Get a diagnostic
A diagnostic is the natural next step for any completed manuscript. Diagnostics vary from editor to editor but to learn more about what they achieve, read on!
What is a diagnostic?
A diagnostic is a review and feedback for a completed manuscript focused on the story's structure, pacing, characters, and overall effectiveness within its genre. This is not a line edit where we work on your prose, it's about your internal and external arcs and execution of the story itself. It helps the author evaluate the current state of their story (relative to being ready to pitch or publish) and gives directions on how to revise the story to improve the overall quality to prepare it for pitch or publication. ​​​​
Why should I consider getting one?
A few reasons:
- If you've finished a draft and now you don't actually know what to do with it
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- You've tried revising but it still doesn't feel right
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- You're ready for expert feedback on how well your story achieves what you set out to do by getting specific, curated instructions on how to achieve that goal from someone who understands genre and story structure
What big problem(s) does it solve?
A bit of a rehash of above but the diagnostic gives you tailored, practical guidance to make your story actually look like what you envisioned and keeps you from going in circles of revising.
You'll be able to identify when it's done, if it works, and if those revisions are doing what you think they're doing.
How do you do yours differently?
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I take very seriously the author's intent, and my goal is to help you actualize your vision for the story, not what I think the story is or should be.
When you send me a manuscript, I read, then before I make any suggestions, we meet to talk about it. I get clarity on the story and the vision, what's most important to the author about the story, and from there, I create an editorial letter with the highest impact changes you can make to improve your manuscript and suggestions on how to implement them.
This is not a deluge of miscellaneous feedback, but an organized "hit list" of adjustments to the story that will solve the story's most important problems. Then, we'll meet one more time to discuss the letter and my suggestions, answer questions, and ensure the you knows exactly what you need to be doing next.
Ready for a diagnostic?
Send me a message and we'll get your story revised and shaped into everything you envisioned!