see in the manuscript: its themes, what is stimulating, surprising, evocative, memorable, meaningful, challenging,
etc, and elements of craft that support these effects. I may suggest directions to develop or other ways to ready
the manuscript for submission or to develop it further as part of a longer
work.
$375 The Short Long View: Manuscript Review (up to 80 pages)
What you get: A thorough review of a book-length collection of poems including written notes and a one-hour video conversation about the manuscript.
Please submit your work (in Word and PDF, each poem starting on a separate page) and the fee (by e-transfer or PayPal) to <susan[at]susangillis[dot]ca>. (Replace the words in square brackets with the appropriate symbol.) Page numbers are helpful; a contents list is helpful but not required. Feel free to include a notes or question if you would like me to give attention to anything in particular.
Please query ahead for the following services:
$1500 and up The Long View: Manuscript Development and Editorial Consultation
What you get: A sustained mentorship focused on developing and revising a book-length manuscript. Together we will establish timelines for notes and discussion. Services and fees vary by manuscript length and the particular needs of the project, and are determined in consultation.
MENTORING
A limited number of mentorship spots are currentlyavailable. Please enquire:
$65/hour (3-hour minimum) Field Work: Mentoring and developmental guidance in your practice of poetry
This service is determined by your interests and needs. We can work on one, two, or many poems at a time, as determined by your needs and our schedules. Fees will always be established in consultation, so you will never be left wondering what a project might cost. We can also work on prompts, reading and responding, and other aspects of a creative practice involving poetry.
Our work together focuses on you: you will be heard, encouraged, challenged and supported as you develop your writing your way, according to your goals. Our conversation may include everything from suggested writing prompts to discussions of work we admire (or are challenged by—because that’s productive too). See more about my approach to mentoring here.
My role is to guide, champion, and enable you in your practice, whether through individual poems or manuscript development, renewing a practice that feels stalled or beginning a new practice, exploration and discovery of how poetry lives and moves, or other area of interest in poetry. Services and fees vary by
project, and are determined in consultation.
$175 Mini Mentorships (4 x 30-minute consultations)
A focused version of the Field Work described above, these four half-hour consultations provide you with feedback on poems and suggestions for development. Sessions can be scheduled weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Copy-editing,
proof-reading and related services are not included in these services.
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| Watching the tide change on the Minas Basin |
"Susan is a receptive and perceptive reader who knows when to suggest and when to sit back and let the writer do the heavy lifting. It is a privilege to have Susan help me with my manuscript, and I wholeheartedly recommend her services."
"The care and intelligence of the service Susan provided surpassed my expectations, it was a form of gift-giving, truly."
"Inspiring, constructive, effective!"