Manuscript Review
 
Do you have a manuscript that you would like to have an experienced publisher look at and give you an indication of whether or not you have a publishable concept? I will review your Table of Contents and full or partial manuscript and give you a telephone consultation of what is working and what needs some work before your seek a publisher or literary agent.
 
Sometimes when you are writing a book you are so close to the material that you lose your objectivity and it is difficult to know if you are onto an idea or an approach that has merit. People who have considerable expertise in a field can lose perspective on their content and not communicate effectively to a general audience that is new to the material. Authors sometimes forget to share their own stories, in their effort to deliver their message, when often the lessons are best communicated in the context of a personal story.
 
I am an experienced book publisher who has written, edited, and published hundreds of books, chapters and articles—mostly under other people's names. I have worked in writing partnerships with many high profile business and professional experts who for various reasons (usually incredibly busy schedules caused by their success and celebrity) required a collaborator to help them complete and perfect a book project. I have over 20 years' experience working as a publisher, editor, and writer and have consequently developed a strong sense of what constitutes a well-structured, well-written book and what needs to be reworked to have commercial viability.
 
If I determine that your manuscript has commercial viability I will make suggestions about how to approach a book proposal so that you can capture the attention of a literary agent, who will approach publishers on your behalf and seek to obtain a contract for publication of your work. If you are looking to self publish I can give you some guidance on this process or steer you toward a small independent press that you might approach directly.
 
If I conclude that your manuscript is not ready for prime time, I will tell you what I think needs to be done to it to get it up to the level where either an agent might be willing to represent you, or where the project has enough going for it that self publishing would be a worthwhile investment. The issues that can cause a manuscript to have problems are all over the map—you might have issues with the organization of the material, you might have inconsistencies in voicing (sometimes you have written in first person, sometimes in third), you might have issues with permissions or licensing, it may not be clear whether the material is a business book or falls in the self help category, you may need more stories that illustrate the meat of your message, you may have written in too technical a style or too colloquially for the mainstream market. All of these potential problems are easily corrected and can make or break a manuscript submission.
 
When you retain me to review your manuscript, I also will ask to see your bio and invite you to write a short essay about why you have written the book and what your objective is for publication:
 
• Are you writing a retail bookstore bestseller?
 
• Is your book a marketing vehicle to drive business to your consulting business or professional practice?
 
• Will you sell your book primarily at your speaking engagements and through an e-commerce application on your own web site?
 
• Is your book intended for a specific niche market or professional community?
 
• Have you already published any articles or other material on this topic?