Consulting & Editing Services

Throughout my career I've learned that sometimes we need more than a few friendly tips to make our manuscripts polished and ready to send to an agent or editor. There are times when we’re just too close to our materials to see that with a little bit of tinkering and rewriting we can turn our book or article into something that is ready to be published. I have over 30 years of experience as a writer, editor and publisher in both the nonfiction and fiction industries. So I know exactly how to hone in on any problems you might be having with your manuscript, whether it needs a light edit or a major overhaul. I can help you get your manuscript ready for submission to the book industry.

I can also provide workshops to small or large groups of writers who want to hear tips from the frontlines. My fees are reasonable and are tailored to your individual project.

My services include:

Consulting

Do you have a manuscript idea or draft you want to discuss? Maybe you just want to know how to begin your novel or picture book or need some insider tips about navigating the book industry? We can have an hour-long discussion about your plans and how to get there.

Critiquing

Writers are often too invested in their writing materials to be able to see any of the potential pitfalls, like not knowing your genre, or problems with plot and character development. Every writer needs at least one unbiased reader for their manuscript to catch issues you might not notice yourself. I can also add my expertise for knowing what the industry is looking for. Whether your book needs a little tweaking or a major overhaul, I can deliver an extensive critique that can help make your book saleable to an agent or editor.

Editing

Editors and agents want clean manuscripts. That means at a minimum, typo-free. As an editor for newspapers, magazines, websites and books, I edit for grammar, spelling, continuity, context and content so frequently, I may be developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Not only can I catch your typos, I will also edit for continuity, which is one of the most common problems authors have. That means if your character is twelve in the beginning of the book and a year hasn’t passed, she has to be twelve at the end of the book too. If his name is Harry, it can’t suddenly be James--unless his name change is part of the plot. I edit like a detective looks for clues, so you can be sure that the manuscript you submit to agents and editors is indeed clean, all of which makes them more disposed to like your writing.

Email me below with a brief description of your project, the genre and page count, as well as your contact information and I will contact you with a list of specific questions.

Workshops

I have presented workshops for writers at conferences like the Midwest Writer’s Conference, the CAPA University Annual Writers Conference, the American Association of Journalists and Authors, the Society of Professional Journalists and numerous library and community programs. My favorite topics include children’s books and journalism, but in all of my workshops I talk about the ins and outs of the publishing industry.

Email me below with a brief description of your group, the approximate audience count and specific topics you would like discussed.