Coaching

$40/hour.  If you have a larger project and are not sure what your next steps should be, we offer coaching sessions in which we can help you identify what your focus is, where you want to go with the piece, and how to get there. We can tackle such questions as: What is your goal for the project? What obstacles are you facing in achieving this goal? Who is your audience? Why is this piece important to you?

In preparation for a coaching session, we start by looking at an excerpt of your project which you feel is representative of the whole. We go through this excerpt, adding detailed feedback and written notes. We then schedule a live session (via Zoom or in person) in which we discuss the piece with you and answer any questions you may have about the written feedback. These often turn into ‘brainstorming sessions’ where you are invited to explore the various possibilities that you could pursue in working on this piece.

You can often end up saving money on editing if you go through the process of coaching first; what you learn in our coaching session should help you to see how to do much of the necessary work yourself. We can then help to polish your manuscript until it shines.

Beta Reading

If you have a completed manuscript and you want general feedback on the manuscript’s coherence and flow, story arc and character development, you could opt for a beta reading. This gives you the benefit of a first-time reader’s experience of your book. We will not edit, but instead provide feedback on how the story works or doesn’t work, with suggestions for how you might undertake revisions. Fees are $200 CAD ($150 USD) and up, depending on the length and complexity of your manuscript.

In light of this feedback, you might then choose a coaching session (described above) or any of our editing services. Or you may undertake all of the revisions yourself.