Editing & Coaching
Emily Suzuki, essayist
“Working with Diana is like stepping into a safe and compassionate space in which she holds a mirror up for collaborative reflection, deepening self-inquiry, and clarifying attunement. Her wise council offers those in her care a gentleness that grounds, and a support that is thoughtful and unwavering.”
Work with me
I’m an experienced editor and love working with writers at all stages of the creative process. I offer line editing, development editing, and mentorship/coaching to support your writing dreams. I’ve helped emerging writers looking for a first byline, seasoned authors, high school students, MFA graduates, visual artists, poets, memoirists, and more. My approach is thorough, timely, and compassionate — grounded in your vision and your voice. Projects include:
personal essays and individual poems
application essays
artist statements
manuscripts (poetry, memoir, nonfiction)
nonfiction book proposals
book reviews and literary criticism
letters to the editor/ opinion pieces
pitches and query letters
submission/pitching support
blog/website content
Ready to learn more? Set up a free 20-minute discovery call to find out how I work with writers. I’d love to hear about your project.
Jeff Bernstein, poet and author of The Ancient Ways
“Diana is a thoughtful and supportive editor who works hard to "get" the writer she is working with, but she brings so, so much more to the table. Her suggestions are creative and spot-on; she has consistently helped me take poems to a higher plane. She manages to be both a kind, compassionate collaborator and a consistent facilitator of my best work — what more could you ask for?”
Jonathan Gitelson, visual artist
“I struggle with writing, especially when it comes to grant applications. When I hired Diana to edit a personal essay for a large grant, her revisions completely transformed and elevated my submission. Diana has an amazing ability to understand what I am trying to communicate and reinforce what is working well while clarifying what is not. Working with her has been a revelation.”
Ethel Rohan, author of In the Event of Contact
“I recently waded into my first full-length narrative nonfiction project. Diana brilliantly recognized the heart of the work and encouraged its development, while also flagging the narrative's early missteps and deadweight. Her expert guidance provided me with clarity for the project's direction and scope, and a rush of confidence for its value and potential.”
Michael Fleming, author of Bags and Tools
“An accomplished poet herself, Diana brings the whole tool box to the work she edits for others — she’s got an ear for the perfect phrase, an eye for the way a poem presents itself on the page, and a heart attuned to the deep emotional undercurrents and felt truths that give a poem its life. Most important is her generosity of spirit. Her focus is always on serving a poem on the poem’s own terms, never hers — many a time, her insights have revealed aspects of my poems that I’d been unaware of myself.”
Laken Brooks, journalist
“Out of dozens of editors of national and international publications, Diana Whitney is the best with whom I have ever worked. Every word, every punctuation mark, she suggests is intentional. Most importantly, she builds a strong rapport with her writers to ensure she is giving them the tools they need to communicate their stories. She is a strong and reliable colleague who will strengthen any writing project. Diana has been, by far, one of the most powerful voices in my writing career.”
Morgan English, poet and editor
“I have hired Diana several times for a range of editorial needs including individual poem editing and a chapbook manuscript consultation. She is thorough and rigorous in her feedback, yet always gentle and encouraging: a rare combination. Her excitement over the places where my poems are working boosts my confidence to keep writing, and her constructive feedback makes me curious and eager to revise. I love the way she actively notices without judgment, and frames criticism as questions. I also appreciate how she loves a wide variety of poetry and has never tried to conform me to any one right way, but instead looks to hear my voice and understand what my poems are reaching for in terms of style, form, and message. With her varied life experience (from sports to rural life, to parenting and feminist activism) and the decades she has spent writing across genres, Diana has a broad scope and a big tool box from which to view and edit your writing— she’ll see you, cheerlead for you, and tell it to you straight (but gently). I really can’t recommend her enough!”
Micah Stover, writer and consciousness coach
“Diana is an incredible thought partner through the writing process. She blends nurturing support of what is strong with intuitive insights to strengthen your work. She’s flexible and collaborative and really reads to get the essence of the story, coaching you, as the writer, into greater clarity about that core component. Working with her is a lovely, organic and collaborative experience. ”
Nancy McGlasson, memoirist
