Editing & Coaching
Start Here: Free Consultation
Writing isn’t a one-size-fits all endeavor. Each person and project has unique needs that can be best served in different ways. I offer a free 30-minute phone consultation to discuss your project—where you are, what challenges you’re facing, your goals, budget and schedule. I’ll point you towards the next steps you can take.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing is where we figure out what story you’re trying to tell and the most effective way to tell it. Does the structure support the story you’re telling? What are your natural writing strengths, and where could you use different techniques to make it stronger? My approach with developmental editing goes deeper than the surface rules of structure and storytelling. My process includes both logic (the rules) and intuition (the issues that show up beneath the words). I dive deep into what’s working, and what’s holding you back. I give you the toolkit—and a tailored writing handbook—to get where you want to go.
This is for one round of developmental editing. Some of my clients then move into coaching, and I work through the revisions with them; others go off and revise for 6-9 months and then come back for a manuscript evaluation. For clients who have had a developmental edit from me, the base cost for a manuscript evaluation is $1,200 (20% discount).
You’ll receive:
- An extensive editorial letter (10+ pages) to guide your revision
- Heavy Markup queries and comments
- A one-hour follow-up call to discuss your questions and next steps
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
- $4,000 for up to 40,000 words
- $5,000 for 40,000 to 60,000 words
- $500 for each additional 10,000 words
Time frame:
- 6 weeks
Manuscript Evaluation
You’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can, but you’re not sure if your manuscript is the strongest it can be. A manuscript evaluation is a high-level overview of issues that need to be addressed before you take the final steps to self-publish or begin querying. A manuscript evaluation does not replace any level of editing. Rather, it gives you a summary assessment of where you are on your path to publication.
You’ll receive:
- Light Markup
- A 5-7 page editorial letter analyzing structure, storytelling and composition
- A one-hour follow-up phone call to discuss your questions and next steps
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
- $1,575 for up to 60,000 words
- $275 for each additional 10,000 words
Time frame:
- 4-6 weeks, depending on length
Nonfiction Book Proposal Review
If you have a completed commercial book proposal, I will review it to make sure you’ve made an effective business case for your book. I’ll look at each section (hook/overview, target audience, competing/complementary titles, marketing plan and author bio/platform). I’ll make suggestions for improvements, both in terms of writing quality and marketability of your book.
These reviews include evaluation (but not hands-on edit) of one sample chapter up to 5,000 words.
Prerequisite: You must have read and structured your proposal on Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal.
You’ll receive:
- An email with my overall feedback
- A section-by-section analysis of your proposal
- Light Markup of your proposal
- A 30-minute follow-up call to discuss your questions and next steps
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
- $650 – One pass
- $825 – Proposal review + query letter review (one pass)
- $1475 – Up to three passes of the proposal (with client revisions between each)
Time frame:
- Two weeks (one pass)
- Three months (three passes)
Query Letter Review
This is a review of your query letter, with notes about your opening hook, your manuscript synopsis as well as your bio paragraph.
You’ll receive:
- An editorial letter outlining what you’ve done well and what could be stronger
- Light to heavy Markup with suggested changes
Cost:
- $225 for one pass as a stand-alone service
- $175 for one pass in conjunction with a proposal review
- $500 for up to three passes (with client revisions between each)
Time frame:
- One week
Writer, Story and Creative Coaching
Hone your voice, discover your strengths, and become a timeless storyteller.
For writers of all stripes (fiction, nonfiction, screen, playwriting, etc.)
Writing is not a standardized process. Although there are universal skills and techniques, no two stories are alike because no two people are alike. Whether you want to write a memoir about a specific period in your life, bring a ground-breaking concept to life with evocative storytelling, or learn how to use your writing time more effectively, writer coaching is about you and your goals.
Hiring a nonfiction writing coach is like having a personal trainer for your writing. I’m a cheerleader and champion for my clients, and I work with a very limited number at a time, in order to give each one my deepest attention.
This is performance coaching (aka mentoring), not ICF coaching. I work with a number of clients who are leadership coaches. I’m more like a pitching coach in baseball, or an acting coach. The term “writing coach” is commonly searched, so that’s what I call it for SEO.
Beyond writing, I can help you with researching agents, writing queries and synopses and supporting you along your path to publication, whether that’s traditional, self-publishing or hybrid.
Clients who complete three months of coaching receive a discount of 20% on full editing services (developmental or content)
Find Your Flow Creativity Coaching (no page reviews)
Renew your commitment to yourself and your writing. I can help you:
- Jump-start your creativity
- Get the most out of butt-in-chair time
- Maximize creativity while minimizing screen time
- Feel more fulfilled creatively
Coaching without Page Reviews is also for more advanced writers, if you are:
- Looking for a brainstorming partner
- Building your platform
- Beginning to research agents
- Querying
Standard
- Two 60-minute calls (phone or Zoom) per month
- Six-month package: $2025 (save $225)
Accelerated
- Four 60-minute Zoom calls per month
- Six-month package: $4075 (save $425)
Writer Coaching with Page Reviews
Custom packages and proposals for more intensive work available on request.
Basic
- A comprehensive edit of up to 5,000 words (20 consecutive pages) per month
- A follow-up email that includes reading suggestions, assignments and encouragement
- One 60-minute call (phone or Zoom) per month to discuss breakthroughs, challenges and next steps
- Six-month package: $2775 (save $325)
Intensive
- A comprehensive edit of up to 10,000 words (40 consecutive pages) per month
- Two 60-minute calls (phone or Zoom) per month to discuss breakthroughs, challenges and next steps
- Six-month package: $4,775 (save $475)
- With only one Zoom call: $3,695 for six months
Paid Consultation
In a paid consultation, we’ll meet for an hour on Zoom. I’ll record the call, so you can refer back to it. This is ideal for those who want to brainstorm, get a “thumbs up or down” on a book idea, or pick by brain on any publishing-related topic.
You’ll receive:
- Answers to your most pressing questions
- A recording of our call for your records
Cost:
- $399 for the first call
- $199 for subsequent calls
Time frame:
- You’ll usually be able to schedule our call within a week or two
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