Fiction Coaching
For Aspiring Novelists, Writers With A Manuscript, Or Anyone With A Story That’s Absolutely Aching To Be Told
Hello, Storyteller.
I’m guessing that you’re one of my favorite kinds of people:
You’ve been dreaming of calling yourself an author — for pretty much forever.
You’ve finished a manuscript but have no idea what to do next. To be honest, the thought of editing or pitching it paralyzes you.
You have a story idea that simply won’t leave you alone and the possibilities seem endless— maybe too endless.
Welcome. Pull up a chair. You’re in the right place.
Helping people clarify hazy ideas, break out of stuckness, or start the fiction journey from scratch are my specialties.
Together, we can make your book happen.
You don’t need an MFA or a library full of already-highlighted writing craft books to discover, write, edit, and pitch your book.
You need a coach.
I would love to chat and see if the time is right to start our journey together.
If you haven’t made an appointment yet, click here to get on my schedule so we can talk about your project. (This initial meeting is on the house!)
Before we chat, check out my offerings to find the one that’s right for you:
Book Coaching
Planning | Drafting | Revising
This is the 1:1 hands-on partnership you've been looking for to help you plan, draft, or revise your novel. Regular page submissions and coaching calls keep you on track with accountability and invested editorial support.
Using Author Accelerator's Blueprint for a Book materials, we'll make sure your novel has a strong framework and a cohesive vision that will keep a reader turning pages into the wee hours.
Click the “+” to expand the descriptions below.
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This one-off session is designed to help you nail down the most important elements of your story with five key questions pulled from Author Accelerator's Blueprint for a Book.
What you get:
A supportive place to explore your story idea.
The Mini-Blueprint workbook.
Written notes on your Mini-Blueprint answers.
One 60-minute coaching call.
A taste of what it's like to work with a book coach.
This is right for you if you have an idea for a story and want clarity on what your novel is about and how your main character will change over the course of the story.
This is not right for you if you want feedback on your written pages or are looking for ongoing support and accountability. For that, ongoing coaching will be a better fit.
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This is where the rubber meets the road. After we’re sure that your novel has a rock-solid foundation and framework, you submit pages each week and receive both in-line notes and big-picture feedback to help make sure that the work you are doing is serving your story at both the page- and whole story-levels.
We'll use our coaching calls to make sure you're crystal clear about where to go next and to work out any places you feel stuck.
The once-monthly call package ($650 per month) is the best fit for you if you're ready to make steady progress and can commit to submitting 20 pages per month. It includes one 60-minute coaching call per month.
The twice-monthly call package ($850 per month) is the best fit for you if you're ready to dive in and complete your manuscript as quickly as possible and can commit to submitting 40 pages per month. It includes two 60-minute coaching calls per month.
What you get:
Support and accountability as you develop, write, and revise your story.
The full Blueprint for a Book workbook.
Written feedback on your Blueprint answers.
Weekly page submission deadlines of up to 5 or 10 pages each.
In-line comments + big-picture notes on your submissions each week.
One or two coaching calls (60 minutes per call) per month.
*Please note: ongoing coaching requires a three-month minimum contract so you have enough time to make real progress.
Manuscript Evaluation
Editorial Review | Revision Overview
You've finished your manuscript — whoop, whoop! Congratulations! Now what?
You might be wondering if you're ready to start pitching to agents. Or maybe you sense that something's not working but can't quite pin down exactly what. Either way, a manuscript evaluation is the perfect next step.
Looking closely at your novel's structure and at elements such as pacing, voice, narrative drive, and point of view, you'll get feedback on your novel as a whole so that you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Click the “+” to expand the descriptions below.
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First-Look Review | Editorial Feedback
Let's dive into your first 50 pages and see how things are going.
What you get:
My close read of your first 50 pages (or 12,500 words).
Limited in-line comments.
An editorial feedback letter (average 2-5 pages).
Recommendations for next steps.
One 60-minute coaching call.
This is right for you if you have a partial manuscript or you've done a Mini-Blueprint session and want to make sure you're on the right track.
This is not right for you if you're trying to determine whether your full manuscript is ready to pitch to agents or if you want to make sure your manuscript as a whole holds together. For that, a full manuscript evaluation would be a better fit.
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The whole shebang! I'll evaluate your full manuscript so you can get a clear sense of the overall shape of your novel, and know just where things stand.
What you get:
My close read of your entire manuscript.
Limited in-line comments.
Editorial feedback letter (average 10-15 pages).
Recommendations for next steps.
One 60-minute coaching call.
NOTE: Manuscript evaluations (mini and full) are very helpful one-off services for clients who are looking for a single round of feedback in the form of in-line comments, an editorial letter, and a single coaching call. If you are looking for a more hands-on approach that includes ongoing feedback on your revisions, book coaching may be a better fit for you.
Pitch Support *
Submission Materials | Agent Research | Strategy
You've done the hard work of pulling an idea out of the ether and into a completed, revised manuscript that is ready to go out into the world — you should feel so, SO proud of yourself. If the nuts and bolts of exactly HOW to get it through the next stage feels daunting, you're not alone.
Navigating the pitching process can be overwhelming. I offer support in two distinct stages.
*NOTE: Pitching support is only available for clients with whom I've done a manuscript evaluation and whose books I’ve determined to be ready to pitch.
Click the “+” to expand the descriptions below.
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Your submission materials need to be polished to a shine before you begin sending them out to agents. I'll look at what's working and what's not in your query letter, synopsis, and the first 50 pages of your manuscript and offer detailed recommendations on how to improve them.
What you get:
Feedback + 3 rounds of edits on your query letter.
Feedback + 3 rounds of edits on your synopsis.
In-line comments and big-picture feedback on your first 50 pages (12,500 words).
One 60-minute coaching call.
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Once your submission materials are rock solid, it's time to begin the query process. But who should you query first and how many agents should you reach out to at a time?
Don't be intimidated. This gives you everything you need to approach the querying process with confidence!
What you get:
A customized and researched list of 30 agents who are likely to be a good fit for your novel.
A personalized pitch plan, including who to pitch first, when to start pitching, and how many queries to send out at a time.
One 60-minute coaching call.
Got a zillion questions?
As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator's strategy, methods, and materials, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them.