for outstanding text
Literary consultancy
Gale clearly knows the business and her suggestions, always thoughtful and kind, were invaluable in helping me clarify exactly what kind of novel I was writing and what I needed to do to make it appeal to readers. Gale has the clear eye of a reader and the objectivity that every writer needs. But she always emphasized the important thing was that I was happy with what appeared on the page.
Shirley Skeel, author
Literary consultancy involves detailed editorial advice on both general and very specific issues, at different stages of your writing,
Critiques and manuscript evaluation consider the big-picture aspects of your text (e.g. structure, plot, character, pace, etc.) and offer suggestions on how any issues might be addressed.
Book doctoring not only identifies the problems within a text, but also incorporates any necessary revisions to the text itself, thus fixing the issue.
See below for more information.
Critiques and manuscript assessment
Reading through your comments I realized what a skill critiquing is. You pointed out a few things others have suggested in the past, but the way you expressed it was so different, I was inclined to listen and not get defensive.
Ulka Karandikar, author
Critiques/manuscript evaluations
COST:
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Up to 50,000 words: £550
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50–80,000 words: £550–£750
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80–100,000 words: £750–£950
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Over 100,000 words: From £950
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Mini critique of up to 10,000 words, plus a 30-minute phone/Zoom consultation: £450
Service includes:
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reading your work to see whether it is suitable for publication or submission in its current state, and whether it is appropriate for your proposed audience
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can be based on a whole manuscript, or only the opening chapters of a book
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offering feedback on your plot, characterization, use of language, marketability, standard of writing and so on (fiction)
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providing an assessment of your presentation, structure, accessibility of material, clarity, language, marketability, standard of writing and so on (non-fiction)
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submitting a written report
Depending on your requirements, it can also be combined with:
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detailed editorial feedback on your manuscript
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highlighting areas of your text that could be improved and offering specific suggestions for doing so
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emphasizing your strengths while offering constructive criticism about the weaker elements of your work
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a full copy-edit of the manuscript
I much appreciate the time and serious attention and thought you've given to my draft, the well-structured way you've done it and your tone – that your advice (wise words borne from your intelligence and experience) isn't the last word, but for me to consider.
Jeff Probst, author
Some authors may also require coaching, which I am very happy to provide.
Book Doctoring
What a superb job Gale has done on my manuscript! It was in three chunks and I couldn’t see how to put it all together, but Gale spotted the links and has melded it into a coherent piece of work, exactly as I had wished.
Ann Burnett, author
Book doctoring can include some or all of the following:
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Adapting material for a specific readership
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Re-ordering/restructuring your text
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Rewriting problematic areas of text
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Writing additional text
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Shortening text
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Anglicizing text where American usage is inappropriate for the proposed audience
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Checking and rewriting text written by authors whose first language is not English, to ensure it makes sense and expresses correctly what they wish to say
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COST: Quote on request
Gale has a wonderful ability to polish a writer's prose without changing its creative shape.
Sonja Lewis, author and vlogger
Other Services
Gale's brilliant advice and assistance was invaluable ... A truly remarkable service. I cannot recommend Gale enough.
Cyrus Chainey, author
