Artful editing for memoir and narrative nonfiction
Helping you to deepen your story, elevate your craft,
and reach your readers.
Welcome.
If you’re a writer of memoir, creative nonfiction, or a nonfiction book about a topic you’ve researched, you’ve come to the right place!
I work with both beginning and experienced writers who hope to get an agent or submit to an independent publisher, and with authors who choose to self-publish their books.
I'd love to discuss your project to discover how I can help you reach your readers.
What authors say
Writing a memoir is an emotional journey that is both personal and daunting. I was fortunate to work with Ellie on mine. I was dealing with someone who not only did a wonderful job on the structural and stylistic editing, but also understood my feelings and thoughts. She sensed what I wanted to convey. Her insights and new perspectives shifted the story beyond what I was doing on my own, helped me find my voice and made me a better writer.
Gordon Miller
Choosing an editor who will be the right fit for you and your book can be a daunting task. I hired Ellie for my book Side Effects: A Nurse’s Journey Through Secondary Traumatic Stress because of her experience in editing nonfiction, and her interest in memoir. From the start, I felt that Ellie really understood the goal of my book and most importantly the tone I was hoping to achieve. Her insightful comments were always helpful and she was a pleasure to work with.
Dorothy B. Wright
Ellie Barton "got" me and my "voice" from the get-go. She shared her suggested changes with me in a professional yet delicate manner. I was impressed by her microscopic attention to the details, most notably continuity details that earlier editors had missed entirely. Ellie also helped to boost the confidence of a first-time author. I sincerely hope that I will be calling on her to work with me again someday.
Catherine Gourdier
Hello
My name is Ellie Barton
I specialize in memoir and narrative nonfiction. My editorial feedback is hand-tailored to your manuscript, aligned with your voice and vision, and useful in developing your craft. I’m an editing instructor at Simon Fraser University and an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), which means I’ve been vetted by a rigorous panel of peers.
