Revision support & editing
You’ve got a finished draft. Good job! Now it’s time to see whether it’s market-ready. And if it’s not, I’ll show you exactly what needs revising to make your book stronger, more competitive, and better written.
Note: I only provide pitch support to writers whose manuscripts I’ve worked on and am familiar with.
Manuscript assessment
High-level feedback on a completed work
You’ve finished a first draft, but you know it needs a professional read before you take the next step in the publishing journey.
In a manuscript assessment, I evaluate your book through the lens of reader experience: clarity, narrative drive, structural integrity, and character credibility. When one of these elements breaks down, readers lose engagement. My role is to identify where that’s happening—and show you how to fix it.
In this high-level feedback process, I provide you with a detailed editorial letter that a) unpacks what’s working well in your manuscript and b) surfaces issues in a triaged format, so you know what’s most important to work on first as you begin your revisions. Then we meet for 90 minutes to talk through my findings and address your questions. I’ll also provide you with guidance on your next steps in the publishing process.
Turnaround: 4 weeks
$2250 USD / $2800 CAD (up to 100K words)
Developmental Edit
Deep, thorough feedback on a completed work
Developmental editing is a comprehensive process focused on enhancing the overall structure, content, and style of your manuscript. It should happen long before you move on to more detailed editing stages. You’ll be revising your book after a developmental edit, that’s a guarantee. All authors revise after a developmental edit, even Margaret Atwood. Unlike copy editing, which addresses grammar and punctuation, developmental editing delves into foundational aspects of a book such as organization, pacing, development of your characters (fiction) or ideas (nonfiction, memoir), syntax and thematic consistency.
In a dev edit, I perform a complete structural analysis, evaluating your manuscript’s organization to ensure logical flow and coherence. I may suggest you move sections around, or add or delete material to improve the book. I assess the strength and effectiveness of your arguments and teaching (nonfiction), and I similarly assess your character development and narrative drive (fiction). I’ll give you feedback on what needs clarification, further development or revising to keep your reader interested, and I’ll also provide clear instruction for how to improve your writing at the line level (tone, style, vocabulary and pacing).
In this thorough feedback process, I mark comments throughout your manuscript and provide you with a detailed editorial letter with concrete strategies to improve your writing. Then we meet for 90 minutes so you can cry a little and ask all the questions.
A developmental edit is not the same as a copy edit; a copy edit doesn’t happen until your book is very close to publication, when all the structural, syntactical and thematic elements are working together and the book is a rewarding experience for the reader. It’s a given that you’ll be revising your manuscript after a dev edit. You may choose to do this with the support of a book coach, or you may elect to implement the recommended changes yourself.
Turnaround: 4 weeks
$3250 USD / $4250 CAD (up to 100K words)
What people are saying
“Your letter, feedback pages, manuscript evaluation, and your closer read of the first two chapters of my manuscript in particular were responsive and helpful. You showed tremendous care to provide precise and intentional feedback. I feel seen as a writer. What a gift. Thank you. I'm grateful to receive this kind of assessment; this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
— S. Thomas, educator & MFA student, Canada“I worked through all your page edits and comments and addressed them all-I didn't disagree with even one. I'm working on the chapter summaries which was a wonderful suggestion. They give me an opportunity to emphasize my message and add my voice in a natural way and speak directly to the reader. Thank you again for your advice and direction.”
— Janet Morrison, psychological associate, Catch Collaborative Psychotherapy, Toronto ON“Working with Alex as my book coach has been an incredible experience. She guided me through the often daunting query process and helped me craft a tailored agent strategy that perfectly aligns with my goals. Because of her years of knowledge of the publishing industry I really trusted her feedback. Alex embraced my vision and her insightful feedback and personalized approach have been invaluable, making the entire process feel uniquely customized to me and my book. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor on this journey.”
— Daphne Gordon, journalist & psychedelics educator, Toronto, ON