The practice of writing has always been directly intertwined with my lifelong commitment to deep listening. Having grown up with two Holocaust survivor parents and a melange of languages among our family friends, I was born with an ear tuned to the sound of eloquent words as well as the equally meaningful silences in between. In many ways my five published books (three novels, a poetry collection, and most recently a book of nonfiction) can all be viewed as efforts to sort through the emotional orchestra of my childhood, searching for the sound of my own voice. As a teacher and as an editor, I bring that same depth of attention and trust to the work of others, at all stages of their writing process.
My role can be defined as a coach, a guide, a consultant, a hands-on editor. I am available to support you during the developmental phase (in which you may be considering the shape and “big picture” of a project) as well as during multiple phases of revision and fine-tuning (in which you are addressing more subtle aspects of the work). My fees are hourly rather than project-based, and I customize my approach to suit your unique preferences. Please contact me to discuss how I can best provide editorial services to meet your individual needs.
Testimonials
“Elizabeth is an excellent writing and editing coach. Her guidance and wisdom proved invaluable as I shaped and re-shaped the structure of my forthcoming novel.”
~ Devi S. Laskar, author of The Atlas of Reds and Blues
“Elizabeth is a wonderful editor. She deals with both the overall picture and the line-by-line editing. Her strengths include listening to your goals and responding with helpful suggestions and guidance. I have worked with other editors who can either be overly general or too caught up in minutia. Working with Elizabeth on short essays and a novel has been a joy, allowing me to develop my overall vision for the work and the best ways to relay my ideas to the reader.”
~Meta Pasternak
“Elizabeth edits quickly and incisively, wasting no time in getting to the nut of what will make a piece poetry or prose ring true.”
~Kathy Les
“We worked on our novel Stumbling Stone for 25 years. Dozens of people read it, edited it and gave us suggestions. When we hired Elizabeth, we knew we still weren’t ready for prime time. She gave us constructive, supportive feedback and helpful corrections. Most importantly she made two stunning suggestions that tied the whole project together and resulted in a compelling story that has won widespread praise.”
~Julie Freestone and Rudi Raab
“I’ve been working with Elizabeth and attending some of her workshops for the last several years. Her critique is always constructive and insightful. She is a deep and very astute listener; her ear and her editing skills have given clarity and energy to my work in progress. And—this is no small thing—it’s clear that she wishes her clients a creatively successful experience whether in a workshop or with a manuscript.”
~Kathy Lynn Barr
“Elizabeth Rosner is a teacher and guide, cheerleader, mentor, and visionary. Far from a mere proofreader, Ms. Rosner has taught the art of writing as a guide, not a lecturer. She allowed me to learn as I wrote and with gentle questions guided me in putting my most personal story on paper in a way that I could never have imagined. I cannot recommend Ms. Rosner highly enough as a writing coach.”
~Darrin Dixon, author of Broken Road: A Widower’s Journey
“Elizabeth Rosner transformed me as a writer. She gave me her own words and helped me discover mine. She shared her gifts with me, an unknown struggling writer, and helped bring my pages alive with her talent and insight. She works at the speed of light and charges by the hour. And she doesn’t miss anything. Her revisions and comments light a clear path to more enlightened prose.”
~Charles Benner
