An in-depth assessment of a completed draft novel or memoir, focusing on “big picture” elements such as character, plot, setting, and theme. You will get a detailed critique letter as well as in-text line edits. Includes an hour-long meeting with me to discuss your project and goals. Sample cost: $750 for 200-250 double-spaced pages.

Less intensive than a developmental edit, a manuscript critique is designed to give you a bird’s eye view of what is working in your draft and identify areas for further exploration. You will get written feedback and writing prompts designed to guide your revision process. Includes an hour-long meeting with me to discuss your project and goals. Sample cost: $450 for 200-250 double-spaced pages.

Once your project is in its final stages, I can help you with sentence-level editing to improve your writing and ensure your manuscript looks polished and professional. You will get in-text line edits and helpful comments on grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, word choice, and other topics. $50 per hour.

I bring my experience as an attorney and a former literary agent assistant to all of my work with authors. If you are new to the business of writing, I can help demystify the process. We can discuss how to write a book proposal and query agents, what it’s like when your manuscript goes on submission, the many paths to publication, and common provisions in publishing contracts.

Queries are bizarre. No one loves describing their beloved writing project in a marketable formula (well, actually, I kind of do), but for aspiring authors it is essential to compose a letter that will stand out in an agent’s slush pile. You will get written feedback on what is working in your draft, suggestions for improvement, and in-text edits. Includes an hour-long meeting with me to discuss your project, goals, and potential comp titles. $120

Schedule a free 30-minute phone call with me to discuss how I can help you achieve your writing goals. I also offer a sample edit package. You will get written feedback and line edits on 10 pages for $50.

“Sarah is my favorite kind of writing collaborator: deeply thoughtful, knowledgeable, and candid. Before offering developmental questions and suggestions for improvement, Sarah first took time to understand the why behind my novel. Her feedback was generative versus overly prescriptive, which I appreciated. Aside from helping me deepen the more significant themes and threads throughout the book, Sarah’s eye has helped me recognize some of my “writer’s foibles” —those technical things you don’t often see in your own work. The result is a tighter manuscript that I’m thrilled to query.”

—Kim Tidwell, Writer, Editor, and Creative Strategist

“Sarah’s close attention to character, structure, and theme helped me see my draft novel so much more clearly. She had helpful, succinct suggestions for bringing about the change I was hoping to achieve, and her encouragement and support bolstered me so that I felt I didn’t have to embark on the daunting process of editing alone.”

—Katie Zdybel, Author of Equipoise (Exile Editions, 2021), shortlisted for HarperCollins/UBC Prize for Best New Fiction.

“Sarah’s critical eye and line editing skills have helped me know when a story is ready for submission. I appreciate her insightful feedback on character development and plot as well as grammar. Working with Sarah is always a great experience.”

—Jim Weber, author of The Marker and other stories

Sarah is incredibly adept at drawing connections within a narrative’s expanse and relating the threads to each other in a way that makes reading her edits a total pleasure. Her ability to be hyper present for the written word is a superpower. Her insights led to connections in my writing that I would have never otherwise seen. Sarah’s feedback inspires and encourages me to be more thoughtful in my writing. Sarah is truly a gift as a collaborator and editor.

—Fiore Tedesco, Chef/Restaurant Owner and Writer