About

My name is Joel Balkovec. I do words good.

I do words very good, and I have since I was a kid.

Which is why I offer web writing and content creation services to small business and non-profits, along with providing various kinds of literary editing for authors.

I am an Ottawa, Ontario-based writer and editor with a lifelong passion for literature, a decade of post-secondary education, extensive professional experience, and an unmatched knowledge base — whether it’s Scipio Africanus’ finest hour at Zama, the biological mechanism by which sharks detect electricity, or debating whether Balrogs have wings, I’m always eager to discuss my interests.

Since 2020, I have been involved with Renaissance Press, a small-press publishing house based in the National Capital Region. I am passionate about advocating for and promoting Canadian writers. It has been my honour to provide editing services for some of Canada’s finest emerging literary voices.

“Emona” is the name of the ancient Roman fort that eventually became Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, the country my family is originally from.

As both a Classicist and a Slovenian-Canadian, the choice to name my business Emona Literary Services™ is therefore meaningful to me in multiple ways — and I want the work I do with Emona Literary Services™ to be meaningful to my clients. To better demonstrate that, I frequently reference the three Guiding Principles that that inform every aspect of the work I’m doing via Emona Literary Services™, which I’ve summed up at their most basic here: