About

A creative self-starter and conscientious researcher, with an unflinching belief in the power of the humanities to effect lasting change. My main interests in everything are media, conflict, and the places where the twain meet.I’ve worked as a writer, editor, researcher, and social media manager for non-profits in the literary, educational, and conflict prevention sectors, as well as at universities. I was also the 2023 publishing intern at Irish environmentalist literary magazine Channel. I currently work a day job in marketing and recruitment.Helping others is deeply important to me. As such, I volunteer in multiple roles, including as an international trustee of the Tolkien Society, with Orgs in Solidarity's Forming the Future Working Group as Co-Chair, as a first reader with quarterly speculative fiction magazine khōréō, and as a co-host of the Tolkien Experience Podcast.Outside of this, I write and speak at numerous venues. I also publish original fiction and am currently working on my first novel. Find out more here.I was awarded a dual MA in International War Studies in 2023, and also hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and an undergraduate diploma in English literature. I have also taken short courses and attended lectures on PTSD and trauma, critical reading, world literature, and the English epic, among other subjects.I have an extensive background in the performing arts. I trained as a singer under Khor Ai Ming and was active in Singapore from 2006 - 2018, performing in major productions including The Lord of the Rings Symphony as a soloist. I'm also a multi-instrumentalist, fully proficient in piano as well as experienced in the harp, oboe, guitar, violin, and cello. I completed a part-time course in acting from the Gaiety School of Acting, where I also completed a foundational short course in Acting for Camera.For a full list of my qualifications and experience, please see my LinkedIn.

AROUND THE WEB

Below are some of the other places you can find me around the internet. Click the icons to be directed to my newsletter and social media, and scroll further for lists to my publications and appearances.

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TOLKIEN STUDIES & FANDOM

Note: only conference panels with publicly available recordings have been hyperlinked. Papers initially presented as talks that have since been published are listed in the ESSAYS | PAPERS section, with the panel linked seperately.

ARTICLES

  1. On Isildur and adaptation, Twitter thread (2023). Currently being adapted for publication in essay form.

  2. Sieges in the First and Second Ages, Silmarillion Writers' Guild (2022)

  3. Power and Choice in the Second Age, Silmarillion Writers' Guild (2019). First presented at the Tolkien 2019 conference, Birmingham (2019).

SPEAKING APPEARANCES

  1. Tolkien and New Media (with Athrabeth podcast), Oxonmoot (2023)

  2. Out of the Great Sea: Of Elendil and Legends Old and New, Leeds International Medieval Congress (2023)

  3. "I often dream of it": Trauma and memory in the Downfall of Númenor, The Tolkien Society Seminar: Númenor, the Mighty and the Frail (2023)

  4. Fan Responses to the Rings of Power trailer, Northeast Pop Culture Association (2022)

  5. Rings of Power Season 1 post-finale discussion, Twitter (2022)

  6. Music of the Rings of Power, Tolkien Experience Podcast (2022)

  7. Rings of Power Watch Party, TheOneRing.net in partnership with Prime Video (2022)

  8. The Dúnadan's Burden: Shades of imperialism in Tolkien's Second Age texts, Oxonmoot (2021). Currently being revised for publication.

  9. Diversity in Tolkien Fandom and Scholarship, Oxonmoot (2020)

SELECT FICTION

  1. time stops in midwinter, F(r)iction (2022)

  2. The Lingering Shadows, Sapphic Shivers amateur zine (2020)

  3. Jade Water, Secrets of the Sea amateur zine (2019)

SELECT NON-FICTION

  1. An Idea of Heroes, The Stork (2019)

  2. No armor against extinction, The Stork (2018)

BOOK REVIEWS

At Sarah Westvik's Bookshelf I share reviews and reflections on what I read. My usual stomping ground is fantasy, sci-fi, history, current affairs, and science. Within those, I read everything from novels to short story and essay collections to multi-volume tomes. If you would like to send an eARC in exchange for an honest review, please do drop me a line at my Contact page!

SERVICES

Click on the buttons below to read more about my services. You'll also find the pricing on each page.You can request one or more of these services over at my Contact page. Be sure to check out the Terms of Service beforehand!

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Need the work completed quickly? Rush requests are completed within 3 days and cost €20 in addition to the initial price of the service requested. If you need a rush request, please indicate this when contacting me about your project.If you have already received a final product that you seek improvement on, you may request an additional revision within reasonable parameters after completion of the commission. As the revisions depend on the scope of you project, please request a quote. Revisions will be completed within 3-5 working days. Please clearly and carefully outline the revisions to be made.

LOW-COST MANUSCRIPT FEEDBACK

Putting your creative fiction out into the world can be a daunting task, and it can be difficult to navigate where to start. What's more, the cost of living crisis shouldn't halt that creative journey.My low-cost manuscript feedback service provides one way to fill that gap. My priority here is to give you initial feedback on your project as a whole, and direct you to further resources to hone your craft or submit your work. For an affordable rate, you'll get 1-2 pages of feedback on your short fiction covering the broad strokes of character, theme, structure, pacing, dialogue, and language. I'm also very happy to hone in on specific elements you'd like feedback on. You'll also receive guidance on next steps to getting your work before an audience, if this is your goal, such as suggestions for publications or networking opportunities you may avail of.I read and critique speculative fiction in most genres (fantasy, sci-fi, magical realism, etc) and in all categories (MG, YA, or Adult). Manuscripts up to 5k words will receive 1 page of feedback and guidance, while manuscripts up to 10k will receive two pages.Except in the case of major errors, this service does not include proofreading. This is a separate service you can request at the same time, if you like (see "Editing").If you cannot afford the listed rate, please get in touch with me - installments are an option for people in financial need.

SERVICEPRICE
Up to 2.5k words€15
2.5k to 5k words€30
5k to 7.5k words€45
7.5k to 10k words€60

EDITING

Bold and bright ideas deserve to meet the public eye in the best possible form. I'm passionate about helping people reach these heights, and as such, edit academic, journalistic, and other non-fiction writing. This edit includes a structural edit; a line edit, including spelling, grammar, and syntax, and verifying compliance to citation style if applicable.I currently do not offer editing for fiction writing. However, I offer proofreading for both fiction and non-fiction. Proofreading manuscripts means ensuring clarity and precision of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and textual/numerical consistencies. If you want support for your fiction writing, I offer low-cost manuscript feedback.If you need a longer non-fiction piece edited, feel free to contact me for a quote.Need citations completed for your non-fiction piece? You can request those too! If you need to adhere to a particular house style outside standard style guides (e.g. something other than Harvard, Chicago, APA, etc.), please be ready to send it to me once I take on the project.

SERVICEPRICE
Non-fiction editing 
Up to 2k words€30
2k to 4k words€45
4k to 10k words€70
Proofreading 
Up to 2.5k words€15
2.5k to 5k words€30
5k to 10k words€65
Citations 
Flat rate€30

RESEARCH CONSULTING

I am a research consultant available for hire on short and long term projects.I am trained in international relations and international war studies (particularly 1815-present) with area interests in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Central Europe. I am also trained in modern English literature with a focus on fantasy fiction. My typical hourly rate is €15, but this can vary based on the project's scope and duration. Please contact me to discuss your needs further and to request a quote.

SERVICEPRICE
Research assistance for a projectRequest quote

Elusive Vistas is a monthly newsletter of long-form reflections on the stories, fictional and real, that occupy my thoughts and inform my life. It also features a podcast subsection with audio versions of each post.Click on the image above, or visit elusivevistas.substack.com.

The Writer in the Café is a biweekly-ish log of short posts - usually penned in a café - where I share my thoughts on the craft and practice of writing. It also features a subsection of monthly recipes friendly to busy folks like yours truly.Click on the image above, or visit thewriterinthecafe.substack.com.

