Manuscript Mentorship
Manuscript Mentorship
Price Upon Request
My availability is limited and I can only take on a small number of projects. Please email me, as prices vary depending on manuscript length and the scope of your project. I only consider completed manuscripts and I’ll need to know your word count, genre, and what your project is about. I’ll also need the first chapter of your book. Please send me a short email with this information so that I can get back to you quickly. 🙏
“I appreciate all the help Heather gave me on this book—I couldn’t have done it without that amazing Pneuma Creative workshop at Highlights and all the ideas and support from her and the other participants!”
Are you tired of writing books that don’t further your writing goals?
Is revision the monster under your bed?
Are you ready to write the book of your dreams?
SHINE is for you if:
You have a completed manuscript (novel of any genre or narrative non-fiction / memoir) OR you plan to have a finished one from one year after purchase of your mentorship.
Scared of revision? Then it’s totally for you.
Want help identifying your craft challenges and how to overcome them? Yep, this is for you too.
All critiques include:
An intensive intake. I really look at your whole writing life so that I can get a clear picture of where you and your book and your writing career are at. I keep your goals in mind as I read, and I look for areas I can coach you on to boost your writing practice and flow. I get into my findings in our calls and my massive editorial letter. Bonus: Just doing this intake with me (a lengthy questionnaire) is some great process writing for you to already get some clarity about where you’re at and where you want to go before I’ve even read a word of your book.
Full critique of the manuscript with track changes, including line editing as needed. (Note: NOT copy editing). I go deep, y’all.
A lengthy editorial letter (see more below) that’s both an in-depth analysis of your book, your strengths and areas for improvement as a writer, and a crash course in craft that you can use for this book and future projects.
Call #1: A 90-minute editorial phone call. This happens after you receive your critique and have had time to digest it. IT IS SO MUCH FUN. We go over questions, brainstorm, and dream. By the end of the call, you’ll have a solid revision action plan that works for your lifestyle and process.
Call #2: A follow-up 90-minute call to be used within two months of your critique. This is a great way to check back in if you’ve hit a wall, need more guidance, or have something to work through.
A revision plan. We take your lifestyle and your goals for the project / your career into major account. This is a REALISTIC and supportive plan that will help you find your edge in your writing practice.
Story therapy: Through our call and my editorial letter, we’ll be getting into what makes a story - and your story in particular - go. We’ll home in on what needs work on your story know-how and your approach to story with this work.
Craft counseling: I’ll identify your key areas of struggle with craft and give you exercises in order to improve.
Publishing Advice: While SHINE is focused on getting this book into shape, I’m happy to answer questions you have about market and publishing. However, please note that our prime objective is to help you write a great book, and thinking about market too much is not going to help you. However, with a dozen books either published or in line for publication in various genres, all with Big 5 publishers, I certainly know my way around the publishing industry and am happy to help.
A post-call final email chock full of additional resources based on what came up for us after each call we have.
Lifetime Access to my Private Meditation Portal: Regularly uploaded with downloads to support your practice.
“I hired Heather to do a manuscript critique of my current project. I was blown away by the phenomenal insights she provided in her editorial note. She absolutely gets the big-picture perspective as well as the nitty gritty. She offered excellent advice, guidance and suggestions on how to improve the overall story message, the structure and most importantly, my main character. Additionally, the level of detail she provided throughout the manuscript was incredibly helpful. Each comment got me to dig deeper and find better solutions.
Heather’s careful dissection of my novel gave me room to make several smart revisions and recreate a more likeable and engaging main character with a great story to share. Heather helped me to move beyond the first and very rough draft into the next one and beyond. I trust her opinions, guidance and honesty.
”
What I Read
I read fiction, memoir, and narrative non-fiction in any genre - please no picture books, poetry, essay collections, or short stories. I currently don’t do partial critiques, but if you want to work on your book together as you draft or revise, I recommend my IGNITE 6-month creative intensive.
