“Your ability to triage my manuscript has given it new life! I needed your help on the big stuff, like where to put new chapters and on the little stuff, like overwriting and crappy dialogue. You’re as good at editing as you are at writing! Thank you!” —Jason
Coaching & Editing
“My novel is a far better book (and I am a far better writer) for the company and programs I encountered through the Madison Writers Studio. ”
“Susanna and Michelle are peerless in their ability to give thoughtful critique in a graceful way that is digestible and manageable for the writer. Seeing the forest through the trees, they understand when to help the writer tackle large, big picture revisions and when to dive into the nitty-gritty, like sentence composition, diction, and dialogue. Additionally, their tailored reading suggestions helped me delve more deeply — and less personally — into aspects of craft. Not only did my pieces improve with their help, but my understanding of the craft and my writing grew, too. ”
Even the most accomplished writers depend on trusted readers and editors at every step of the process.
Whether you need a Coach to support you from page one through the end of a first draft, an Editor to offer feedback for revision, or something in between — we can help.
Michelle has almost two decades of experience as an editor for Tin House and reviews regularly for the New York Times, and Susanna won a PEN/American award for her first novel, and has helped usher more than twenty-five books from conception to completion. Between them, they’ve published five novels with major publishing houses, and and many widely read essays — with more in the works.
Some of our most popular services:
COPY EDIT. We’ll just focus on punctuation, grammar, consistency, and clarity.
OPENING EDIT. We’ll evaluate the first 6,000 words (25 pages, 12pt font, double spaced) of your novel or memoir, and help you make sure your story starts in the right place, establishes subject and character, conflict, and action, and won’t let a reader put it down.
“Your edits and thoughtful feedback have opened my eyes to new writing techniques and ways of thinking. My prose has improved invaluably ever since your help with my manuscript. I cannot thank you enough.”
ESSENTIALS EDIT. We’ll read your manuscript and write you a 5-7p letter of editorial feedback, with a focus on broad strokes, structure, and character. No line editing or margin comments included.
INTERMEDIATE EDIT. We’ll read your book, lightly mark the manuscript, write a 5-7p letter of editorial feedback, and meet in person or over the phone for a half-hour consultation.
“I really appreciated the critiques you gave me for my work, which were generous . After reading them, I felt like I had a lot more options and could see my pieces in a different way, which was empowering.””
COMPREHENSIVE EDIT. This is our most focused and prescriptive editorial service. Includes line editing, margin comments, an editorial letter, and meeting in person or over the phone for a one-hour consultation.
STORY OR ESSAY EDIT. We’ll provide margin comments, a detailed letter of feedback, and a 30-minute consultation on your complete short story or essay up to 6K words.
COACHING. We’ll give you the scaffolding to ensure your book’s success: deadlines, encouragement, and actionable feedback. For writers who appreciate structure but would prefer to work one-on-one. Coaching is flexible and can be tailored to suit the writer’s needs, but our Six-Cycle Coaching option includes monthly feedback on 20-40 pages and a meeting to discuss next steps.