Editorial Consulting
Could you use a little help? I can help you. With your writing, at least.
I offer editorial consulting services to writers of creative non-fiction and memoir in need of a fresh, expert set of eyes. Maybe you’re struggling to find the right structure for your story. (I once googled “What is a chapter?”) Maybe you’re worried that your themes aren’t coming through clearly, or you’re no longer sure what those themes even are. (Been there.) Or maybe you’ve just pushed your manuscript as far as you can for now, and it’s time for someone who isn’t in the muck to evaluate it for possibilities you’re too close to the work to see.
As your developmental editor, I’ll provide a thorough and clear analysis of your manuscript’s strengths and problems, along with concrete, practical suggestions for making it richer and better. You will learn things from me that can improve not only your current project, but all of your work going forward. As a conversation partner, I can help to clarify your thinking on broader writing-life issues, from whether to pursue an MFA to finding an agent to navigating nerves around self-exposure.
I work best with people who write memoir or other personal nonfiction and who already have some grounding in craft elements like character, setting, and scene. I’m especially skilled with topics around addiction, the workplace, pop culture, and cultural criticism, and I love working with writers whose work has strong elements of voice or humor. I’m also happy to consider fiction projects and reported non-fiction on a case-by-case basis. I don’t work on poetry or self-help.
Options
Full Book Manuscript Editing
My rate for full-book editing is $10-$15 per page, depending on the polish and tightness of the existing manuscript. For a quote, please send me 25 sample pages and a 1-2 page synopsis. You’ll receive:
A 6-8 page editorial letter summarizing my thoughts and suggestions on your manuscript’s structure, narrative arc, pace, voice, and themes, plus any other high-level elements (like humor, or suitability for a specified audience) you’ve asked me to read for.
Manuscript notes at the page, paragraph, and sentence level. (This is not a proofread or a rewriting, though I will flag major or recurring issues with grammar/syntax.)
An hourlong follow-up Zoom call for further discussion and questions. My goal is for to you walk away with concrete, manageable next steps for revision.
The First Fifty Pages
A book’s first fifty pages are a incredible microcosm of its overall glories and flaws, as well as the sweet spot for book proposal sample pages and agent pitches. For $1200, you’ll get:
A 5-6 page editorial letter assessing how well your book opening is establishing its voice, themes, key questions and conflicts, characters, etc. (This is often the ideal time to winnow down elements of a manuscript that’s trying to do too much.)
A 60-minute follow-up Zoom conversation focused on sending you away with concrete next steps that feel doable and hopefully even exciting.
Standalone Essays
For individual essays, my fee is $200 for up to 10 double-spaced pages in a standard, boring 11 or 12 point font. I charge $400 for up to 20 pages, and $550 for up to 35. (I’m happy to give you a quote on anything beyond 35 pages, though I’ll also just say that if 35 pages can’t contain your idea, maybe what you actually want to do is write a book.) You’ll receive:
Both page-level and narrative feedback on how well I think your essay is working in its current form, and notes on possibilities or interesting questions that came up in my reading and which you may not have considered.
Any suggestions I have for publications where your piece might be a fit.
Career Consultations
For $150, we can spend an hour on Zoom discussing issues that live outside your manuscript, such as:
Building a writing career outside of academia
The upsides and risks of investing in an MFA
Uncertainties or frustrations around seeking an agent or submitting work for publication
Preparing for book publication
The ethics and pitfalls (and glories, too) of writing about other people
General craft or conceptual issues that you want to knock around but don’t need written feedback on.