COACHING AND WORKSHOPPING

I love to help writers and researchers develop their work, especially students or anyone just stepping into their field. A coaching or workshopping session is an opportunity for you to discuss the project you are working on and work through any Gordian knot in your path together with an attentive and helpful listener!I am happy to discuss the peace and conflict field (with a focus on the European context), how to develop a writing practice and get your work out there, or working through any particular issues or blocks you are facing in your writing or research, particularly thematic and/or structural issues.The workshopping session includes a one hour call on Zoom or GoogleMeets, as well as a follow-up on our discussion including written recommendations for your path forward.You can also combine a workshop with a manuscript critique, editing, and other additional services.

SERVICEPRICE
Coaching session€25

Contact

I can be contacted at: srwestvik@gmail.com. Alternatively. send me a message on LinkedIn.

For all requests, please indicate the following:

  • Word count

  • Subject matter

  • A brief description of your piece, such as a pitch or short summary

  • Your preferred citation style, if applicable

HOW TO REQUEST A SERVICE

For research requests, please clearly define your parameters – the more detailed you are, the better I can tailor my work to your needs.You are always welcome to contact me ahead of requesting a service to establish if I would be a good fit for your needs. You can also check my About page for further details on my work – it includes a link to my LinkedIn that hosts my CV. **I reserve the right to reject projects for which I feel I may not be a good fit.**Please familiarise yourself with the Terms of Service before requesting a quote. I currently only accept payment by bank transfer or PayPal. Full information on payment is in the Terms of Service.

CONTACT DETAILS

Terms of Service

S.R. Westvik (hereafter the "Contractor") provides private customers and businesses (hereafter "Client(s)") with manuscript critique, editing, research, and workshopping services.

1. ENQUIRIES AND QUOTES

  1. The Contractor will respond to requests for quotes or services within 24-48 hours with a quote and estimated delivery time for the project.

  2. Guidelines to request a service are available on this website's Contact page.

  3. Only a limited number of projects are accepted per month. If necessary, estimated wait time before fulfilling a request will be indicated.

  4. The Client must accept the quote and delivery time in order for work to be scheduled.

  5. Quotes are valid for 14 days after being issued.

2. INVOICING AND PAYMENT

  1. Upon written acceptance (by email) of the quote and delivery time, the Contractor will send the Client a PDF invoice. A printed invoice can be sent upon request; any additional charges related to postage are to be borne by the Client.

  2. The invoice amount is presented in Euros (€).

  3. Payment shall be made to the Contractor's account as specified on the invoice by bank transfer.

  4. The Client agrees to bear any additional costs during payment including: currency conversion charges and bank charges for transfers from outside the SEPA.

  5. The amount for payment is due immediately and in any case within 7 working days of receiving the final product or 14 working days after the invoice has been issued, whichever is sooner, unless an alternate payment term has been agreed upon in writing between the Client and the Contractor.

  6. If the Client does not pay the agreed amount within 14 working days, the Contractor will contact them and grant a reasonable grace period. Failure to pay within the set grace period will entitle the Contractor to pursue legal action.

  7. According to small business regulation § 19 UStG, no VAT is charged to private customers. Thus, no VAT will appear on invoices issued by the Contractor to Clients who are private customers. For Business Clients within the EU, the reverse charge applies according to § 13b Abs. 5 Satz 1 UStG.

3. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

  1. The Client agrees that cancellation after acceptance of the quote will entail charges for any work completed, up to and including the full value of the agreed upon service if applicable.

  2. If the Client cancels after payment of the quoted amount has already been received, the Contractor will refund any charges for work not completed, up to and including the full value of the agreed upon service if applicable.

  3. The service "Rush requests" is not applicable for refund.

4. LIABILITY

  1. The Client accepts that the Contractor's liability for any damages or other amounts arising out of or in connection with the services provided shall not exceed the total amount invoiced for the project.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY

  1. the Contractor and Client agree to treat as confidential all information and documents designated as confidential by either party.

  2. All personal data of the Client and contents of any documents provided will be kept confidential and stored locally and securely.

If you enjoy my work, my Ko-fi tip jar is here. Thank you for your generosity!

IMPRESSUM

My name is Sarah Rachel Westvik and I run this website. It is a website sharing my professional and personal profile. Please contact me only by email.Email: srwestvik@gmail.com

PRIVACY POLICY

This website does not collect personal data, does not set tracking cookies, and does not track any statistics.