A standard picture book is no more than 1,000 words and is intended to be heavily illustrated. If you aren’t sure if your book fits the criteria for working together, contact me and I’ll help you figure it out.

Most authors are not illustrators and do not provide their own illustrations for their book. I can give you recommendations for illustrators for hire if you want to self-publish your picture book.

If you are concerned that you have to have illustrations before shopping your manuscripts to agents or editors, don’t worry—in many cases, they prefer not to have pre-existing illustrations when receiving manuscripts.

Please note: My pricing varies if you come to me with an illustrated manuscript.

For clients in the United States, our appointments will take place on the phone. If you are an international client, we can arrange to speak via Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom.

I do not make personal recommendations to agents or editors. However, I will help get your manuscript to the best possible state it can be so that it has the greatest chance of success when you do submit it.

Absolutely. In fact, I have an entire dedicated program for self-publishing authors. The first step in the process is coming to me with a strong manuscript. (If you need help creating that strong manuscript, we can do a manuscript feedback consultation as well.)

Once we have a solid manuscript in place, I can oversee the self-publishing process from beginning to end, drawing on my network of highly skilled professionals to create a book that looks like it was published by a major publisher. I will coordinate with you on a case-by-case basis. Let’s chat about your book!

Query letters are not required for picture books, however cover letters are! If you are submitting your manuscript to mainstream publishers  or agents, I am happy to help you draft a cover letter. Contact me for details.

No one —absolutely no one —can guarantee that your manuscript will get published. Publishing is extremely subjective.

However, I can guarantee that when you work with me, as long as you are committed to the process you will end up with the best possible version of your manuscript – and a better process for crafting future manuscripts. As I teach you my process, you’ll develop the insight you need to write better books for your entire writing career.

I can also promise to provide my honest opinion on whether your manuscript is ready for submission, and give you the guidance and feedback you need to become a better, more skillful writer.

My rate is $297/hour. However, my Writer Support Packages allow you to work with me at a lower rate, and I can also quote you on working with you on a per-project basis. Just get in touch and we can discuss the details.

Please send your work in a Word document with these formatting specifications:

• Font: Times New Roman, 12 point
• Double-spaced with a 1-inch margin on all sides.
• Please submit the work in one continuous document. Do not break up the manuscript into separate pages. If you would like to indicate page breaks please do so by numbering them or separating pages using dotted lines.
• If you need to include art notes, please do so by including them in italics preceded by: illo note and enclosed in parentheses, like this: [illo note: Rosie does not see the fox]
• Please number all pages and include your name, email address and phone number on the upper left-hand corner of the first page.

Additionally, please do not make changes to the manuscript once it has been sent over to me.

Because the process of working with your manuscript is so dynamic, it is not possible for me to provide written notes. Our work together is very interactive – ideas and thoughts are generated together as we talk through your manuscript on the phone.

However, you are free to record our conversations for you to reference later (please just let me know if you are planning to do that on any given call).

The work we do together is considered as privileged and confidential as with any other professional like a doctor or lawyer. Your files will not be shared with anyone else unless you have given explicit, written approval for that to happen. All material sent to me remains your property.

We can still work together! I love working with authors at the very beginning of the process; from the start I might be able to save you a lot of time and energy.

I can help you outline, excavate, nurture and discover the heart of your work – what it is that you really want to say and the best structure in which to say it. So the “idea stage” is a perfect time to begin working together. So come on over! Get in touch and we’ll talk.

Additionally, if we work on your idea from the beginning, you’ll also learn my process for developing manuscripts, which you can re-use on any books you work on in the future. (I can also help you decide which manuscript you should be working on next.)

My process is designed to create a structure of accountability for writers, so I do not offer refunds. Please be sure that you are willing to make the commitment to developing your manuscript and working under deadlines before signing up for any of my packages.

Due to the time-sensitive nature of our deadlines when working together, there is limited room for accommodating cancellations. I value your time as an author and ask that you do the same for mine. A cancelled appointment may not be easy for me to reschedule alongside other clients and prior commitments, which can throw our process off-track. If extraordinary circumstances require you to cancel an appointment, please let me know as soon as possible so we can see if the appointment can be rescheduled.

The simple answer is that the best time to get manuscript feedback is right now -- wherever you are in the process.

If you’re just in the idea stage, I can help you develop and refine your idea and assist in outlining your manuscript.

If you’ve just begun, or you’re in the middle, or you’re just stuck, I can help guide the development of your idea.

If you’re already finished and want a final check before you submit your manuscript, I can help you find any weak points or problems and help you fix them.

And if you’ve gotten some mixed or confusing feedback from editors, agents, or professional critiques, I can help you de-mystify that feedback and figure out what fixes need to be put in place.

So, the best time is… now! I’ll tell you what you need to know to move ahead with confidence and clarity. Get in touch today and we’ll discuss your manuscript.

Publishing is more competitive than it ever has been. Editors and agents have more obligations than ever before and don’t have as much time to nurture potential the way they used to. For authors, working with an independent editor is the best way of maximizing the chance that their manuscripts will be acquired.

As an editor, I will help you during the creative process and offer specific page-by-page recommendations, including additions, deletions, revisions, and specific new ideas for developing your concept and ultimate manuscript.

When you work with me, I will ensure you have the strongest possible manuscript to self-publish or submit to agents or editors.

Yes! I love working with new writers. I’ll help you find your story and introduce you to practices and processes that will help you tell it in the best way.