Your Passion – Grand Cru Experience

Your Passion | Literary Art Consultancy

The first draft is black and white. Editing gives the story colour. | Emma Hill

Literary arts display the beauty of a language and stories. Words, if written well, inspire, entertain or educate, evoke emotions or make you look at a challenge, situation or a person from a different perspective. Some stories inspire individuals and help them realise they are not alone dealing with a particular situation, while others carry a profound message, or are there simply to entertain, make you laugh, or cry, or admire the beauty of the language, and diversity of the voices.

I work with self-publishing writers, indie writers, and those who follow a traditional way of publishing. I specialise in fiction (with main focus on crime, mystery, suspense, thriller, contemporary and literary fiction), and non fiction (with main focus on self-development, self help, branding and marketing, entrepreneurship, and how-to guides in writing or editing). I can be of help with editorial assistance as well as one-to-one mentoring in both writing and self-editing. I do accept one-off projects as well as regular assignments.

Editorial help and guidance

I provide writers with editorial assistance in order to bring their story to the next level.

I focus on in-depth professional assessment of your work and I provide suggestions on how to improve your story. My editorial services include Developmental Editing, Beta Reading Pro, Ghostwriting, First Chapter Assessment, and Blurb Writing. Moreover, I provide one-to-one mentoring in the subject of self editing and writing techniques that will support you in developing your own style and find your voice.

I can help you bring your story to the next level; you don’t have to walk this path alone.

My services include:

Developmental Editing (with structural editing) – the most time consuming, intense and the deepest analysis of your book from a story point of view – the overall structure and organisation of your manuscript as well as development of the content and ideas within the writing. I look up close at your manuscript on a macro-level, making sure it is structurally sound. I focus on a story as general: the characters, the plot, the consistency, the pace, the narrative, the dialogues, etc. Keep in mind that although I might point out technical errors or logical inconsistencies, this is not a final stage edit and I do not correct grammatical errors, punctuation, nor syntax.

You will receive a marked-up manuscript. I use the Track Changes option in word processor programs such as Pages or Word. I make editorial comments for you to consider and focus on and I highlight those parts in your script that seem not to work in a larger sense and I feel need to be addressed. My suggestions are only that – suggestions. Whether you decide to approve or reject those suggestions, is fully up to you. I do not correct anything in your manuscript; it is you who makes the changes according to your own choices.

After you receive a marked-up script (it usually takes 6-8 weeks, depending on my workload and the length and genre of your book), you will have about one to two weeks to familiarise with my feedback. Then we will schedule a 60-minute follow-up call to discuss any perplexities.

Beta Reading Pro– an in-depth reading of your almost finished manuscript (late stage draft, after your own revisions and self-edit). I provide you with a report on my overall impression on what is working well and what may need your attention from a perspective of a reader. I do not highlight nor mark-up your manuscript; I provide you with a thorough report that consists of editorial suggestions or changes for you to consider. You work from that feedback and you make your own revision of the manuscript either following, or not, my suggestions. If you have a question or need some clarification regarding a report, we may schedule a post-report 30-minute call.

Ghostwriting – if you have an idea for a fiction or non-fiction book and you’ve written your first draft down, but you feel like you lack writing skills to rewrite it or simply have no time to finish the book yourself, I can be of help. I provide ghostwriting services (work-for-hire). We sign a confidentiality agreement, where I, as the creator, stay anonymous and the ownership of the copyrights for the work belongs to you.

How does it work? You send me the first draft of your book and I read through, providing structural edit suggestions and then I make corrections to your text; you receive rewritten copy of your manuscript. Please keep in mind, that I do not provide copy edit nor proofreading services.

First Chapter Assessment – an editorial report with in-line comments concerning the first chapter of the manuscript (maximum 3000 words). This assessment is a perfect choice for those, who don’t feel like going for a full edit, but want to ensure the reader experiences an instant immersion from the first line they read.

Is the hook captivating enough? Is your character compelling enough? What’s at stake? My feedback will help you build a strong opening chapter, so that your reader cannot wait to find out what happens next. First chapter assessment includes a short report, in-line comments and a 30-minute follow-up call.

