If you’re planning to submit your novel to traditional publishers, the most common path is to get a literary agent. Submission requirements vary from agency to agency, but in most cases you will need to send in a query letter, synopsis, and the first three chapters or 5000 words of your completed manuscript. Competition is fierce and agents receive thousands of submissions a year, so your package will need to be spot on if it’s to present your novel in the best possible light and encourage an agent to ask for the full manuscript.
I can help by providing you with informed, detailed feedback on your query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters. Or perhaps you’re happy with what you’ve written but would like the reassurance of a trained eye reading it through for typos and other errors before you hit ‘send’.
Highly detailed feedback on your query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters. I will read for clarity, relevance, and style, and will also offer advice on content, for example:
What you could add or remove from your query letter to better appeal to an agent, or what you could rephrase in the interests of clarity and brevity.
How you could streamline your summary to get it onto the required one or two pages and best emphasise the most important plot elements.
How you could further improve the pacing, world-building, character portrayals, initial plot foundations, and overall coherence of your opening chapters to better capture the reader’s attention.
You will receive:
an annotated copy of your query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters, with suggestions inserted as comments.
A thorough copy-edit of your query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters. I will read for clarity, style, and consistency of language, as well as for errors of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. I will NOT offer feedback on content, other than to highlight any inconsistencies (e.g. continuity issues in your opening chapters) or factual errors that would be obvious to a well-informed reader.
You will receive:
your edited query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters with changes tracked in Word. Errors will be corrected, and any ‘queries’ (points of continuity to check, suggested rephrases where clarity or voice might be affected for the reader, etc.) inserted as comments.
A final proofread of your query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters. I will correct any errors of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I will NOT read for style, content, continuity, or clarity, and I will not do any fact checking.
You will receive:
your corrected query letter, synopsis, and/or opening chapters with changes tracked in Word.
Individual prices:
Query letter (up to 800 words): £70
Synopsis (up to 1000 words): £80
Opening chapters (up to 5000 words): £175
Packages:
Query letter and synopsis (up to 1800 words in total): £140
Query letter, synopsis, and opening chapters (up to 6800 words total): £300
Individual prices:
Query letter (up to 800 words): £40
Synopsis (up to 1000 words): £50
Opening chapters (up to 5,000 words): £210
Packages:
Query letter and synopsis (up to 1800 words in total): £80
Query letter, synopsis, and opening chapters (up to 6800 words total): £290
Individual prices:
Query letter (up to 800 words): £25
Synopsis (up to 1000 words): £30
Opening chapters (up to 5000 words): £90
Packages:
Query letter and synopsis (up to 1800 words in total): £45
Query letter, synopsis, and opening chapters (up to 6800 words total): £125