John Murillo ᐧ Noah Arhm Choi ᐧ Adam Falkner ᐧ Jon Sands ᐧ Lauren Sanderson ᐧ Carlos Andrés Gómez ᐧ torrin a. greathouse ᐧ Caitlin Scarano ᐧ Nicole Homer ᐧ Siaara Freeman ᐧ Michael Russell ᐧ Shira Erlichman ᐧ Stevie Edwards ᐧ Sarah Kay ᐧ John Paul Davis ᐧ Bree Bailey ᐧ Thomas Fucaloro ᐧ Jason Carney ᐧ Rico Frederick ᐧ Angel Nafis ᐧ Aaron Samuels ᐧ Mahogany L. Browne

Beacon Press ᐧ Black Lawrence Press ᐧ Button Poetry ᐧ Frog Hollow Press ᐧ diode Editions ᐧ Four Way Books ᐧ Great Weather for Media ᐧ Haven Books ᐧ Kendall Hunt ᐧ Red Beard Press ᐧ Small Doggies Press ᐧ Thrush Press ᐧ University of Hell Press ᐧ University of Arkansas Press ᐧ Write Bloody Publishing

Winter Tangerine Review: Fragments of Persephone
Online Journal of Poetry and Visual Art | Special Edition

✶ Editor

Black Lawrence Press
Book Publisher: Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction

✶ Consulting Copy Editor, Contributing Writer

Transfr Inc.
Job Training Simulations in VR

✶ Senior Copy Editor

JustMedia
Media Literacy for Social Justice

✶ Consulting Copy Editor, Media Librarian

Write Bloody Publishing
Book Publisher: Poetry

✶ Copy Editor

Read. Write. Edit. Submit.
Online Generative Writing Workshops

✶ Founder, Curriculum Designer, Facilitator, Editor

Catapult
Publisher, Magazine, and Writing Courses

✶ Copy Editor

Urban Arts Partnership: Fresh Ed
Education Modules

✶ Copy Editor

Community Building Art Works
Writing and Artistic Workshop Program for Military and Veterans

✶ Facilitator

For Some Time Now: Performance Poets of New York City
Anthology of Poems and Essays featuring Jonathan Weiskopf’s Portraits

✶ Editor

Winter Tangerine Review: The Cartography of Femininity
Lecture Series

✶ Curriculum Designer, Lecturer

Union Station Magazine
Poetry, Prose, Photography and Visual Art Online Journal

✶ Poetry Editor, Associate Prose and Nonfiction Editor

Radio City Music Hall
Entertainment Venue and Theatre

✶ Production Coordinator

PROPRIETARY CONTENT

Various roles writing and copyediting proprietary content.

ASPCA ᐧ Bank of Cherry Creek ᐧ Crest Advisors ᐧ EGR International ᐧ Fieldpoint Private ᐧ FillPro ᐧ Madison Williams and Company ᐧ Sills Huniford ᐧ SMH Capital

Request full markup portfolio: jeanann@jeanannverlee.com

be creative. explore possibilities. have fun.

PURPOSE

All texts require review. Mine. Yours. Toni Morrison’s. Writing is an extreme intellectual sport. We get tired. We miss things. After a certain point of writing and revision, the writer can no longer objectively see the full scope of the text. We need fresh eyes to help clarify what we’ve overlooked. That’s why I’m here.

As a poet, essayist, memoirist, and scriptwriter, I have a keen sense of the elements of storytelling that help capture attention and foster compelling, emotional impact. Whether it’s a 200-word piece of flash fiction, a 100-page voiceover script, a 36-character title, or a full-length poetry manuscript, we’re telling a story.

I work intimately with authors and content creators across genres, providing developmental, structural, content, and line editing, as well as proofreading—and I’m driven by one priority: the audience. Whether we’re serving readers, students, consumers, moviegoers, or podcast listeners, we must focus on their experience of the content.

