Services for authors
Pitch assessment
Most agents and publishers ask for the first three chapters of your work plus a pitch letter when submitting for consideration. I have reviewed and acquired books both from agents and from the slush pile — I know the pitfalls of the process, and I know how to brush up your work to get it submission-ready. This package includes a one-to-one call, so you can ask specific questions and get prompt answers.
Includes:
Detailed assessment of the first 10k words of your manuscript.
Feedback on your pitch letter with pointers about how to make it stronger.
One 40-minute Zoom meeting to discuss your material, where you can also ask me questions about what to expect from the acquisitions process.
Both fiction and non-fiction welcome.
Timeframe: 2 weeks
Price: €450
Manuscript assessment
If you are serious about writing and have gone as far as you can by yourself with your manuscript, I can work with you to really kick the tyres on your script.
Why me? I can look at your work with a publisher’s eye and assess its commercial potential as well as its editorial strengths. I am one of the most experienced editors in Ireland, who has worked on award-winning fiction and non-fiction, and I have been a decision-maker in the acquisitions process for both an independent and a Big 5 publisher.
Includes:
Comprehensive editorial letter guiding you through the strengths of your work and the areas that need more attention.
Detailed assessment of your manuscript, with in-document notes.
Feedback on your pitch letter.
Three Zoom meetings: one 30-minute call before we start so you can tell me about your work; one 60-minute call where I will discuss my feedback with you; one 30-minute follow-up call where you can pick my brain about editorial questions and details about the publishing process.
Both fiction and non-fiction welcome.
Timeframe: 8 weeks
Price: €2,500 (for 80-90k words)
Get your manuscript noticed.
If you have gone as far as you can with your writers’ group and you’re ready to take the next step, my courses can help you prepare to pitch your work to agents and publishers.
Learn from me.
Short courses to help you decode the publishing process and power up your pitch.
Edit.
If you’ve completed your first (or second!) draft, my editing tips will help you brush up your manuscript.
Pitch.
How to pitch your book to an agent or publisher. What to include, what not to include, and how to grab someone’s attention.
Publish.
Learn about the publication process, including the lifecycle of a book, what to expect from the editorial process, and how the decision to acquire a book is made.
Courses
There are no courses currently running, but please express your interest by email if you would like to be put on the mailing list.