Editing & Coaching
“Working with Sarah has been life-changing—she went beyond editing to help me see my story’s potential and provided the tools to achieve it. Sarah has this extraordinary gift of finding the gold in a story, and she does it in a way that’s enthusiastic and supportive. I cannot recommend her enough”
Start Here: Free Consultation
Writing isn’t a one-size-fits all endeavor. Each person and project has unique needs that can be best served in different ways. In this 30-minute consultation, we’ll discuss your writing goals and what challenges you’re facing. I’ll point you towards the next steps you can take, whether or not that includes working with me.
Limit: One free consult per person per calendar year.
Sample Edit – $250
Because I offer free consultations, I don’t offer free sample edits. However, I’m happy to edit up to 10 pages (2,500 words) for $250. The feedback will include Markup similar to what I would offer in a full manuscript edit, along with a bullet-point list of my observations and recommendations. I can’t address story structure in 10 pages, but I can usually get a good sense of your storytelling and composition.
If you choose to hire me for a full developmental edit directly after a sample edit, you will receive credit for the amount already paid.
Creative Breakthrough Session – $250
Not sure what step to take next? Having trouble with a thorny plot twist? Are you in the query trenches and not getting any responses? Let’s brainstorm solutions! Bring me your writing and publishing-related challenges, and let me help you figure out your next steps. We’ll meet on Zoom and I’ll record the call so you can refer back to it. The cost for a 60-minute session is $250.
Existing Client Check-in – $99
For clients who have worked with me before, this is a chance to touch base and discuss how your writing is going, what you’re celebrating, and to brainstorm solutions to any challenges you’re facing. Please choose one specific issue you’d like help resolving.
“Working with Sarah helped me confront personal histories, gain distance from my manuscript, and develop a greater sense of its possibilities. She went beyond the call of duty, offering stylistic, structural, and other advice, and showing empathy and patience as I made a stylistic transition”
Developmental Editing – starts at $2,500
Developmental editing is where we figure out what story you’re trying to tell and the most effective way to tell it. Does the structure support the story you’re telling? What are your natural writing strengths, and where could you use different techniques to make it stronger? My approach with developmental editing goes deeper than the surface rules of structure and storytelling. My process includes both logic (the rules) and intuition (the issues that show up beneath the words). I dive deep into what’s working, and what’s holding you back. I give you the toolkit—and a tailored writing handbook—to get where you want to go. To use a real estate analogy, this is where we make sure you have the right blueprint, materials and tools for the house you want to build.
This is for one round of developmental editing. Some of my clients then move into coaching, and I work through the revisions with them; others go off and revise for 6-9 months and then come back for a manuscript evaluation. Clients who have completed a developmental edit with me receive a 20% discount on coaching or a subsequent manuscript evaluation of the same project.
You’ll receive:
- An extensive editorial letter (10+ pages) to guide your revision
- Heavy Markup queries and comments
- A one-hour follow-up call to discuss your questions and next steps
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
- $2,500 for up to 39,999 words
- $3,500 for 40,000 to 50,999 words
- $4,500 for 60,000 to 79,999 words
- $5,500 for 80,000 to 99,999 words
- $500 for each additional 10,000 words
Time frame:
- 4-8 weeks, depending on length
“Sarah is a genuine manuscript whisperer with a gift for finding the gold in your story and helping you bring it to life. Sarah sinks deep into your material and has a natural ability to see what it’s trying to be. Her evaluation was comprehensive, beautifully wrought, and full of rich resources. Do not hesitate to work with her!”
Manuscript Evaluation – starts at $1,650
You’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can, but you’re not sure if it’s ready to submit. A manuscript evaluation is a high-level overview of issues that need to be addressed before you take the final steps to self-publish or begin querying. A manuscript evaluation does not replace any level of editing. Rather, it gives you a summary assessment of where you are on your path to publication. To continue with the real estate analogy, an evaluation is akin to having someone tell you how to stage your home for sale.
