Tanja helped me jumpstart my ‘book,” the one that’s been lying around in my office on sticky notes and scraps of paper for 22 years. She’s a master at conveying the process of writing, how to focus and what to do when you’re starting to go in circles and feel overwhelmed. I’ve gotten perfect coaching and great tools to stay on task, but more than that, insights into both the mechanics and heart of writing that bring me wholeheartedly into the process. –-Kim Mooney, Thanatologist. Practically Dying, LLC
I am so grateful to work with Tanja, not only because she clearly found what my manuscript needed, but also because she taught me much about writing rules and rhythm. She reignited a light in me that believes not only in achieving this project, but making it successful. Much gratitude for the brilliant support. —Patrice Bazile
Manuscript Reviews
One of the biggest mistakes writers make is waiting until they’re done with their manuscript before hiring an editor. This often leads to major rewrites, increasing the cost, time and emotional investment of your project.
Getting a developmental manuscript review early in the process will help you figure out if your story works before you spend precious time and energy polishing your manuscript—saving you lots of frustration, not to mention time and money. It’s essential to get big-picture help with narrative style, pacing, structure and technique before you get bogged down in line-edits and final revisions.
For this reason, I always recommend that writers hire a developmental (or substantive) editor long before hiring a line editor or proofreader. They’re vastly different parts of the editorial process.
What is a developmental manuscript review?
A close read of your manuscript pages (double-spaced, in 12-pt font) with an editorial report, customized for each writer’s needs and level of expertise. A developmental manuscript review covers what’s working well in the manuscript as well as what needs to be strengthened, and typically addresses the following components:
- story structure
- pacing
- character development
- conflict
- setting
- dialogue
- perspective and/or point of view (POV)
- tone/voice
- showing v. telling
- narrative style and organization.
Please contact me for availability. I offer 30-minute introductory calls to see if we’re a good fit and discuss how we might work together. There’s no charge for these calls.