Blurb Writing – a strong blurb is one of the most powerful selling points for a book. It is a vital part of a publishing process and a writer’s marketing plan. The blurb encourages your prospective readers to purchase, and makes them say: ‘that is exactly what I want to read!’

Once you send me the synopsis of your book and a description of your audience, I will create a standard length (150-200 words) back-cover copy, which you can also use on your website, sales page, and social media.

One-to-one mentoring in writing and editing

I help aspiring writers to develop a consistency in writing, learn self-editing techniques and build confidence.

One-to-one sessions are all about supporting you in improving your skills as a writer or self-editor. Here you can choose from packages for writing workshops, self-editing guidance and transformational coaching. Moreover, single in-depth sessions are also available.

One-To-One Editorial Mentoring – consultancy sessions which help you master the self editing process in a long term. Along the way, you also learn to improve your own writing and then revising, rewriting and polishing your work. Remember – the best you polish your story before sending it to an editor, the better feedback you will receive from them.

How does it work? After a free introductory call (if applicable, one complimentary call per client, max 30 minutes) is completed, and we both think we are a good fit, you may choose from two options – 12 sessions (a 3-month period) or 24 sessions (a 6-month period). In-house worksheets and check-in emails between live sessions are included in each package.

One-To-One ‘On Writing’ Mentoring – guiding sessions and workshops for aspiring writers. These may take either a form of creative writing workshops, or guiding sessions on what to focus on when writing your book, step by step.

‘On writing’ mentoring is all about developing your skills as a writer, building consistency in writing, and creating a story, that every reader will remember. Each session is an opportunity to find your strengths, as well as areas of improvement, try yourself in new genres or build a discipline in regular writing. These are not group sessions, therefore you and your written piece will have my full attention.

‘Confident writer’ transformational coaching – a writing block, an imposter syndrome or simply lack of confidence may be a challenge almost impossible to win over by yourself.

Feeling stuck and not knowing what to do next? Lacking confidence in your writing skills? Having difficulties with receiving the critique to your ‘literary-babies’ and feeling afraid of what others may think? It doesn’t have to be a lonely journey or the end of the journey. If you lack supportive people, have difficulties in building a confidence as a writer, or simply not know why you don’t do what you want to do or should do, I can be of help.

Through coaching sessions I help you draw the line between you and the stories you write, so that you are eager to receive critical comments in order to improve your writing, and not take these comments personally. You will feel more confident not only with writing and editing your own stories, but also with sharing them with others. Yes, it can be done, and yes, with the right tools it is fairly easy.

Other Writing and Editorial Services – Do you feel like you need a single in-depth consultation? Or perhaps a brainstorming session concerning your book’s title, taglines, authors bio, etc? Contact me for a chat and we will figure out how I can be of help.

I believe your story matters. Whether you write a fictional novel or a memoir, your story matters and you can write it the best way possible. With my help, you will realise all the strong parts of your manuscript and you as a writer, as well as the areas of improvement. Consider me your friend. I may be a critical friend, but a friend who cares about your story and who wants it to be the best it can be.

Come and share your story with me and let’s figure out how I can be of help.

Work with me

I am in a business of creating experiences with a focus on three areas: your Passion (writing and editing services are described in details above), your Self (development of self through transformational coaching), and your Business (branding and web editing services).

Your Self – I work with those, who already took their steps on a path of personal development and are still unhappy with the life they live on a daily basis. For details, go to Transformational Coaching.

Your Business – I work with entrepreneurs, individuals and small businesses. I provide editorial assistance in order to bring their online presence to the next level and build strong identification and lasting connection with their audiences. I can be of help with creating a strategy for your brand, web editing, content writing and copy audits as well as consultation concerning visual identity or personal branding. For details, go to Entrepreneurship.

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Your Passion | Literary Art Consultancy

Editorial help and guidance

One-to-one mentoring in writing and editing

Work with me

Further Reading

Inner Circle