I am honest, rigorous, and kind. Deeply passionate about the power of language and the craft of storytelling, I advocate for muscular verbs and revel in debating the nuances between prepositions. I offer techniques that improve continuity and logic, encourage experimentation with word choice, and promote mechanics that guide the reader’s eye with exacting precision. 

I foster authenticity by ushering creative writers inward toward their own unique voice and guiding content creators outward to embody the brand or character voice. I mentor both to push boundaries, take ever-greater risks, and never lose sight of the audience. Yes, we have deadlines to meet, but we don’t have to sacrifice creativity! We dig deep, find the right verb, adjust syntax, explore new entry points. We give the text the attention it deserves.

A colleague once joked, “Wow, you care a LOT.” 

Yes, I do.

APPROACH

➛ I carefully read the text.
I spend time with the original work to assess intent, continuity, logic, and voice.

➛ I try to read your mind.
I make logical, educated guesses based on context. With your intent as my compass, I offer multiple alternatives to account for as many options as possible.

➛ I ask a lot of questions.
Whether the language begs for a little boost or a phrase is simply unclear, I ask questions so you can more acutely see exactly what your writing is communicating and implement alternate ways to specify and clarify.

➛ I multitask across elements.
I analyze concept, structure, continuity, accuracy, voice, grammar, and more to ensure the text is cohesive. I provide line edits to support writing fundamentals and work to improve the texture and logic of each line or sentence—both internally and in relationship to the rest of the text.

➛ I cut. I tighten. I cut more.
I highlight excess or interruptive language and suggest ways to tighten it so your content is as concise as possible.

➛ I provide extensive feedback.
I coach writers by detailing the purpose behind each line edit—from basic grammar and syntax to larger issues such as redundancy, ambiguity, inaccuracy, conceptual incongruities, logic conflicts, tone, voice, and more.

➛ I amalgamate.
Where needed, I integrate multiple different writers’ styles into one cohesive voice (brand or character).

—Jeanann Verlee

"Jeanann Verlee is the best editor I've ever had. She's meticulous, communicative, compassionate, wildly intelligent, and treats each project as though it were her own. She doesn't just identify problems, she creates possibilities. She doesn't just make your writing better, she makes you a better writer."
—Jon Sands, author of It's Not Magic and The New Clean

“Working with Jeanann Verlee has been one of the greatest gifts my writing has ever received. She intuitively understands what a piece of writing wants (well before its author), and how to tough-love it into polish. Not only can she quickly shape a story from 10,000 feet up, she has an uncanny capacity for detail—for every letter, every comma, every line break and footnote and "you-can-push-this, think-of-your-audience" word choice. She is rigorous and tender. She is meticulous and playful. And good lord is she smart."
—Adam Falkner, educator, race & equity strategist, author of The Willies, Adoption, and Ten for Faheem

“Jeanann is an exceptional copy editor who enhances learning experiences, pushes instructional designers to improve their writing and research skills, and contributes to high team morale. She is quickly able to dig into complex subject matter and spot gaps in knowledge that even the experts occasionally miss. [She] always keeps the learner at the forefront of her work, and holds herself to the highest standards.”
—Kelly Novic, Director of Instructional Design

“I am staggered by the thoroughness and generosity of Jeanann’s edits. She manages to be both the toughest editor I’ve ever worked with, and one of the warmest. She wants my poems to shine just as badly as I do. She challenges old habits to improve my writing skills, which makes my new work tighter, more honed, and more wild.”
—Lisa Baird, author of When Whales Went Back to the Water and Winter's Cold Girls

“Thank you so VERY much for these incredibly insightful, thoughtful edits! I am astounded by the care you've poured into my work. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
—JMM, private client, author

“Jeanann! Thank you for your rigor, sensitivity, and incredible attention to detail, eternally with a mind to the bigger project.”
—SB, colleague, instructional designer

“I am blown away by the amount of time, care, and attention you provide to every document that comes your way. Thank you for your intense focus and your amazing work ethic.”
—AC, colleague, instructional designer