we've got the experience
to help you share yours
Whether you’re working on a novel, a memoir, a short story, a query letter, prescriptive non-fiction, or anything else that involves words, here’s a list of ways we can help!
GHOSTWRITING
Did you know that many non-fiction books are ghostwritten? Authors have compelling stories to share but don’t have the time, ability, or desire to write it themselves. If this describes you, we can step in and do the writing, editing, and polishing for you. We’ll help you brainstorm, often conducting in-depth interviews to explore the parameters of your story, and then we’ll work with you to organize the information and structure the narrative. Once we have a solid outline in place, we’ll draft your manuscript, in your voice, based on the content you provide through conversations, recordings, or source materials. You’ll review drafts, share your feedback, and we’ll revise and polish until your manuscript is complete and ready for the publishing process.
Editing
If you’ve got a completed draft of a manuscript, we can help you take it to the next level through developmental editing, line editing, or both.
In developmental editing, we conduct a full read-through of your work and then respond with extensive notes covering structure, length, balance, pace, and a variety of other storytelling elements. In the case of fiction we cover plot, characters and character arcs, tension, description, dialogue, etc. Once you’ve had a chance to read and digest our feedback, we’ll hop on a call with you to help problem-solve and go over the possibilities for your next draft. A developmental edit will help you learn what’s working well in your manuscript and where you have opportunities to unlock the kind of changes that will make your work stand out.
A line edit is for authors who already have their content right where they want it, and want to make sure that the level of their prose is polished, professional, and ready for discerning audiences. We’ll polish your sentences, making adjustments for grammar, syntax, rhythm, sentence structure, usage, and so on, and we’ll add marginal notes to point out ambiguities, ask questions, and call your attention to certain writing habits or opportunities. This service includes a phone or video call to go over revisions and make sure you’re ready for the next steps.
Book Proposals
If your goal is a traditional publishing contract for a nonfiction title, you need a book proposal, which is something like a business plan for a book. Whether you’re in the early stages of planning your book or you’ve got a proposal drafted and you just need a second set of eyes on it, we can help you. With years of experience and thorough expertise in the format, we can help you put together a polished package so you can submit with confidence.
Book Coaching
If you’re in the early stages of planning a book, whether fiction or nonfiction, and you’d like some support with accountability, brainstorming, or troubleshooting, coaching is right for you. You can think of coaching as private writing classes, using your own work as the text—we’ll review your outlines and notes and then hop on a series of video calls or phone calls with you to help you develop your ideas and build out your outline. We can also coach you through the drafting process, reading and responding to chunks as you go along and helping you steer the narrative as you write.
Manuscript Evaluation
If you’d like another set of eyes on your work but you don’t require the thorough analysis that comes with a developmental edit, a manuscript evaluation will answer your questions and give you feedback on the overall status of your work. We conduct a full read-through of your manuscript, and then select a few key topics for discussion. We’ll send you an editorial letter with our findings and guidance, and then once you’ve digested the letter, we’ll hop on a call with you to answer questions, brainstorm, and get you prepared for your next draft.