writer
editor
museum fiend
library and archive enthusiast
Hi! Do you ever think, “I know what I want to say, but I don’t know how to say it”?
That’s where I come in.
In school I always struggled to make my essays long enough. Back then, my brevity was a burden. Now it’s a career.
When you’re aiming for impact, concision* is key. I work with individuals and organizations to turn sprawling prose into sharp, memorable stories.
*Yes, this is a word. “Conciseness” is also valid.
“In 2018, I was a new reporter. I didn't (and still don't) have a journalism or English degree. But Ella saw potential in me. She taught me that the key to writing is specificity. I learned how to write visual scenes, how to channel thoughtful curiosity in my reporting, and how to find stories that show the full diversity of this world. Besides writing, Ella has taught me to own my voice, to experiment with all forms of storytelling, and to trust my instincts. She's one of the reasons I'm where I am today at The New York Times.”
Christina Djossa
Opinion Audio Producer
The New York Times
Services
Non-Fiction Writing
Maybe you have great ideas, but when you stare at a blinking cursor you can’t form sentences. Perhaps you want a book ghostwritten in a thoughtful-yet-snappy voice. You might be coming ashore from academia, dripping in terms like rubric and praxis. I can translate your nebulous concepts into clear, friendly words.
Non-Fiction Editing
Need someone to take your copy from Dullsville to Vibrant Junction? Got a video script that sounds too stilted? Written a whole website’s worth of words that sound like they were generated by a corporate robot? I can make them warm and human.
Research
There is nothing I enjoy more than diving deep into an archive, whether real-world or digital. If you have a research-heavy project, I will gladly do the research part for you. I love the smell of primary sources in the morning.
“Ella has been truly instrumental in my career as a journalist. During my time as an editorial fellow at Atlas Obscura, she was my very first editor, and taught me how to turn even the most obscure topics into sharp pitches, and find the human element in stories no matter how big or small. Her guidance continues to be a roadmap for how I report out articles and she has encouraged my voice from the very start. Ella is not only a talented editor, but a genuine supporter of writers!”
Evan Nicole Brown
Reporter
The New York Times
Experience
Writing
I co-wrote Atlas Obscura, a 480-page New York Times bestseller that’s been translated into 17 languages. Wrote Outback, a kids’ book about Australian animals. Wrote 313 captions for a page-a-day cat calendar, coming late 2021. (“Who disturbs the king of Beanbag Mountain?”) Wrote about historical mysteries for the History Channel online. Currently copywriting for OMGyes.
Editing
I’ve assigned and edited news and feature stories from 80+ writers around the world. Among them: a taboo-busting crematorium manager in Chennai; childhoods spent in New York’s Chinese laundries; a 101-year-old tattooist in the Philippines; and a mysterious roadside pickle jar in Missouri.
Speaking
I’ve spoken at SXSW and the Boston, Miami, Texas, and Wisconsin Book Festivals. Made over 50 radio appearances, including WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show and Science Friday. One time I interviewed Cookie Monster and he taught me how to om-nom a cookie.
Want the unabridged version? Head to LinkedIn for my resumé.
“Ella has such a fantastic eye for the diamonds in the rough—the quirky, offbeat stories that, with the right guidance, can become big and impactful. She's game for experiments, but she also isn't afraid to say when a story needs an extra interview or two—or a restructuring—in order to be at its strongest. I've always appreciated both her openness to the unconventional and her rigor of editing in order to make those stories shine.”
Michael Waters
Freelance Writer
(NYT, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, WIRED, Vox)
Fixations
I think of my brain as an octopus, its eight arms in constant languid motion toward new information to feed upon. (My brain also knows that octopuses have arms, not tentacles, and that these arms move largely independently of their central nervous system. Octopuses are neat.)
In other words: I’m curious about everything. I seek out and take on projects involving a wide range of subjects, voices, places, and eras. The main criteria are that the work is collaborative and contributes something positive to the world.
That said: If you’re working on something that focuses on history, travel, gender, LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, consumer culture, vintage fashion, and/or beauty standards for American women in the 19th and 20th centuries, I’ll be extra jazzed about collaborating with you.