You’ll receive:
- Light Markup
- A 5-7 page editorial letter analyzing structure, storytelling and composition
- A one-hour follow-up phone call to discuss your questions and next steps
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
- $1,650 for up to 60,000 words
- $250 for each additional 10,000 words
Time frame:
- 3-4 weeks, depending on length
Nonfiction Book Proposal Review – starts at $827
If you have a completed commercial book proposal, I will review it to make sure you’ve made an effective business case for your book. I’ll look at each section (hook/overview, target audience, competing/complementary titles, marketing plan and author bio/platform). I’ll make suggestions for improvements, both in terms of writing quality and marketability of your book.
These reviews include evaluation (but not hands-on edit) of one sample chapter up to 5,000 words.
To get the most out of my feedback (and your money), I highly recommend reading Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal.
You’ll receive:
- An email with my overall feedback
- A section-by-section analysis of your proposal
- Light Markup of your proposal
- A 30-minute follow-up call to discuss your questions and next steps (for each pass, if desired)
- A recording of our call for your reference
Cost:
-
$827 – One pass
-
$1,984 – Up to three passes (with client revisions between each)
Time frame:
- Two weeks (one pass)
- One to three months (three passes)
“I would highly recommend Sarah for your writing project. She put her heart into my book and went above and beyond to give me the feedback I needed. She was able to see my idea through a fresh lens, and she provided ideas for what my book could be and how I could get there. She put her heart into my book and went above and beyond. I highly recommend Sarah.”
Writer, Story and Creativity Coaching
Hone your voice, discover your strengths, and become a timeless storyteller.
You can learn a great deal from my feedback on just 10 pages (2500 words). Within just a few pages, I can notice storytelling or composition patters that likely occur throughout your writing. The ten pages can be an outline, part of a chapter or whatever is giving you the biggest challenge right now.
Beyond writing, I can help you with researching agents, writing queries and synopses, providing support while you’re on submission, and encouraging you along your path to publication, whether that’s traditional, self-publishing or hybrid.
Writer Coaching with Page Reviews
Packages to be used within 14 months from purchase
Custom packages available on request.
Seed
- A comprehensive edit of up to 1,000 words (four consecutive pages)
- One 60-minute call (phone or Zoom) to celebrate breakthroughs, discuss challenges and plan next steps
- A recording of our call for you to download and keep
- Recommended reading, writing assignments and homework
- Package of three: $867
- Package of six: $1,632
- Package of 12: $3,060
Blossom
- A comprehensive edit of up to 2,500 words (10 consecutive pages)
- One 60-minute call (phone or Zoom) to celebrate breakthroughs, discuss challenges and plan next steps
- A recording of our call for you to download and keep
- Recommended reading, writing assignments and homework
- Package of three: $1,120
- Package of six: $2,116
- Package of 12: $3,984
Harvest
- A comprehensive edit of up to 5,000 words (20 consecutive pages)
- One 60-minute call (phone or Zoom) to celebrate breakthroughs, discuss challenges and plan next steps
- A recording of our calls for you to download and keep
- Recommended reading, writing assignments and homework
- Package of three: $1,523
- Package of six: $2,876
- Package of 12: $5,414
Find Your Flow Creativity Coaching
Renew your commitment to yourself and your writing. Learn to:
- Jump-start your creativity
- Get in the flow and build momentum by learning your creative rhythms
- Get the most out of butt-in-chair time
- Maximize creativity while minimizing screen time
- Feel more fulfilled creatively
Page edits (up to 2,500 words) are available as an add-on for $0.07 to 0.10 per word
Spark
- Jump-start your creativity practice with one 60-minute Zoom call
- These are sold by session, not month
- Download and keep recordings of our calls
- Find and enhance your creative flow with personalized practices
- Package of three: $637
- Package of six: $1.199
- Package of 12: $2,247
Flow
- Stay in the flow with two 60-minute Zoom calls per month
- Download and keep recordings of our calls
- Enhance your creative flow with practices tailored to your unique needs
- Get answers to questions between sessions with priority email access
- Three-month package: $1,147
- Six-month package: $2,159
- 12-month package: $4,049
Thrive
- Strengthen your creative flow with four 60-minute Zoom calls per month
- Go deeper into your creativity with exercises tailored for you
- Download and keep recordings of our calls
- Get answers to your most pressing questions within 24 hours
- Three-month package: $2,022
- Six-month package: $3,819
- 12-month package: $7,189
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