Can I help you with your writing?

Query critique? Chapter analysis? Zoom consultation? I'm ready...

Part of the fun (and frustration) of being a freelancer is your schedule is always wibbly-wobbly. Case in point: a ghostwriting client I was supposed to start working with last week canceled. Fortunately, the client I had scheduled in April was happy to be bumped up to February. But this client’s project is much less extensive than the canceled one—which is to say, my work days aren’t as full as I’d like them to be.

I’ve been toying with the idea of lowering my fees for consultations and critiques for some time now, and I’ve decided to go ahead and do it. If you’re interested in booking any of the following, just shoot me an email at mischubooks at gmail.com. (Not through Substack! I don’t even know how to access those emails!)

This is an unlimited time offer! You read that right. I’m not pulling any sales mind games on you. These are my fees for the foreseeable future, so don’t feel pressed to schedule something now if you aren’t ready.

Once you email me, I’ll send over a contract and invoice with payment instructions. Payment can be made by PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. If you’re in a part of the world where those aren’t an option, Wise also works!

Please note that all prices are in US$. If the service you use charges a fee on my end, that fee will be included in the final total. I’m side-eyeing you, PayPal. (Venmo and Zelle, we’re cool.)

Query critique: $30

What is it? You send me your query and I critique it for two rounds! That means I’ll send you edits, you revise and resubmit, and I’ll send you a mark-up with final suggestions.

How long will it take? I’ll turn around each pass within 24 hours of you submitting it.

Please note that a query letter includes both the actual pitch for the story as well as your introduction and brief bio, and I’m happy to make suggestions on all of that. However, I can’t read multiple versions of a query that are personalized for each agent. That said, I can offer suggestions on how best to customize your introduction and bio!

Synopsis critique: $30+

$30 for a one-page synopsis, $20 for each additional page. For example, a five-page synopsis critique would be $110.

What is it? You send me your synopsis and I critique it for two rounds! That means I’ll send you edits, you revise and resubmit, and I’ll send you a mark-up with final suggestions.

How long will it take? I’ll turn around each pass within 24 hours of you submitting it.

Story critique: $00.05 per word

For example, a 2,000 word chapter critique would be $100. Max 10,000 words. If you’re looking for a full developmental edit of a novel, email me at mischubooks at gmail for the pricing.

What is it? You send me pages from your book (or short story). My edits will include:

• A letter detailing the strengths and weaknesses, along with big picture suggestions and questions or thoughts on characters, plot, and world-building

• In-doc comments focusing on smaller line edits and corrections

How long will it take? It depends on the length, but generally turnaround will be 3-7 days.

Zoom consultation: $60 (30 mins), $100 (1 hr)

What is it? We set up a call. At least 24 hours before it begins, you send me 5 pages (for a 30 minute call) or 10 pages (for a 1 hour call) to review. These pages can be from the story itself, or if you haven’t started writing it yet, any other documents you have (character sheets, world-building sketches, rough outlines) that you want to discuss.

What’s the goal of this call? That’s up to you! I’ve had clients schedule calls because they have a seed of an idea for a novel and they want to brainstorm with me. I’ve had clients schedule calls because they’re halfway through a draft and need to talk through a plot hole. I’ve had clients schedule calls just to get publishing advice. Just let me know what you’re looking for when you reach out!

Interested? Email me at mischubooks at gmail.com. :)

Hope to hear from you soon!

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The posts I publish here will remain free. But I have a series called Ask the Editor, which will publish every other Friday. The short pitch: Dear Abby for writers.

The longer pitch: paid subscribers ($5/month or $50/year, cancel anytime) will receive a link to a form where they can submit pretty much anything within a two page limit. Things like…

• Queries

• Synopses

• Pages from their novel

• Questions about writing or traditional publishing

• A current problem or situation in their writing journey (ie: trying to decide if an agent is a schmagent, disagreeing with beta feedback, etc)

• A rant about this whole “trying to get published” endeavor to a sympathetic ear

Every other Friday, I’ll respond to/critique as many submissions as I can and publish them together in one post. Because they’ll be behind a paywall, there’s some privacy—your query, pages, or rant about that one really horrible rejection won’t be online for editors to discover when they Google you.

That’s it! I hope to see you over there. :)

Michelle