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. In this 30-minute consultation, we will 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, whether or not that includes working with me.

Limit: One free consult per person per calendar year.

 All prices listed are USD.

For coaching information, please scroll down

Sample Edit

 

Because I offer free consultations, I don’t offer free sample edits. However, I’m happy to edit up to 20 pages (5000 words) for $250. The feedback will include Markup similar to what I would offer in a full manuscript edit, along with a bullet-point list of my observations and recommendations. I can’t address story structure in 10 pages, but I can usually get a good sense of your storytelling and composition.  

If you choose to hire me for a full developmental edit directly after a sample edit, you will receive credit for the amount already paid.

 

You’ll receive:

  • An experienced brainstorming partner to help you with your most pressing questions
  • A recording of our call for your records

Cost:

  • $250 for 60 minutes

Time frame:

  • You’ll usually be able to schedule our call within a week or two

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. To use a real estate analogy, this is where we make sure you have the right blueprint, materials and tools for the house you want to build.

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. Clients who have completed a developmental edit with me receive a 20% discount on coaching or a subsequent manuscript evaluation of the same project.

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:

  • $2,500 for up to 40,000 words
  • $3,500 for 40,001 to 60,000 words
  • $4,500 for 60,001 to 80,000 words
  • $5,500 for 80,001 to 100,000 words
  • $500 for each additional 10,000 words

Time frame:

  • 4-8 weeks, depending on length

Manuscript Evaluation

You’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can, but you’re not sure if it’s ready to submit. 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. To continue with the real estate analogy, an evaluation is akin to having someone tell you how to stage your home for sale.

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:

  • $1,650 for up to 60,000 words
  • $250 for each additional 10,000 words

Time frame:

  • 3-4 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.

To get the most out of my feedback (and your money), I highly recommend reading 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 (for each pass, if desired)
  • A recording of our call for your reference

Cost:

  • $827 – One pass

  • $1,984 – Up to three passes (with client revisions between each)

Time frame:

  • Two weeks (one pass)
  • One to three months (three passes)

Writer, Story and Creativity 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. 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 you’ve always wanted to write and finally have the time, writer coaching is about you and your goals. Within the packages below, I tailor each to you and your specific desires.

Hiring a 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’m not a leadership or life coach (though I have lots of clients who are). 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.

I can offer considerable guidance in just a few pages. 

Writer Coaching with Page Reviews

Custom packages available on request.

Page Reviews Only (No Calls)

Custom packages available on request.

Some people thrive on written feedback alone, especially once they’re in the thick of revision. These packages are ideal for experienced writers and authors who are looking for ongoing editor support and accountability without the added expense of calls. In these packages, I provide a full edit (heavy Markup) of your pages, along with a brief editorial letter that summarizes the unique strengths and challenges in each set of pages. 

Find Your Flow Creativity Coaching

Renew your commitment to yourself and your writing. Learn to:

 

  • Jump-start your creativity
  • Get the most out of butt-in-chair time
  • Maximize creativity while minimizing screen time
  • Feel more fulfilled creatively

Page reviews (up to 5,000 words) are available as an add-on for $0.07 to 0.10 per word

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