Manuscript Consulting

Would you like support with your writing project?

Whether you’re preparing to submit your work and would like to fine-tune it, or deciding what to do next with a work-in-progress, I can help.

As a published novelist and writer of short fiction, I love the possibilities of the written word, and especially love partnering with other writers to help them realize the potential of their work. That, and my own writing, are the two most rewarding kinds of work I know.

I’ve been a teacher for many years. Most recently, I piloted my own online course on revising fiction, and I’ve also been a teaching fellow at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshops and a mentor in Adroit Journal‘s summer program for high-school fiction writers and poets. In 2015-2016, I was an assistant editor at Bartleby Snopes literary journal, and have an insider’s view of the journal submission process.

Comments from writers I’ve worked with:

“I have had two workshops with you and you really know your stuff. You are a smart and sensitive person who knows exactly how to get to the heart of a story’s problems.” – Louise M., Kenyon Review Writers Workshop participant

“The techniques taught in this course were very helpful to me. I can apply them to everything I write: short stories, individual scenes in my novel, the entire novel, and even the creative nonfiction pieces/personal essays I write. It is a truly valuable tool that you have given us, Kris…I cannot thank you enough for this experience and for everything you have taught me.” – Shanti C., online revision course participant

I’d love to work with you on your writing project. Keep reading below for info on what I offer, my rates, and how the process works.

Max books — *Max, fellow word enthusiast*

What I offer:

Line/content editing (for pieces of any length)
Structural/developmental feedback (for larger works such as novellas, novels, and story collections)
Maps for future work (if you have an incomplete project and would like suggestions on how you might continue it)
Combinations of any/all of the above

My rates:

My fee is $45 per fifteen pages of work, to read and provide feedback. This equates to about $45 per hour of work for me. (Feedback on a novel of 300 pages would therefore cost $900, for about 20 hours of work.)
In the event that a project requires substantially more time (5 or more hours in addition to the initial projected total), I reserve the right to charge an additional fee.

How it works:

Send me an email at kfaatz925@gmail.com, subject line “MS Consulting.” Then:
I’ll schedule a free 30-minute phone call with you, to talk about your project, your goals for it, and the kind of help you’re looking for.
Once we make sure I’m a good fit for you, you’ll send me your project.
Based on its length and my initial overview of the work, I’ll quote you a price and give you an estimated date of completion. (Note: Projects requiring 10 hours of work or less will be finished within a week of start date. Longer projects may take up to 4 weeks.)
If the price is $250 or less, I’ll ask for your full payment up front.
If the price is higher than $250, you can either:
1. Provide a down payment of half the cost, and pay the rest when the project is finished; or
2. Pay the full cost up front, with a discount of 10%.
Once we’ve set up your payment plan, I’ll begin work.
When I’ve finished, I’ll send you my comments.
After you’ve reviewed them, we’ll schedule a second free 30-minute phone call, for me to answer any questions you might have.