Murgatroyd is passionate about coaching and developmental editing. Can also provide copy and line editing. Able to take on shorter work with a shorter turnaround and longer work with a longer turnaround. Please reach out as timing is variable.
Specializations: Styles and genres that are experimental/neuroqueered/non-traditional (i.e., hybrids, visual/auditory-focused pieces, copy editing that does not adhere to CMOS); short (under 10,000 words) prose pieces for contests, submission, publication; poetry collections; coaching/shaping of memoir/autofiction (i.e., deep development of central theme); beta reading for projects involving neurodivergent, drug-using, or street-involved characters
Murgatroyd has been a freelance editor since 2003, before working for Ingenium Books in 2021. She has edited or provided coaching or beta reading for hundreds of creative and academic works. Murg was the editor for the winning CBC Nonfiction Prize essay in 2024, the winning poem for one of Off Topic Publishing’s 2025 poetry contests, and the winning short story for the 2023 Youthwords contest, as well as dozens of other prize-winning works.
She has served both as a literary contest judge and on juries across Canada with such esteemed organizations as the Writer’s Guild of Alberta and Northwestern Ontario’s Writer’s Workshop. She loves to help emerging writers, and has participated in a mentorships with The Writer’s Union of Canada as a mentor to emerging writers as recently as 2026.
As Murgatroyd is Autistic, it is important to recognize that her style of coaching and editing will lead you to excellence but not necessarily be comfortable. She isn’t one for coddling or small talk, but promises to zero in on exactly what your story/essay/poem is missing, using careful questions about your own dreams and plans for your work to help you bring out its essence and tie each thread together in ways you may not have seen on your own.
A writer herself, Murgatroyd has personal experience with both traditional publishing and self-publishing. Along with edits, Murg can also recommend reasonable goals and suggest publishing opportunities that may be in line with your particular work. Please do not send Murg romance or work with heavy sexual content.
If you are interested in working with Murgatroyd, please click on the Work with Murgatroyd button to reach out via email to discuss your project.
