competence/competent—the least we owe ourselves and our readers: being “properly or sufficiently qualified; capable, adequate for the purpose”1
commercially viable—a book that can compete for sales in the market; that is, a book with a defined and eager audience, a unique selling proposition, clear intellectual and/or narrative arc, and in all ways crafted and delivered with purpose, attention to detail, and with the benefit of the reader in mind
trade nonfiction—Trade books are written for a general audience and made easily accessible via good distribution to a variety of online and brick-and-mortar retailers and libraries. They also typically reflect high standards related to writing, design, and production.
memoir—a personal story that follows a hero’s journey story arc (character-driven: scenes + exposition) or one that’s written in the style of creative/narrative nonfiction (character and information driven: scenes + information blocks); a personal narrative in which the writer reflects on a specific period in or aspect of their life
legacy memoir (vs. commercial memoir)—a memoir or autobiography written primarily for an intimate audience, typically family and friends and not intended for or written to the standards expected by a commercial or trade audience
commercial memoir (vs. legacy memoir)—a memoir written in the true style of memoir focused on a universally appealing or compelling theme and that reflects a high level of craftsmanship; a memoir intended for the trade market
genre fiction—categories of fiction that adhere to established conventions and tropes, e.g. romance, sci-fi, thriller
literary fiction—fiction that does not adhere to genre conventions and tropes, may or may not reflect a hero’s journey narrative arc, and is often more poetic or abstract in voice and style–reflecting a level of self- and situational awareness and command of the language rarely seen in commercial/genre fiction
upmarket fiction—fiction that blends literary and commercial (genre fiction) qualities; examples of my favorites include Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer, Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing, Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land, James McBride’s Deacon King Kong, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Child of God, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Karen Russell’s Swamplandia, Wiley Cash’s A Land More Kind Than Home, and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
query letter—a one-page pitch document sent to literary agents and publishers used to persuade them to request a full nonfiction book proposal or sample pages or a full manuscript of a novel; A query letter is a strategically crafted document that should contain an overview of the proposed book, its title, genre, and word count and a description of the author or aspiring author’s platform, a clearly defined ideal reader, and a compelling reason for that agent or publisher to consider investing in the writer and their book project.
book proposal—a 30–60-page business plan for standard nonfiction and memoir pitched to literary agents and publishers; a strategically developed document that must demonstrate a market for the aspiring author’s idea; the aspiring author’s authority, unique selling proposition (USP), platform, and commitment to marketing and promotion; the core idea and scope of the book; and the aspiring author’s ability to communicate in a clear and compelling way
up to 80k words $42/1,000 words ($2,600 minimum fee)
80-100k words $50/1,000 words
100-110k words $65/1,000 words
3-5 weeks
up to 80k words $17/1,000 words ($1,200 minimum fee)
80-100k words $20/1,000 words
100-110K words $25/1,000 words
5-10 business days
Please include the following in your message:
A query letter is often the only chance you’ll get to grab the attention of an individual literary agent or acquisition editor. If they want to see more, they’ll request a few sample chapters. If they like those, they’ll request a full manuscript (if they didn’t already).
So, for best results, I like to go in cold, no project launch questionnaire, no get-to-know-each-other call—we do it as close to the real-world process as possible.
A bit intimidating? Yes. That’s by design.
This dress rehearsal and the deep level feedback and recommendations I’ll provide (including a note about where and why I would have stopped reading if I were an agent or editor) will give you more confidence when you do start pitching for real.
$500.00
2-4 business days
Please copy and paste the following into the contact form:
Hi, Cristen.
I’d like to schedule a query letter and sample chapter review. Please send me contract, payment, scheduling information, and submission instructions.
Thank you.
[your name]
I’ll email you back with all that information, and we’ll go from there.
Query Tip #1: Failure to follow submission instructions is the #1 reason agents and publishers reject queries. This includes not doing enough research and pitching
Query Tip #2: Your query letter should include the genre and word count of your book. It’s easy for us to identify authors who understand where their book fits in the market and those who don’t.
Note: Memoir, like all nonfiction, is sold on proposal. Scroll down to see my nonfiction query letter and book proposal review service.
A query letter is often the only chance you’ll get to grab the attention of an individual literary agent or acquisition editor, and a book proposal (including sample chapters) is your full pitch to potential investors. The importance of demonstrating your grasp of how the publishing industry works and a high level of writing craft cannot be understated.
For best results, I like to go in cold, no project launch questionnaire, no get-to-know-each-other call—we do it as close to the real-world process as possible.
A bit intimidating? Yes. That’s by design.
This dress rehearsal and the deep level feedback and recommendations I’ll provide (including a note about where and why I would have stopped reading if I were an agent or editor) will give you more confidence when you do start pitching for real.
$2,200 (up to 65 double-spaced pages)
5-7 business days
Please copy and paste the following into the contact form:
Hi, Cristen.
I’d like to schedule a nonfiction query letter and book proposal review. Please send me contract, payment, scheduling information, and submission instructions.
Thank you.
[your name]
I’ll email you back with my next available scheduling date and the other information, and we’ll go from there.
Query/Pitch Tip #1: Failure to follow submission instructions is the #1 reason agents and publishers reject queries.
Query/Pitch Tip #2: Your query letter should include the genre and word count of your book. It’s easy for us to identify authors who understand where their book fits in the market and those that don’t.
Query/Pitch Tip #3: Trade nonfiction is platform dependent. If you aren’t already recognized as an expert in your field and can’t demonstrate your ability to attract a large audience, it will be extremely difficult to secure agent representation. Some high-quality academic or independent trade publishers may be interested depending on the subject matter of your book. If you’re concerned about a lack of platform and robust marketing plan, I recommend that you book a consultation session (details below) prior to investing in a proposal review.
Sensitivity reading—helping you become a more aware author-advocate—is baked into everything I do because your perspective and the way you characterize individuals and groups are embedded in the structure of your manuscript.
A full-on edit or structured coaching-consulting arrangement isn’t for everyone.
This service is great if you’re looking for an option that’s high value, budget friendly, pop in when you need me, and pay as you go.
All paid sessions include the video call recording and transcript, typically delivered within 24 hours.
Feel free to have your camera on or off. I can turn closed captions on or off depending on your preference. No eye contact and stimming/fidgeting is cool with me. I’ll let you know if I’m struggling to hear or too distracted by movement. I ask that you accommodate me by being in a quiet space without people talking and moving around behind or around you.
This is a great option (I’d argue that it’s the best option) if:
45 minutes $150.00
1 hour $200.00
1.5 hours $250.00
There are many reasons you may want to chat with me, but here are a few that might help you determine if this is a good fit:
45 minutes $150.00
1 hour $200.00
1.5 hours $250.00
I love talking to literary agents and working with clients who’ve been referred to me by their literary agent or publisher, but a full manuscript review or structural edit may not be necessary. A 3-way brainstorming call may be just the thing to get you and your client over the obstacle you’re facing.
A 1-on-1 session related to any of the points listed under the author and editor session descriptions above may also interest and benefit you and your current and future clients.
45 minutes $150.00
1 hour $200.00
1.5 hours $250.00
Stay tuned for upcoming online events, which will be published on the new and improved website coming soon.
